Chickens Cross the Road

Had a blast with my classes on Friday!  The morning group that I took out to orienteering was super and they got the hang of it all rather quickly.  I love it when the kids who are usually the "trouble makers" indoors become engaged leaders outdoors!  Everytime I see that happen, it makes me smile!  These boys just needed some play time outside!

I also had a student who walked right next to me all the way to the course and back.  I wondered why until she started this conversation;

"What do we do on the hike?" she asked 

"Go exploring" I answered, unsure yet of the reason for her question 

"I like that." She replied  "Most people I know like to stay inside. Not me. I like to be outside. I wanna find a tree to climb!"  She went on like this for the rest of the walk back and all I could do was smile. This young lady felt different; yet she finally found a way to express her passion to someone else who "gets her"!  She is a rarity and was a pleasure to talk to. 

My afternoon class, a different group of 6th graders, was hysterical. They were all excited for a hike and we explored the smells of Dog Fennel, Beauty Berry, Pine Needles and the damp earth. Our Pine Flatwoods has just undergone a Prescribed Burn, so the smell of burnt wood was strong.  Some of the boys smeared the charred pieces on their hands and faces for camouflage, earning the name "Pine Flatwoods Boys"!  Great name for a band, and this was a class of singers for sure!

We sat down on the dry needles in the Pine Flatwoods and talked about why fire is an important factor in keeping this forest healthy.  Tampa is the lightning capital of the United States, hence the name of our hockey team.  Without fire, the Pine Flatwoods gets overtaken by hardwoods which shade out the sun, preventing the young pine trees from growing. The Pine Flatwoods begins to shrink and the animals that thrive only in the pines have to leave, just like in "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss.  

So if the trees are adapted to fire, then why do we have a problem?  Well, a single strike of lightning could light up 100's of thousands of acres before people moved in. "So what changed?"  The kids thought hard on this.  Then I asked "What prevents fire from spreading?"  Oceans, rivers, and firemen were all good answers, but they struggled with a really good reason.  I asked them how they got to Nature's Classroom; "on a bus."  What was the bus on; "a road." Then I said "Can fire cross a road?"  The students chimed in as the light bulbs went off; "NO!"  Then one student added; "but a chicken can!"  We all howled on the ground with laughter at the connection to this familiar joke!  What a day!

Photo: New chicks just arrived at Nature's Classroom!  They have skills that a fire does not have!