There’s no substitute for getting out of the classroom and into nature (analysis)

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Leading a group of ecology students down a trail through the forest behind Merrimack College, in North Andover, Massachusetts, U.S., where I teach biology part-time as an adjunct…

Leading a group of ecology students down a trail through the forest behind Merrimack College, in North Andover, Massachusetts, U.S., where I teach biology part-time as an adjunct professor, I spot a garter snake. As it rapidly starts crawling away, I grab the snake by its tail. Excited students gather round to check out the foot-long striped serpent, while taking photos with their cell phones.

I tell them a bit about garter snakes and ask if anyone wants to hold it.

“That’s really cool. I’ve never held a snake before,” she says, before handing it to another eager student. Then we turn the snake loose and continue on our way.

Since I began at Merrimack in 1997, I’ve taught mainly ecology labs. Most of the ecology lab sessions are outdoors, so they’re like weekly field trips. They give students the opportunity to step outside of laboratories and classrooms and interact with nature.

Field courses provide the same opportunity for teachers. When I head off into the woods with students in tow, I’m in my element. Whether I’m diving into the bushes and scrambling on my hands and knees to catch a snake or a frog to show the class, pointing out a hawk circling overhead, or teaching students how to identify various species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, my enthusiasm shows.

Sharing my love of nature and biology with my students and teaching them about the natural world around them — whether in a far-off exotic location or close to home — is rewarding. I often tell people I can’t believe I get paid to do something I enjoy so much.

But the biggest beneficiaries of field courses are the students. Whether it’s a student seeing wild monkeys or parrots in the Amazon rain forest, or kangaroos in Australia, or a myriad of colorful tropical fish swimming across a coral reef in Belize, it’s always a thrilling, and sometimes life changing experience for them.

I’ve had many students over the years tell me that the ecology labs were their favorite class and they looked forward to them every…

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