By Jan Wrede, Education Director
Cibolo Nature Center

Spring and fall, Monday through Friday, school children spend a morning at the Nature Center exploring our natural world. We delight in their excitement, energy, curiosity and questions.

All school groups are lead by volunteer Outdoor Classroom guides, who value spending time in the out-of-doors with eager children.

We organize the Outdoor Classroom so children and guides work in small groups of 10-12. Each guide leads an activity of his or her choice that teaches to a common topic (such as adaptations, water conservation or ecosystems) that is selected by the teacher. As we prepare for the spring 2007 season, please consider joining our group of dedicated volunteers, spending a few mornings in the fresh air and learning with a lively group of children.

The Outdoor Classroom curriculum has sets of activities for kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade. Children's activities are all hands-on and active. They include experiments, poetry, games, drawing, team- building challenges and plays. Most school groups are elementary and come from Boerne or San Antonio.

I recently talked to a friend who is a regular Outdoor Classroom guide, and she explained why she chose to become a volunteer. She once had been a classroom teacher, missed the children and wanted to use her training and skills in an informal setting.

The Nature Center's Outdoor Classroom also offers a social setting where my friend can interact with other adult volunteers. She told me that she now has a great place to visit with other Mom's who have school-age children and to hear about the adventures of retired volunteers, who have time to travel to exotic and intriguing places.

Guides invariably find children in the Outdoor Classroom to be enthusiastic and positive. No lethargy or boredom here! The fact that many children in San Antonio school groups have had very little direct contact with nature sometimes leads to amusing and enlightening situations. One day a young boy arrived wearing latex gloves "to protect him from germs and other dangers." At first he grabbed and kept a "vice-grip" on his Outdoor Classroom guide's hand. After an hour or so and a couple of non-threatening outdoor activities, he found himself at the Cibolo Creek, where everyone was catching aquatic "critters.". He couldn't help himself. His latex covered hands caught a cricket frog and he told his guide that he knew he had worn those gloves for a reason!

Other times, nature itself provides the surprises and amusement. One day a group of especially energetic young students rushed ahead of me along the trail until they were stopped in their tracks by a mammoth thistle growing at the edge of the path. It was armored with spines and dominated the landscape. Velvet purple blossoms softened the picture and dark bugs rested on the flowers. I held my breath until one observant child asked, "What are those two bugs doing with their ends stuck together?" As I struggled to find my answer, I wondered if copulating was an appropriate word for first graders. And how would I explain it?

So these are some of the delights and challenges of sharing the wonders of nature with children. It is fun and amusing and never a dull moment.

The Outdoor Classroom organization/training meeting for spring 2007 will be 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM on Wednesday, February 14. For more information and to register, call Mary Gomillion at 830-249-4616 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We need you and look forward to sharing this entertaining educational resource.

For more information and to register for programs, call 249-4616, or visit www.cibolo.org.

CNC Happenings:

Discovery Science
Saturday, Feb. 3 and Feb. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon
Admission is free; each session is limited to 10.
February is all about weather. Get involved. Kids, bring an adult with you to learn more about the green planet EARTH. Do your own research and share it with the world!

Family Backyard Birding
Saturday, Feb. 10, from 9 a.m. to noonPresenters will be Tom and Patsy Inglet, experienced birders and teachers.
Admission is free.
Backyard Birding is for families with children seven years and older. 
Come and learn the basics of binocular use and bird identification from some special teachers.