Be Great, Migrate!

Michael picked up a stick and waved it in the air.  He walked around the frame of the child-sized bird nest and promptly tossed it in.  He then ran back to the pile of sticks, struggled to lift one that was over twice his height, and began swinging it in the air.  When asked what he was doing, Michael didn't respond verbally, but instead looked around and pointed to something using the stick he was carrying.  He was entranced by the natural beauty surrounding him and, even though he wasn't more than a year old, found a way to communicate his interest in the natural world around him without verbalizing his thoughts.

Building a bird's nest in the Be Great, Migrate! play habitat

Just prior to his interest in nest building, Michael had crawled under nets, leaped over string "power lines", and acted like a bird with his two older brothers.  He was able to interact with and investigate the play habitat freely.  It was amazing to see how quickly he and the other children became interested in the bird themed play area and actually played the role of birds on a migratory journey toward warmer weather in the south.  Michael, in particular, proved that age is no obstacle when playing in and connecting with nature.

Assir Abushouk, Stephanie Rustem, and Debi Sabo

Sky Island

Coming in for a landing to report success for mission "First Flight" on Sky Island.

We taught many a baby bird to fly in our suspended trawl net fastened 5 feet high with rope and webbing to surrounding trees. After the baby birds learned to fly in the sky net they were then free to explore the island via branches (logs on the forest floor setup to act as balance beams) and help build a person-sized nest. Children of all ages (2-10) quickly took on the role of becoming birds and allowed the net to challenge them at their own personal level. Some were content sitting in a low area whereas others flew to the highest points and slid down for landings, both bumpy and smooth.

Baby birds trying out different "landing" techniques

It was important to assess the risk of the net, how it was suspended, and minimizing the possibilities for toppling over the edge. Phil Waters of the Eden Project is experienced with rigging up nets for similar play purposes, and was an inspiration as well as a key risk assessor in the construction of the net. After several adults tested the net (and didn't want to leave), we knew the children would have a beneficial, safe, and fun experience.

The net crew: Courtney, Amelea, Phil, and Sarah

The net afforded multiple levels of challenge in allowing the children to adapt and learn about their own mental and physical limits as well as interact with other children in an inclusive and civil manner.

  Kids of all ages learning to fly

The adults matched the children's collective enthusiasm for the net, each parent/chaperone expressed this by exclaiming that they would set one up in their backyard for the kids!

Note: No actual birds were harmed in the making of this play habitat :)

Courtney, Amelea, and Sarah

Hideaway Cove

Turtles exploring Hideaway Cove

Upon first arrival to Hideaway Cove, this particular group of girls were seemingly uninterested in the beach environment we had created for their play habitat. Lining up side by side, they stared at us, hoping for some sort of prompting regarding their actions within this strange place. Giving in, we decided to introduce them to the numerous bird nests around the island, which afforded them the opportunity to notice the brightly colored, large eggs found within each nest. This was clearly something that excited the girls, and one by one they decided to collect all the eggs found in and around the Cove. When they had collected them all, and piled them in the central area, one of the girls noted that the momma birds would not be happy to see their eggs missing! Hearing this, the girls decided that putting the baby bird eggs back in their nests would make momma bird happy, as she could then have baby birds to raise and care for when they hatched.

Collections of treasure are brought to the center of Hideaway Cove

This was a poignant moment for our play exercise, because it showed us that children already have the concepts of conservation and protection of wildlife in their imaginations. This is important because it shows us that we created an effective environment that fostered imagination as well as interaction and conservation within the setting of the coastal environment, which closely matches the goals set forth by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Terry Welles, Kara Oikarinen, Katie Johnson