What does a fourth grader want in summer vacation? Well, it’s hard to go back that far in my mind, but I think it’s likely something fun, different, involving animals, and making new friends. What does a parent hope for? If they are anything like me, they probably hope their child will be engaged in outdoor activities with minimal screen time, learning about themselves and the world while having a lot of fun. This August, a group of 20 fourth graders from Suffield had the opportunity to do just that at Bloomfield’s Auerfarm. Students from McAlister Intermediate School were paired with Montessori Magnet Bachelder students from Hartford to explore agriculture, science, the natural world, and each other.
Students enjoy a fun and educational day at Auerfarm.
“We got to do so many incredible things with them,” said Jonni Marshall, Director of Education & Auer Camp Director. “Every day they went home dirty, tired, and happy.”
The program takes place on a 120-acre non-profit educational farm located in Bloomfield, adjacent to Auerfarm State Reserve and the MDC reservoir. It’s a vast area with varied habitats, providing an ideal backdrop to dig deeply into the best parts of kids being kids in summer mode. Each day begins with a morning meeting where students plan their activities and engage in team-building exercises. They are then divided into four smaller groups, each comprising students from both schools, and head to different areas for various educational adventures. For example, one group might visit the farm’s stream to collect macroinvertebrates—larval and nymph stages of insects—and learn how these can indicate water quality. Another group might go to the barn to work with 4-H students, learning the basics of grooming, walking, and showing goats. They also have the chance to care for bunnies and interact with the farm’s three donkeys: Arlo, Maggie, and Gillis.
Over the course of the week all groups were able to try their hand at an amazing mix of activities. They learned to herd geese (who knew they were herdable), and under the guidance of Farmer Robert, progressed to herding goats. Daily activities included hiking, harvesting vegetables, pulling weeds, and assisting with farm chores. Attendees built insect houses from found materials to help beneficial insects and painted a kestrel birdhouse. During downtime, they created nature journals using various art mediums. They went on a hayride to Cider Hill and spent time together as they moved with the slow grace of days gone by and they loved messing around in the woods in a place called the playforest – building forts, digging tunnels, climbing on boulders, free to be children lost in a world of imaginative play that will too soon be traded for realities of teenage life.
This ‘learning by doing’ is the sort of learning all students could use more of. It’s the hallmark of experiential education, and along with the program’s nature-based components, it’s an educational platform we are working to expand at Suffield Public Schools. At Auerfarm’s program, learning by doing doesn’t just apply to interesting activities, it applies to meeting new friends from different communities.
“There were lots of hugs and high fives on the last day,” Marshall noted. “This experience brings them together in a neutral place where everyone is learning and growing, which makes it more comfortable and exciting. They learn about topics like food chains, erosion, and water health, which connect naturally to their school curriculum. But more importantly, they learn about each other.”
In the coming months, Auerfarm plans to continue its engagement with the students by sending teachers to both schools for two lessons this year. They will also host two family events: a maple breakfast in March and a big feast after Earth Day in April. Suffield students were lucky to have been given this opportunity, and we thank our new friends at Auerfarm for helping to educate our kids in the unique ways that only time outside, new friends, and a special place can do.