Wooster students enjoy day in the Killbuck Marsh with outdoor writer Art Holden
Willow Fetty was dreadfully honest when she joined my group recently at the Wooster Edgewood Middle School outdoor education days at the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area near Shreve.
“I didn’t want to get my hands dirty, so I said I’d be in the journalism group,” Fetty said.
While the three others I mentored weren’t so forthright, they all admitted a day walking around the Wildlife Area with an outdoor writer was far better than spreading clover seeds, moving brush and planting Norway Spruce seedlings.
To be honest, though, I think the group really enjoyed their time with me. Sure, they didn’t do any heavy lifting, and yes, Willow never did get her hands dirty, but they seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. And, now they have a good base as to how to tell their story in print.
A day at the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife area
“I want them to be able to write a story, have something published,” said seventh grade science teacher Jim Figley. “I wanted them to have a real-life (journalism) experience.”
Figley worked with Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area Manager Dennis Solon to put on the outdoor education days that featured some 200 students on Thursday, and considerably less on Friday.
“This was totally worth all the work and effort,” said Figley, “but we’re already thinking about cutting it back to one day next year.”
It was obvious that a day out in nature was not for every seventh grader, and the job of teachers at all schools is a challenge every day. But instead of managing 30-50 students in a group, I had a much more captive audience of Fetty, Allie Greenwald, Claire Jeon and Rae Phillips. Four different girls, four different personalities, four different goals in life, but all equally inquisitive and open to experiencing new things.
“I learned the five W’s,” said Greenwald, repeating the key questions that have to be answered in a story: Who, what, where, why and when.
“I’ve learned how you’ve got to be able to talk to people, how you’ve got to be careful wording your question to get the answers,” said Jeon.
Words, birds, snakes and a beaver
The first day was spent learning how to interview adults, from their teacher, Figley, to forester Devon Miller and Wildlife technician Erich Long.
They got tips on taking photographs, learned about the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area from several different adult perspectives, discovered edible plants, identified birds, plants and trees; as well as animal footprints in the mud. The best part, though, was a truck ride down to the Big Spring and skipping rocks into the marsh with Long.
Day two they saw deer and snakes, learned about Chimney Swift towers, bat boxes and purple martin and bluebird houses. The highlight, though, may have been watching the release of a rehabilitated beaver into the Killbuck Marsh.
“I think we got the best end of the deal,” said Greenwald.
That may not be entirely true, though, as I think I got the best part of the deal.
In the nearly 46 years of being in the newspaper industry, last week was not the first time I was shadowed while at work. It was, though, the first time I was shadowed while working as an outdoor writer, and although you never know how it’s going to turn out when you sign up for a gig, this one was productive.
It was fun to see their faces light up when they put my hints into motion and see the results of getting just the right angle for a photo, or to shake the hand of the person they’re interviewing and ask a great question.
Figley did a good job of finding four students who showed an interest in writing. None of them said they looked forward to a career as an outdoor writer, but I’m hoping that I piqued their interest in terms of being an outdoors participant – and possibly a writer/blogger of some kind, someday.
Outdoor correspondent Art Holden can be reached at letsplabal@yahoo.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Words, birds, snakes & a beaver. A day with outdoor writer Art Holden
