43
Young explorers become nature detectives
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Cara Hahn showed the children a piece of fishing line that she found on the path at Mill Creek Park on July 14 during the Explore! program.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Children at Mill Creek Park that participated in the Explore! program on July 14 followed their maps to travel from Ford Nature Center to the Lily Pond.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Two of the girls looked at the map and compass as they stopped at one of the stops on the way to Lily Pond on July 14 during the Explore! program at Mill Creek Parkk.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The children followed Cara Hahn down a path at Mill Creek Park as they made their way to the Lily Pond on July 14.
Photo
Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The children stopped at one of the points to look and their maps and decide which direction they had to go to find the Lily Pond.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Mill Creek MetroParks hosted an Explore! program for children to attend on July 12-14 and learn about wilderness skills.
Cara Hahn, the program and event coordinator at Mill Creek MetroParks, led the children through various activities during the three days to learn how to survive in the wilderness. The children also learned Leave No Trace skills along with learning how to make their way through the woods with only a compass and a map.
The children started their journey at Ford Nature Center and using only a map and compass, they hiked to the Lily Pond. Hahn and the children stops at checkpoints along the way to make sure they were staying on the right path.
Hahn would ask the children at each checkpoint which direction they needed to travel next and made sure they were reading their compass and maps correctly.
The children kept an eye out during their hike and other activities for things they learned from Hahn. If there was something the children found in the park, such as litter, they would pick it up and throw it away as part of their Leave No Trace skills.
The Explore! program has occurred several times at Mill Creek MetroParks during the summer and educates the children on different parts of the wilderness while providing them with fun and entertainment.