It can be awe-inspiring to see the level of curiosity and intelligence fifth-graders have when given a pair of binoculars and some time to explore the world around them.
And once again, Geauga Park District is gearing up to provide those binoculars and that time to the majority of public and private school fifth-graders in Geauga County through its hands-on Nature Scopes programming, which started out in 2003 with just a few schools.
This will be the fourth year Nature Scopes has reached every public school in the county. Each student’s school-year-long Nature Scopes adventure culminates this month in “Binocular Blitz” finale field trips to The Rookery in Munson Township. Media are invited to experience these activities first-hand May 1 through 23 by making arrangements with Denise Wolfe, naturalist program coordinator, at 440-279-0894 or dwolfe@geaugaparkdistrict.org.
Nature Scopes is funded with primary support from the Foundation for Geauga Parks and other generous park sponsors and donors. Since 2003, their continued support has made it possible for Geauga Park District to provide Nature Scopes experiences to a whopping 7,094 students countywide!
A total 830 students at 16 schools are participating this school year. Naturalists and volunteers focus on developing kids’ interest in wildlife and Nature, hoping to inspire a new generation of Nature-lovers and conservationists in Geauga County.
Each student receives a pair of Bushnell Falcon binoculars and two field guides to keep, and learns to use those binoculars as field scopes, microscopes and telescopes.
Geauga Park District Naturalist Nora Sindelar has participated in “BinoBlitz” field trips every spring for 15 years, and now heads up the programming.
“It never gets old having dozens of fifth-graders cheering with excitement when they put their binoculars up to their eyes and that little ‘something’ in the distance comes into focus: a beautiful bird, a green frog or a cool water snake,” she said. “It absolutely never gets old.”
For more on Geauga Park District offerings, please call 440-286-9516 or visit Geauga Park District online at Geauga Park District, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube.
