Post by jonsdigs on Nov 20, 2006 9:40:16 GMT -5
Pupils explore the environment
Monday, November 20, 2006
By CHRIS HAMEL
Springfield (MA) Republican
chamel@repub.com
STURBRIDGE - As bats flew out of the old graphite mine at Tantiusques Reservation at sunset last Wednesday, Lenore M. Anderson gave the equivalent of a "duck and cover" command to a group of Ware Middle School pupils.
Anderson, of Hatfield, who is project coordinator for the outdoor education company Adventure In Adventure Out of Amherst, told the children to shut off their tiny headband flashlights and squat to the ground, so the bats could make a clear flight into the surrounding woods.
To the casual observer, the incident might have seemed fraught with risk. But the 12 children and the company's three adult supervisors seemed unfazed, as if it were just another day in nature's midst for those involved in the after-school program, "Outdoor Adventure.
The extracurricular program is one of many being offered to Ware pupils under a grant from the 21st Century After School Program. In the 10-week course, middle-schoolers are learning firsthand about plants, animals and natural habitats. But they also are experiencing outdoor recreation and personal growth.
Full Article
Monday, November 20, 2006
By CHRIS HAMEL
Springfield (MA) Republican
chamel@repub.com
STURBRIDGE - As bats flew out of the old graphite mine at Tantiusques Reservation at sunset last Wednesday, Lenore M. Anderson gave the equivalent of a "duck and cover" command to a group of Ware Middle School pupils.
Anderson, of Hatfield, who is project coordinator for the outdoor education company Adventure In Adventure Out of Amherst, told the children to shut off their tiny headband flashlights and squat to the ground, so the bats could make a clear flight into the surrounding woods.
To the casual observer, the incident might have seemed fraught with risk. But the 12 children and the company's three adult supervisors seemed unfazed, as if it were just another day in nature's midst for those involved in the after-school program, "Outdoor Adventure.
The extracurricular program is one of many being offered to Ware pupils under a grant from the 21st Century After School Program. In the 10-week course, middle-schoolers are learning firsthand about plants, animals and natural habitats. But they also are experiencing outdoor recreation and personal growth.
Full Article