Early last week the 2nd grade students from New Martinsville School were taken to the Lewis Wetzel Park to experience nature first hand. The members of the city’s park and pool group acted as facilitators. Each of the three worked with a group to give them an idea of the world around them while experiencing the outdoors first hand.

One group was given the experience of being a Honey Bee in search of flowers filled with nectar. They were shown how bees navigate and select the very best flowers to visit each trip. Each of them was told to become a bee and go in search of flowers. There was a lot of running around and bee sounds.

Another group was given firsthand experience in the wild life around the park’s pond. Bev Gibbs took time to tell them of the many creatures that live around the edge of the water. She also explained how different varieties of fish live at different levels in the pond.

The third group under the instructions of Jody Nippert taught the children about flight with hand held whirligigs. She explained by showing them how some tree seeds spin, as they fall so they can travel further away from the parent tree.

The smiling faces of the children told the story of how they enjoyed the outdoors, but also the excellent lessons told by the group leaders.

The Outdoor Program was funded by EQT to help children learn about biodiversity in the pond, how different trees disperse their seeds and how pollination helps feed the world.