COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — Students from Columbia County spent their day learning outside the classroom on Thursday.
Elementary school students spent the day splashing around Roaring Creek near Catawissa for Nature Day. It's an event for first-grade students in the Southern Columbia Area School District to connect with nature and learn about conservation.
"Many kids do not get outdoors as much as I think they should, and so this is an opportunity during their learning experience for them to get outdoors and learn about this environment," Michele Richards said.
Michele Richards is the President of the Pennsylvania Master Naturalists Program. She has been hosting Nature Day at Southern Columbia for ten years. In addition to doing a stream study, the students planted trees.
"They do a nature trail walk and they do a nature bingo activity. Their final station is pollinators, so they learn about the importance of pollinators in nature," Richards said.
They also got to see some wild animals, including a snake and some turtles. The first graders say they had a great time, especially playing in the creek.
"We were going for fish with the net," Michael Jones said.
"We got really small fish and two crayfish," Ellie Campbell added.
The event was held on Southern Columbia's nature trail, which is owned and maintained by the school district.
"Some athletes come down here and use it to run through, and then other people come down here to fish. We use it for educational programs," Richards said.
Richards says she plans to host this event for many years to come.