ECO

Many years ago a teacher in Ames named Laverna Larson began a program of education that grew and became a "crown jewel" of the innovative Ames school program on Ecology Education. Sadly that program has been lost to us through years of diminishing resources and neglect. The environment became less important throughout the last years and the government (Federal and State) resources that supported it were withdrawn. Be that as it may be I want to tell you about the programs as they were.

For many years I taught sixth grade in the Ames Schools. We had a program which took place in the Spring of the year and every sixth grade student (and teachers) would plan for it and look forward to it all year long. It was sort of a culmination of the year. Mrs. Larson started the program and it was through her work and dedication and the dedication of the other teachers that we would pack up school and go to the 4-H camp near Luther, Iowa for an Overnight. It was work for the teachers and fun for the kids and they probably did not even know they were learning.

All year long a cadre of teachers would plan and work to arrange the day. Classes from every school (at that time there were 9 I believe) would attend the camp for two days each. Three classes would come in on a Monday for teacher planned activities and they would stay in the cabins overnight and then on Tuesday three more classes would come in for the Cadre planned activities with experts in some field of nature study and Ecology. It was a wonderful time and we went rain or shine.



Look carefully for the footbridge in the above picture.

You can see what the area is like from the accompanying pictures. The lush green forest and woods were exciting to be in. The area is near the Des Moines River and there are pretty deep canyons carved by a stream that was the perfect place to go and dig and get wet and discover nature. There was a bank of shale and the kids were always fascinated to dig in this material and find little crystals embedded. The hill was quite steep and some of our fatter kids (and me) had a little trouble climbing back up.



But we persevered and came home with our treasures intact. If it was raining we went anyway. To me there is nothing more beautiful that being out in the deeply wooded forest with a gentle rain coming down on us and washing away all of the cares and trials of the year.

As I said, there was one day when we as teachers planned the activities and another when the Cadre activities were planned for us. There were always "fun" activities also such as rappelling and trust walks and hikes in the woods. Experts would come in to share their knowledge with us. Iowa State University professors - geologists, botanists, zoologists - you name them we had them.

I do not like snakes but find them fascinating. Mike Peterson, a teacher at Ames High School, brought his snakes out for "show and tell" and the kids were allowed to hold and learn about these interesting animals. We went in a cabin for this activity. Mike did not want his rattlesnake to escape.

Parents were always involved in the activities as chaperons and group leaders. If we had a parent in the class with expertise in some area of Nature study she or he would be drafted to teach a group. Others would do "night duty" and sleep in the cabins with the kids. (I only did that once)


At night there would be a campfire and meal brought over from the food service. The kids had to bring their own noon lunches and always, always take all of their trash back with them. Leave nothing behind. Pick nothing.

I remember one year when Mrs. Schmidt and I were out there some of the kids decided to pick Morel Mushrooms that they found in the park. Now the rule was NO PICKING. NO. So they were confiscated. Rather than let them go to waste we cooked them and ate them after the kids went to bed. I believe they were the best mushrooms I have ever eaten.
The kids would stay up late and we would have cranky parents the next day but they knew it was their own fault and were usually pretty good about it. Parents would volunteer for this activity in September when school was just starting. There were always a few parents and presenters that I would try to line up early to go with us. One of the ISU guys brought his "bugs" and he was extremely interesting.

After I went to fifth grade to teach we had a different program. As the Sixth grade program waned another program grew out of it.

This was the ECO program. It was set up so that every first, third, fifth and eighth grade would go out in the field three times during the year. The student would have experiences in the field. There was a teacher hired to coordinate the program and she and the classroom teacher (and a few parents) were responsible for the days activities. This innovative program was funded through grants and because of those grants there were semi-trailer truck labs which were placed at various locations and the school also had an Eco Bus which was equipped with equipment for study of nature. The ECO teacher was also the bus driver and would pick us up at school and drive us to the location for the day. Nancy Kurrle
was the last ECO teacher and is now teaching in the Middle School. She brought here expertise with her and she knew a lot.

The things I learned from her on our many (three a year - no matter what the weather) ECO trips are invaluable. As I drive back to Ames from the Ledges or the 4-H camp I still remember Nancy stopping the bus on a little hill and pointing out the Iowa Divide. On the West side of the Divide the water that falls on the ground flows into the Des Moines River. That which falls on the East Side flows into the Skunk River. Both rivers flow through our state and into the Mississippi River.


Nancy pointed out that the settlers who came to Iowa would follow the Iowa Divide in their travels through the state because they did not have to ford the creeks and streams that cover the state.

Every aspect of nature was covered through this program and it took us out to the woods in the middle of the winter. We would measure the temperature of the air and then take the temperature at the top, middle and bottom of the snow bank. We would study and learn everything we could. We went to the 4-H camp, the Izzac Walton League, the McFarland Park,
Hendrickson's Marsh, anyplace there was something to learn

Usually the ECO trailer was there and we devised projects that we wanted to learn and would go out and collect things to bring back and look at under the microscope. There were always pots of things to learn about there. It was endlessly fascinating and there was always a "teachable moment."





I probably did not enjoy the winter trips as much as I did the other and the Spring trips were always my favorite. Probably because they reminded me of those wonderful overnights that we had when I first started teaching in Ames.




I think it is sad that these programs have gone. I would get into a political screed about it but you don't really want to hear it. It was wonderful and for thirty some years the students who went

through the Ames Schools had a wonderful, exciting, out-of -the-walled- classroom experience. It took a lot of people who were working together to make the school the best experience for the students that they could have.

Sadly that seems to be lacking today. Hopefully someone like Mrs. Larson will start something again and the funds will be found and a new generation of students can have this wonderful ECO (Environmental Curriculum Opportunity) experience.

























This is the screened in area where we would sometimes have our lunches





The pony was grazing as I left the area.

















This gives you an idea of the terrain of the area. I understand that Jessie James spent the winter here after the great Northfield Minnesota robbery. There were also places where there were stills to hide from the "revenuers" - Many many stories about the area.













This is an old house still heated by fireplaces near the camp. There is a great pile of chopped wood. It was build in the 1800's - I have always loved driving past this little spot of Iowa's past.









Thanks for stopping by on this trip down memory lane. ARTYAL. Hugs. j