Learning is Natural

The Wild Center Adventures

This past Friday, the DRC Crew — joined by parents and grandparents — made the trip to The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, and what a day it was — drizzly, foggy weather and all! They freely explored captivating indoor and outdoor exhibits on the natural history and wildlife of the Adirondack Mountains, and caught live demonstrations featuring a garter snake and the center's famous river otters — even jumping in to participate.

When setting up the visit through the group registration form, I was asked whether we'd like to add on any structured classes designed to meet NYS learning standards. I declined — and here's why.

Our self-directed learning philosophy is built on a simple but powerful idea: learning is natural. Exploration and the discoveries it sparks are how people of all ages — children and adults alike — genuinely come to understand the world around them. When we are guided through prepared, static lessons, although well-intentioned, there is often little room for natural curiosity, the joy of discovery, or a sense of wonder.

Years ago, I read about a homeschool family who visited the seashore every chance they got. The kids ran wild and free — turning over rocks, building sand castles, scouring the sand for shells, crouching in tide pools. They went home each day recounting their adventures, writing stories, cataloging their finds, and researching the critters they'd encountered. They were fully immersed, happily soaking up everything the environment had to offer.

One day, the mother watched a school group file off a bus, each child clutching a printed scavenger hunt. They were sent out to find specific items on the list — and that's exactly what they did. Heads down, focused, checking off boxes. The mother was struck by what they were missing: most of the natural wonder right in front of them, and all of the genuine learning her own children were free to stumble into.

They didn't notice the loon rising and falling with the surf, ducking under to snag its lunch. They didn't look up at the cloud formations racing across the sky, or wonder why the waves seemed larger on one stretch of beach than another, or stop to examine the creatures and plants stranded along the high tide line.

That story has stayed with me. It made me conscious of how easily my own interference — rigid, inflexible schedules, scavenger hunts, worksheets, or other "learning tools" I might deem important — could quietly undermine their innate drive to explore, question, and make meaning of the world on their own terms. 

With that in mind, here are just three of several remarkable moments I witnessed on Friday.

At lunch, one kiddo suddenly cried out, "It's a snail!" Within seconds, a cluster of kids and adults had crouched down to observe a wild snail making its way along the edge of the pavement under our tent. They lingered, took photos, and watched it travel — unhurried and completely captivated.

During the garter snake demonstration, one of our teens stepped up to answer questions and offered additional information beyond what was asked. The presenter, clearly impressed, handed him an anatomy poster to hold up for the group.​​

At the river otter presentation, that same teen positioned himself right in front of the naturalist, absorbing every fact and again answering questions with far more detail than I imagined she was expecting. Another of our teens spoke up confidently when the presenter quizzed the large group of onlookers — no hesitation, no prompting needed.​​

Moments like these don't happen because someone planned them. They happen because these kids have been given the time, the space, and the trust to follow their own curiosity — and on Friday, that curiosity led them straight into the heart of everything The Wild Center had to offer. That, in a nutshell, is why we do what we do.

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DRC News

Weekly Wrap-up

Tuesday's walk on the SUNY Canton Trail included playing in a field of dandelions. A momma deer came to our backyard to stare into the office window with her yearling in tow.

In this week's Kitchen Sink Science session, we got the microscopes out to look for water bears (Tardigrades) in some moss-soaked water droplets. We are not exactly sure whether we saw them. However, we did watch a video about these very cool, virtually indestructible microscopic critters.
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On Thursday, we celebrated BL’s Birthday with a pumpkin roll that CM made for them.

The Badenhausen Grant funded Friday’s visit to The Wild Center through the Northern NY Community Foundation. A huge thank you to all of our families who joined us. These fun outings are possible only because of their willingness to transport their kiddos. 

One week left! Next Friday, we will end our year with a potluck and celebration of all of our accomplishments.