Students see wild nature — at school

The past three years have taught Josh Wabel, 9, a lot about animals.

With a nature center adjacent to West Point Elementary, the school Wabel attends, he can observe animals in their natural habitat.

"(I like) the ducks and geese and how they are swimming and splashing and how they like to follow each other," he said.

West Point Elementary is home to a five-acre nature center reminiscent of a natural wetland with three ponds, several different types of grasses and wild species including mallards, blue herons, sand cranes and killdeer.

The nature center has been a work in progress for the past 13 years. Betsy Thurgood, a West Point Elementary teacher, said the center started in 1994 as a flat piece of ground. Every year the school tries to add something new. This year it introduced striper and racing snakes, fish, frogs and box turtles. In addition, a family of wild mallards also used the area as a nesting place, which means they will return every year.

Thurgood said the center is a great teaching tool.

"The biggest benefit (of the center) that I see is we're teaching students about nature in a natural setting," she said. "We can incorporate almost any area of curriculum in the (center) ... The students respect the area because it's theirs. They take care of it and don't bother the natural environment."

West Point principal Dr. Patti Brown said the challenge is not getting students into the center but getting them to return to class after a visit.

"We moan and groan when we have to go inside," said Alden Long, 8.

Felicity Helms, 9, said she loves seeing new animals.

The property the center sits on is owned by West Point, and an inter-local agreement was set up between the school district and the city to allow the school to use it. Funding for the center is provided from several different sources, including grants and an annual fund-raiser the school holds. In the past 10 years, Thurgood estimates they have raised $20,000 to maintain the center.

Josh, Alden and Felicity all say they have been trained on how to behave properly while in the center from not chasing the ducks or scaring them to not picking up feathers or leaves. They have also been taught to behave carefully around the animals.

"Sometimes they'll peck you if you scare them," Felicity said.

Thurgood says it's exciting to see how well students respond to the center.

"They are so excited every time we go out there and learn something new," she said. "They're so careful with the ducks and geese and know not to pick up the bark chips. The ducks are used to the kids by now and follow us around. It's a really enjoyable experience."

Brown enjoys exposing the students to a natural environment.

"(Students can) learn in a real-life environment outside of class," she said, "It's been delightful to learn things in different ways and give students an opportunity to experience nature in ways they normally don't."

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E-mail: Twalquist@desnews.com