Department of Natural Resources program educates local youth

Lawrence and Monroe County Community School Corporation students recently experienced local nature while on their spring break.

Through the program “Spring Break Explorers,” students learned about a variety of natural history topics, identifying plants, making crafts and examining leaf scars.

Jill Vance, interpretive naturalist for the Lake Monroe reservoir, designed the program for the Department of Natural Resources.

Wendy Anderson, a naturalist intern who helped put on the program, said this is the first year the department has offered this type of program because the nature center is usually closed during winter.

“It will help kids learn about the community they live in and become more aware of what’s around them,” Vance said.

The first program involved about 12 students as young as first grade and as old as fifth grade.

Students participated in about five different activities throughout the day, including dissecting flowers, looking for birds and wildlife and learning about furs and feathers and other animal coverings.

Anderson said she assisted students in making fake binoculars to help look for turtle shells and other animal coverings. She also led a session about snakes and allowed the children to touch a snake to feel the skin.

Vance said it gives youth an introduction to the natural history of the reservoir by learning about the area in which they live.

“I hope that they will learn one new thing and have fun while doing it,” Anderson said. “Nature education is supposed to be exciting. I remember learning about it as a child, and I want children to have the same experience and learn to love nature.”