Little ones learn to grow at Ford Nature Center

By JORDYN GRZELEWSKI

jgrzelewski@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

If you plant them, they will grow.

That’s the program name and the lesson about a dozen kids learned through a story, craft and walk through the woods at Mill Creek MetroParks’ Ford Nature Center on Thursday.

The kids, most of them age 3 or 4,

listened attentively and eagerly chimed in as Hillary Lenton, MetroParks naturalist, taught them how plants grow.

Lenton started with a visual lesson depicting how plants need sunshine, water and some help from other living creatures, and read a story titled “From Seed to Plant.”

All of that information wasn’t enough for some of the more-curious kids.

“Yeah, but how do caterpillars turn into butterflies?” one child asked.

The program also included a hands-on lesson: Each child got a metal can to paint, and then at the end filled it with soil and planted flower or vegetable seeds.

Parents seemed to appreciate the event as much as their little ones.

Stephanie Hann of Poland, who brought her son, Greggory, 4, and daughter, MarenEmilia, 3, said she regularly brings her kids to MetroParks programs. They’ll even be back for “Wiggly Worms” at the nature center Friday.

“We come often. It’s so great that they have these programs enriching them and teaching them the value of nature,” Hann said.

Sarah Gary of Poland also is a regular, with Colt, 4, and Madison, 1.

“[Colt] really gets into it, and goes home, and on our walks now he’ll find seeds,” she said.

“It really engages him, he seriously learns,” she said. “He’ll go home and tell my husband about the sycamore trees, and next time we go to the library we’ll have to get a book about trees. ... You can’t beat educational and fun.”

After painting their cans, the group took a walk on some of the nature center’s wooded trails. Lenton pointed out wildflowers along the way, such as a cluster of snowdrop flowers.

“They’re one of the first flowers that pop up after the snow melts,” she explained as kids gathered around.

The group also spotted some daffodils, seed pods, pine cones, and, much to the kids’ delight, worms. At the end of the hike, they got to release some seeds into the breeze.

Programs such as this are important because kids don’t spend as much time outdoors as they used to, said Ray Novotny, MetroParks outdoor education manager.

“Kids are so electronically oriented that what we do is we try to get them to look more at the real world of nature,” Novotny said. “We’re trying to get everybody to understand, appreciate and enjoy the park.”

Visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org/events/ to check out upcoming events.