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Park Explorers discover wonder of Mill Creek
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .The kids of Park Explorers hailed from all around the Valley, including Poland, Canfield, Youngstown, Boardman, Austintown, and Niles. During their last day of camp on June 30, the campers smiled with their nature journals.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Camp leader Bethany Feusteal (standing) shared some of the thoughts that she recorded in her Park Explorers nature journal. She asked her campers to close their eyes and listen to what was happening around them for their nature journals.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .To end their last day of camp, the Park Explorers received a tour of Lanterman's Mill and the sights around the landmark. Tour guide Gary Miter (right) shared information on the history of the Valley and Mill Creek Park during his presentation to the explorers.
By SARAH FOOR
Mill Creek Park offers local residents over 2,600 acres of nature to observe wildlife, foliage and area history. Local fourth through sixth-graders learned to appreciate everything Mill Creek has to offer during the June 29-30 Park Explorers summer camp hosted by the staff at the Ford Nature Center.
The Park Explorers hiked and inspected their natural surroundings with camp leader Bethany Feusteal.
“My mission is to get the kids to slow down and observe all the things that are happening around them. It’s a technique and lesson that works especially well in the park, but beautiful things can also be found even in the students’ own backyards,” Feusteal said.
Throughout each day of Park Explorers, the campers completed intense hikes throughout the park, while also stopping every few minutes to pause, observe and write about what they found. Ford Nature Center provided nature journals for the campers to record their thoughts.
Park Explorers welcomed students from around the Valley, including those from Poland, Boardman, Canfield, Youngstown, Austintown, and as far away as Niles. On their last day of camp on June 30, the students listened to nature near Lanterman’s Falls and took a tour through the nearby mill.
“I like hearing the sound of the waterfall,” said camper Alyssa Leone, as she took a moment to enjoy the sounds around her.
“The chirping of the birds is really relaxing,” added fellow camper Matthew Lukins.
In their exploration of the park, Feusteal said the campers pointed out rare animals and birds, including a family of baby Wood Ducks and the hard-to-spot Pileated Woodpecker. However, Feusteal said the ultimate success of Park Explorers is what the campers do with their new knowledge.
“If this makes the campers excited to come back to the park, that’s great! What I really want, though, is for the kids to find a passion for exploring that gets them excited every time they step outside,” Feusteal shared.