Meadowlarks chirped and white clouds dotted the sky as about 140 happy Lander 4th graders gathered on Friday, April 24th, 2015 for the annual 4th Grade Outdoor Education Day. The Central Wyoming College Sinks Canyon Center was filled with excitement as local students participated in a day of learning outdoors.
Teachers and chaperones accompanied the students as they made their way through ten different stations set up throughout the campus. The interactive stations involved outdoor education topics ranging from plant, track, and scat identification to bear safety and geology. The kids carried their personal “passports” to each station, interacting and learning about the various topics. Students received a stamp on their passport upon completion of each station as they continued on to the next. Many games, activities, and smiles were involved in the process.
NOLS and several other entities worked together in organizing and preparing the 4th Grade Outdoor Education Day. The organizations included: Central Wyoming College, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, Popo Agie Conservation District, National Weather Service, Audubon Society, U.W. Extension, and Wyoming State Forestry.
NOLS teamed up with the Forest Service to coordinate station number one, a station that educated students on Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness ethics, and also how to safely cross a river. Educators at this station included Mike Trewartha from the U.S. Forest Service, along with Lindsay Yost, Anna Bastidas, Dimitri Staszewski, and Becca Sage from NOLS.
The 4th Grade Outdoor Education Day in Lander, Wyoming is a success year after year, and this year was no exception. It was a truly beautiful day to learn outside. Encouraging kids to spend more time outdoors is essential to their learning and personal growth, and exciting events such as the Outdoor Ed Day inspire them to engage in more outdoor activities.
Learn more about NOLS' environmental education and outreach.
