On Friday, September 30, almost 200 Central Academy Middle School sixth grade students, teachers and community members went into the woods to experience a day of outdoor learning and discovery. They hiked, visited creeks and conducted experiments at various sites in the Jefferson National Forest near Arcadia. At Jennings Creek, students smashed rocks (intentionally), studying Geology with Claire Stull; they played in the creek while looking for aquatic macroinvertebrates with the Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District’s outreach educator Erica Moore; they participated in authentic box turtle data collection for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries with Wendy Grimshaw, conducted water quality testing for World Water Monitoring Day with Tim Miller, and interviewed two “real” AT section hikers who just happened along. At the Forest Service shelter near Middle Creek, students listened to amazing stories native to our mountain region from “Tales in Tandem” Appalachian storytellers Joan and Mack Swift. Eighth grade Journey students, along with their teacher Ashley Theimer, provided interesting “hip pocket” trail activities for the sixth graders after the stories. At Little Cove Mountain Trail, students practiced Leave No Trace outdoor principles with Angie Sheldon from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and learned from Appalachian Trail thru-hikers Homer and Therese Witcher just how important it is in life (as in hiking) to just keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity. None of this could have happened inside the walls of a school.
Educators Wendy Grimshaw, Tim Miller and Lisa Moyer planned these learning experiences after participating in the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s “Trail to Every Classroom” (TTEC) training over the summer. The activities would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of the volunteers as well as educators Vicky Campbell, Christy Clonch, Leslie Dunbar, Tony Lewis, Rhyanna Moran, Myra Petty, Andrea Rahall, Laura Trumbo, Connie Woodson and Missy Young. The CAMS PTA generously provided for the Appalachian storytellers, and Principal Tim McClung offered ongoing support for the endeavor. Students were enthusiastically immersed in learning, and when asked about their day, students commented, “We learn better because we’re having fun, so we listen more,” and “We got hands-on experience that you can’t get in the classroom.” Students, teachers and volunteers are looking forward to another trip to the woods in the spring.
–Lisa Moyer, Gifted Resource Teacher @ Central Academy MS
