Students Enjoy Outdoor Classroom at Wint Nature Park

I’m Lara Mossa, a former reporter for The Oakland Press and a current freelance writer for . When I was offered the opportunity to write a blog, my first question was: can
I write about the schools?

They say one of the greatest selling points of a home is the school district.

So, besides the charming downtown and the easy access to shopping and work, my family chose Lake Orion to be our home because of the great schools.

My daughters Alyssa, 6, and Lindsey, 3 both attend Lake Orion Schools. Alyssa is a first-grade student at Blanche Sims Elementary School and Lindsey is a preschool student at the Community Educational Resource Center.

The rain held off long enough Thursday morning for 17 preschool students to take a nature walk at Lewis E. Wint Nature Center in Clarkston. My daughter was among the boys and girls to explore the wildlife at the center, which is at Independence Oaks County Park on Sashabaw Road.

Seasonal Naturalist Lauren Kunysz led the small group of students through the woods and  across a gravely path to see what spring sights they could find. Their first stop: a look at giant ant mounds. Then, they stopped to observe green moss and a squirrel nest in a tree.

Kunysz is one of the naturalists available for field trips and other activities at the Nature Center. The site offers special programs to help Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops earn badges. Parents can even book birthday parties at the center, which includes a building with exhibits, an amphitheater and grounds that weave through the woods.

My daughter, Lindsey, learned that bunnies chew on tree branches when they can’t find food. And only male frogs sing. She also thrilled at the chance to stroke the slippery back of a live salamander.

The children flapped their arms as they walked, pretending to be blue birds looking for bugs. They paused to smell some yucky skunk cabbage and peer at apple blossoms on the trees. Then, they marveled at a worm wiggling among the branches of a beaver dam.

Using their senses – sight, hearing,, smell and touch – the kids enjoyed their outdoor classroom. It was their second field trip of the spring term. As they peered at colorful flowers through nature scopes and learned about the sounds of bird calls, they enjoyed an experience that was not only educational but memorable.

For more information about the Nature Center, call (248) 625-6473 or visit the website.

Next week, I’ll fill you in on a special project in my older daughter’s classroom. Stay tuned!