 Our Homes & Habitats series is officially underway, and we started with mammals! As always, a walk along the nature trail at Okeeheelee Nature Center is an adventure all by itself. The learners identified plants and living creatures along the way, stopping to observe and share what they noticed. And there was a pretty special ending waiting for us — the deer! We learned about the family of deer that lives within a protected area of Okeeheelee Nature Center, where they are safe from hunters. Seeing them after talking about the mammals that call Florida home was a pretty perfect way to wrap up our time on the trail. But the deer weren't the only mammals we met. Paisley the opossum is one of Okeeheelee Nature Center's mammal ambassadors, and she has quite a story. She had a very rough start to life, including losing her tail, but today she helps visitors learn more about these Florida natives. When she isn't making classroom appearances — or enjoying snacks in front of a room full of very curious learners — visitors can find her in the lobby. Paisley also made it VERY clear when her classroom appearance was over. There was no announcement. No dramatic exit. She simply walked into the crate that had transported her into the classroom. We also had a special visitor: Smudge the chinchilla! Smudge belongs to one of the Nature Center volunteers, who has been raising her at home since birth. While chinchillas aren't native to Florida, having Smudge join us gave the learners another opportunity to think about mammals beyond our own backyard and compare habitats. Smudge also had a very different opinion about interacting with the humans. Paisley? Snacks, please. Smudge? Bring on the petting. The learners were able to gently touch her — two fingers only, please!
Throughout the class, learners explored mammals from Florida and around the world and even discovered Florida's official state mammal, the Florida Panther. They even assembled their own nature journals with spaces to draw what they observe, record discoveries, and capture thoughts about what they're learning along the way. One of my favorite things to watch was how Ms. Elise interacted with the learners. Anyone who spends time with younger children knows their minds don't always travel in straight lines. One observation reminds them of something else. A question leads to a story. A discussion about mammals suddenly produces a contribution that may have absolutely nothing to do with mammals. And Ms. Elise was perfectly fine with that. She made each learner feel as though what they contributed mattered, even when their thoughts wandered away from the topic. She listened, acknowledged them, and then gently continued the conversation. There is something pretty wonderful about creating a learning environment where children don't have to worry that their curiosity is going to produce the "wrong" contribution. They can observe. They can wonder. They can ask. They can wander. That's part of learning too. Next stop: September 23. You can still join us. 
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