Wildlife Preserve Serves As Interactive Classroom

Raccoon skulls and giant vertebrae under a glass case might get a second look from a 7-year-old.

But give that same 7-year-old a chance to touch, heft and examine those animal bones and you've got a learning experience.

About 60 youngsters got that chance on Tuesday when a windswept spot of scrub brush on the west end of the county became an interactive museum.

It was the fifth and final field trip for the Boys and Girls Club summer camp and its aim was to combine the recreational with the educational.

"They can still have fun while learning," said Josh Kelly, the club's executive director.

Busloads of kids, ages 4 through 14, were broken up into groups to learn more about Florida's water resources and the importance of protecting nature.

Teaching the lessons were employees of the state agency dedicated to water conservation, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud. The instructors were on home turf at the Weekiwachee Wildlife Preserve on Osowaw Boulevard, a recreational property owned by the district.

There were plenty of hands-on activities to demonstrate their point. A table topped with ancient fossils provided plenty of excitement. The girls took notes; the boys grabbed the teeth and proclaimed, "I'm a saber-tooth tiger."

There was also the backbone of the state's water supply, the Floridan Aquifer, shrunk into a scale model to show how pollution seeps from various sources into the Gulf of Mexico. Colored dye represented everything from pesticides on the farm to leaking septic tanks. When it "rained," the water ran downhill into the trough that served as the ocean.

That's a condensed version. It actually took a little bit longer for Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, to explain the process as she patiently fielded questions - "what if deer go to the water and drink it, do they die? (No)" - to anecdotes about how a sister once stepped into a pool of oil in the parking lot.

Armed with the knowledge of the dangers of pollution, the children got a look at how scientists monitor water levels and quality control. They also marveled at a giant mowing machine and the tools used to set controlled burns.

The nature walk drew some of the most interesting dialogue, as the children filled in their "I spy" booklets. As they began the trek, the questions began:

"Are there alligators in here?"

"I want to see some buzzards."

"I want to see some anteaters."

Guide Dave DeWitt stopped to explain how rain erodes in limestone and the origin of fossils. An empty turtle shell became a lesson on how turtles live on land and water.

He pointed out the coyote and deer tracks in the soft sand. Do you think we'll see any deer?

"We might if you guys stopped talking."

"It would be cool if we found an anteater out here."

They stopped to examine a raccoon's skull and feel the pointy teeth.

"We found a raccoon one time and we killed it. Actually, my dog did."

DeWitt pointed out that some of the trees were burned on the outside. Fire can actually be a good thing because it can clear out some of the dead underbrush. Woodpeckers live in trees, along with other birds.

A pause.

"It would be cool if we found an anteater out here."