Kids in the woods
A serene quiet envelopes the Timberlane campground as the flora and fauna station instructor scouts his area. Along Pipe Creek, named for the Kootenai-Salish practice of collecting semi-soft stones from the creek bottom to carve smoking pipes, a pair of common mergansers hunt for fish in a backwater eddy. A spotted sandpiper cruises along the muddy bank, above the dipper tracks and the beaver chews. Warblers sing in the background.
It’s a cold morning for June, and the instructors put on their polar fleece. Katie Andreeson hands the day’s schedule out to Seth, Becky and the fire crew as Paige, Jason, Matt and company start a warming fire. The quietness is broken by the arrival of the fifth-grade children. Dedicated teachers Sharon Ostroski, Samantha Haley, “Big Ben” and the parent advisors shuttle the kids off the bus and into groups. The stations include flora and fauna, fire, archeology, forestry and “leave no trace” camping.
In Kootenai country, we are blessed with many good hearted volunteers. At Libby Dam, Josh, Susan James, Keeli and Brian put on a quality birding program, focusing on locally found birds. We spot and study Bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, mergansers, ducks, ravens, crows, kingfishers and owls. The volunteer staff puts out a great effort as we all do our best to provide a quality program for the fourth graders. Tyler shows the kids tree planting techniques at the Dunn Creek reclamation site. We do three of these programs together.
On July 21, instructors with Friends of Scotchman Peaks and Silver Cloud Associates will combine efforts for kindergarten-age kids at Ross Creek Cedars. Britta Mirely has organized this program, and we have several volunteer parent advisors helping us out too. The little elf-like youngsters have a ball, and also learn a lot. The ancient cedars speak to the child in all of us.
In September, Montana Wilderness Association will provide a program for Renee Rose’s high school biology classes at Alvord Lake. Grete Gansauer and Silver Cloud instructors will organize and instruct this program with the help of local volunteers who are retired professionals and outdoor enthusiasts.
It’s not an easy job, folks. These programs take months of planning, coordination, inventive minds to keep things interesting and good old fashion hard work. Instructors and volunteers have to deal with some kids who apparently are not taught respect and lack discipline. But there are many respectful, sharp and appreciative young folks who get it. These kids come up with some amazing answers and observations. Many of them are high achievers who may go on to become outdoor science professionals.
In 1971, T.C. McLuhan compiled a selection of writings by native peoples about their relationship with Mother Earth in a book called “Touch The Earth.” Maybe more of us adults and kids should touch the earth more and the computer keys less.
If you know someone who has helped out with these kinds of programs, please tell them thanks. It will surely bring a smile to their faces and warmth to their hearts. Most certainly, they earned it.
Brian Baxter is a volunteer with the Flathead Kootenai Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association.