Bose Elementary students get hands-on in learning about erosion control in Peorio Park
Jackson Schneider, right, takes a photograph with a tablet as fellow Bose Elementary School second-grader Aliyana Rivas points to the river during a lesson on erosion at Poerio Nature Center on Friday.
Michael Akina, in second grade at Bose Elementary School, looks for shades of green during a lesson on erosion at Poerio Nature Center on Friday.
Second grade students take part in a lesson on erosion at Poerio Nature Center on Friday.
Bose Elementary School second grade teacher Nancy Friedrich instructs students on what to look for during a lesson on erosion at Poerio Nature Center.
Jackie Xu, center left, and Ellie Aylala, both in second grade at Bose Elementary School, walk with their arms locked along the trail during a lesson on erosion at Poerio Nature Center on Friday.
From rocks to rivers, insects to animal tracks, Bose Elementary second-graders were on the hunt for signs of erosion during a field trip to Peorio Park Nature Center on Friday.
The second grade classes, which have been learning about erosion were able to see its signs in person. Starting at the Nature Center, 1401 16th Ave., students were instructed on which natural features to look for, such as smooth and sharp rocks, evidence of animals, streams and insects.
Kelly Hanover, a second grade teacher at Bose Elementary, said she brought her dog to the park years ago and saw it was a perfect example for signs of erosion.
“I knew it was here because I did it a couple of years ago with my dog,” Hanover said. “then (my husband and I) brought our other dogs out and they walked around and (I thought), “OK, we could definitely do this.”
When students, who were divided into groups, found something in the area that appeared to be evidence of erosion, the student photographer of the group took a picture and the students would then move on.
Groups trekked from the playground area of the park, into the outskirts of the woods and then at the bottom of a hill to a bridge where they then hiked back to the park.
“They’ve been working to see what causes erosion, and because we don’t live by the ocean, it was nebulous to them,” Hanover said. “I thought if they came out and saw it in person, it might feel more poignant and meaningful to them.”
This field trip was one of several held this year since the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They’re really enjoying (the field trip),” Hanover said. “We’ve done five or six (field trips) this year, so there’s been a lot. We have a smaller group so it works well.”
After finding and photographing evidence of erosion at the park, students were then released to play at the park. Many of them expressed an interest in returning to the park with their family.
“I just like to see them out in nature and doing more things,” Hanover said. “I’m hoping that now that we’ve seen that this is here — a couple of the kids have been here before but most of them haven’t — (they’ll) come out for a picnic or something with their family and having another place to go that is free.”
