SPRING LEARNING

By Linda Linonis

Program teaches children about nature

Examples from nature, a story and walk outdoors engage children to learn about their world.

A kiss of snow in SOME areas, the temperature in the low 40s and sunny skies on the first day of spring illustrated the unpredictable nature of weather.

Participants in “Robin Welcomes Spring” on Friday, the first day of spring, at the Ford Nature Center at Mill Creek MetroParks were excited about coloring robins, constructing baby birds in a nest, looking at birds’ nests and taking a short walk.

“The first day of spring is the vernal equinox, when the length of the day and night are equal,” said Carol Vigorito, a naturalist at Ford Nature Center. “This has to do with the position of the sun.”

Vigorito, who has worked part time at the park for 111‚Ñ2 years, presented the program for 3- to 5-year-olds. She’s been involved in the preschool nature hour for 101‚Ñ2 years. She said these programs change with the seasons and also are based on animals and plants.

“We try to educate people about ecology, and sometimes we’re called ‘nature interpreters’ because we’re explaining nature,” she said.

Vigorito uses various means to get the environmental message across, including stories, games, rhymes, songs, felt board and puppets. The robin programs had registration of 40 children who attended programs Friday and today. The children started off by coloring a robin and baby, but Vigorito took that opportunity to talk to the children about adult and baby birds and the difference in their coloring. She told them adults have a “reddish- orange tummy, while babies have spotted tummies.”

Showing the inquisitive youngsters three nests, Vigorito explained that different kinds of birds build unique nests. “A basket nest is built by orioles,” she told the children as she showed a nest. “A woven one might be made by a meadowlark or wren.”

Vigorito showed the children a robin’s nest made of grass, small tree roots and mud with grass in the center. “The mother robin sits in the nest and pushes the sides of the nest to shape it,” she explained, noting that the grass is a cushion for the eggs. She told the children that the mother robin sits on the nest about two weeks, and the eggs are a beautiful shade of blue.

Vigorito talked to the children about birds’ ears, hidden under their wings. And she told them that robins look for earthworms. “They love them,” she said.

Then it was off for a short walk around the nature center on the All People’s Trail. There, Vigorito pointed out signs of spring such as budding trees and daffodils in bloom along with signs of animal activity such as chipmunk holes. Vigorito also had the children and their adult companions be quiet so that they could hear the sounds of nature — birds chirping and the wind moving the leaves ever so slightly.

Ron Della Penna of Poland brought his grandson, Nate Betts, 3, of Austintown. “It’s good for him to learn about nature and understand his part in it,” Della Penna said.

Nicholas Plunkett, 4, accompanied by his mother, Claudia, said he “likes the coloring.” His mother said they come to programs and learn something.

Kim Hvizdos of North Lima was with her daughter Amanda, 3. “We come to a lot of the programs because we love the outdoors. I want her to have a love of nature,” Hvizdos said. “She’ll tell her dad and brother all about this.”

Jennifer Roberts of Poland said she brought her daughter, Katelynn, 31‚Ñ2, because she wanted her to learn about the outdoors. “She talks about it for weeks.”

Making it a family affair were Natalie and Greg Hoso of Warren and their children, Ambrose, 4, and Ava, 2. “It’s a nice hands-on learning experience for them,” she said. “We talked about waiting for spring,” her husband said, so this program fit into that conversation.

linonis@vindy.com