Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center offers opportunities for children, parents to learn about conservation

Parents are constantly teaching their children, and conservation should be included in those life lessons. There are programs that can help, and the bonus is that in the process, parents may just learn something themselves.

"Conservation is about building a relationship with the land, and caring enough that when you grow up you make the right choices, whether you are a farmer or live in the city," says Michelle Randecker, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental education and a master's in curriculum and instruction with a focus in environmental education.

The lessons can be as easy as sitting outside your home or taking a short walk.

"It can be right in your backyard," Randecker says.

Observing and recognizing elements of nature is something she calls "citizen science."

By line / Cutline:Jordi Brostoski talks to students about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center on March 29 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

"You can count lady bugs, go fishing or take a walk," Randecker says. "You don't have to be part of a big group, but you can be."

A local resource to help parents educate children, the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center conducts monthly programs about conservation for children of all ages. The group for the youngest children is for infants to 2-year-olds, and demonstrates the fact that kids are never too young to start learning about nature.

"Start them young," says Randecker, who worked as a naturalist at the Nature Center for three and a half years teaching the classes and is now a volunteer there.

Nature Center manager Sarah Turner says the hope is that if children learn about nature early it will have a long-term effect on them.

"The goal is to develop an understanding, because if people understand things they tend to appreciate them and if they appreciate them, then they want to protect them," she says.

Jordi Brostoski talks to students about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Wednesday, March 29, 2017 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

The parents' role is more than just accompanying their children to the classes. They participate in them right alongside their kids.

"The main goal is to get the parents involved with the children, and together as a team, getting them to learn about nature and discover ways to explore nature," Randecker says. "Today, unfortunately, many parents don't have experiences with conservation of their own. They haven't been brought up with that. They face the challenge of having fears or being uninformed."

The classes can help parents overcome those challenges, and allaying fear is just one aspect of learning about nature that parents and children can share.

The group for children 0 to 2 years old is called "Tad Poles." Two classes are held on most Saturdays, and the sessions are relatively short, 20 to 30 minutes.

In a recent class, "Wake up Earth," the tots learned about what happens in nature in the spring.

Jordi Brostoski talks to students about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Wednesday, March 29, 2017 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

"They do that through song and puppet shows, other hands-on activities," Turner says. "For the 2-year-old level, it's just as much for the adults attending with them," Turner said.

Some subjects are tougher than others to teach, like insects.

"Some parents don't even feel comfortable picking up an ant," Randecker says.

That's where learning through pretending comes into play. Grabbing a net and pretending to catch insects can be a learning experience.

"It's not 'Follow me,'" she says, "it's, 'Hey, parents, get your child, get the net. This is for you and your child to explore together.'"

Eme Meier jumps up and down when asked by Jordi Brostoski while learning about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Wednesday, March 29, 2017 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

The next age group is from 3 to 6 years old, the "Mud Puppies." There are two separate class times for that group, held on Tuesday and Saturday. These classes last an average of 45 minutes. Again, the parents' participation is required and the goal is a shared learning experience.

With a curriculum close to the Tad Poles' lessons, these classes are at a little more advanced level. The children might match pictures with the names of animals or insects, draw pictures of wildlife or listen to stories about nature. Ever present in all classes is the exploratory aspect, which may include taking a walk to look for animal tracks.

The older group, called "Snappers," includes children 4 through 7 years old. They meet once a month, usually on a Saturday, and their class is about 90 minutes. They may learn archery, study pond life or aquatic insects. Class leaders try to take the children outside to experience nature as often as they can.

Randecker says she remembers a time when the Snappers were studying insects and it was raining outside. Bugs aren't crazy about rain, so that made the experiential element tricky. But, Randecker was thinking on her feet and remembered that there was a deer carcass close to the building. "We discovered the role of decomposers right there in our backyard," she says.

While it might not sound that thrilling to parents, Randecker says the kids loved it. Initially, the children were surprised to see the maggots at work, but most ended up picking them up to examine them.

By line / Cutline:Eme Meier looks at two tree frogs while learning about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center on March 29 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

"It was a group 'aha' moment. It was something so far outside the realm of what they'd had seen before. You could tell they really enjoyed it."

A Summer Outdoor Adventure Camp is also held for children 7 to 11. It is a two-day program, also free, that takes place in the Nature Center the first day, and on the second day they go to a conservation area or state park and make camp for the night.

Young people 12 to 15 years old also have an Adventure Camp, but it is three days, with the last two days spent in the great outdoors.

While all the classes are well attended, Turner said the two programs for the older groups are wildly popular.

"There are 90 spots and they fill up within the first 25 minutes," she says.

Students jump when asked by Jordi Brostoski while learning about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Wednesday, March 29, 2017 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

Helping children make conservation a part of their lives has benefits far beyond the acquisition of knowledge.

"It's been proven that spending time in nature can improve academics and health and well-being," Turner says.

It can even lead to a career, which happened to Turner, who attended Girl Scouts all her life and worked as a counselor at Girl Scout camp for 11 years.

"I think that's one of the biggest reasons I have my career today," she says.

A full listing of upcoming events at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center can be found at https://mdc.mo.gov/mdc-events.

Jordi Brostoski reads the children's book "One, two, three, jump!" to students while learning about a frog's life cycle at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Wednesday, March 29, 2017 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker