Crossroads Elementary makes Como ‘Outdoor Classroom’

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By DEBORAH BROTZ Even snow-covered ground couldn’t dampen Micah Lesch’s excitement about visiting their school forest. At the end of February, students and teachers at Crossroads Elementary began using the Como Woodland Outdoor Classroom (CWOC) as their school forest under a program offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Lesch, 8, a third-grader in Susan Johnson’s class who attends Crossroads Science part of the school, couldn’t wait to go to the outdoor classroom. “I thought it would be fun,” he said. “I wanted to see some cottontail rabbits in the ground and the place where they make their homes.” During the first visit, the students snowshoed. “It was really fun,” Lesch said. “We didn’t have to sink into the snow.” In addition to playing some nature games, the students took some time to look around and observe. “We found holes in some broken tree trunks,” said Lesch. “These are holes a woodpecker would make. We had a contest to see who could measure the largest tree around. We had a tape measure and a notebook, and all of us went and measured trees.” The students learned how to tell what kind of animal it is on that outing. “We learned about where their habitat would be, whether it was on the ground or in trees,” said Lesch. “We also learned about nature survival, like what you need to know if you go on ice. The ice needs to be 4 inches deep for a person and 39 inches deep for a truck.” “It was really fun because we got to look around for animal tracks,” he said. “If we were in a normal class, we would look up something on Google, but we actually got to see it.” Lesch looks forward to many more trips to the outdoor classroom. “I hope we get to explore more of the outdoor classroom,” he said. “I want to see if I can find more animal tracks. I’d like to see a raccoon and some birds. I loved being there.” The 17-acre CWOC site is owned and managed by the City of St. Paul. Schools such as Crossroads that enroll in the School Forest program get DNR benefits, which include: skill-based teacher training on how to teach outside; access to engaging, outdoor activities that meet academic standards; assistance from DNR natural resource professionals; and access to free tree seedlings from the DNR nursery. “With our science focus, we’re always looking for hands-on experience for students,” said Britt Forsberg, inquiry zone coordinator at Crossroads in partnership with Bell Museum of Natural History. “Como Woodland is a great site for biome or habitats.” Forsberg feels the program will greatly benefit her students. “Most of them have little to no access to natural spaces because they live in an urban area,” she said. Because the school forest is located only 1.7 miles from the school building, Crossroads students will be able to take field trips all year long, without breaking the bank with long-distance bussing costs. “Hopefully, every student will get a chance to go once this year,” said Forsberg. “Our agreement with the DNR is to go to it five times during the school year.” Students visiting CWOC will learn about the natural world and outdoor habitats. “In second grade, students are taught quite a bit about habitats,” said Forsberg. “They learn how plants and animals adapt to where they live. But, they also gain an understanding and appreciation for the natural world.” Schools who want to enroll in the DNR School Forest program should visit the website: www.MN.DNR.gov/schoolforest to make sure they meet some criteria. “We do a site visit to see if it’s a good fit for the program,” said Laura Duffey, DNR school forest specialist. “The program came in existence in 1949 through a Minnesota State Statute.” While longer distance field trips to nature areas are beneficial to students, shorter trips are even more so. “There are studies out there especially with urban students that show frequent nearby nature has a much more long-term lasting affect which helps students connect with their surroundings better than a once-a-year big trip,” said Duffey. “Frequent trips can be 10 or 15 minutes a week. Just being able to go outside on a consistent basis is much more beneficial.” Duffey believes it’s important for schools to participate in the DNR School Forest program. “People in our profession believe students learn better in the outdoors than indoors,” she said. “They get deeper learning and more long-term memory with outdoor experience. I hope that project continues and that any school that wants a school forest should be able to have one.” Forsberg looks forward to many fun visits to CWOC. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with DNR educators to further train our staff to work outdoors and to be able to use object-based education with natural items.”

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