I led a group of 15 students from El Camino del Río/River Road's 4th grade class through trails on Mt Pisgah, near Eugene, Oregon. This trip followed 5 weeks of learning about terrestrial migratory bird species, and how to identify them. It took place during spring of 2023, so the goal was for students to identify at least one of the migratory species we learned about. I started the morning by taking attendance and checking in with my students. I planned out our three sites for the day, and at each location explained how to identify each new bird we identified by sight. I taught the students how to properly identify and take field notes in their journals of what birds we observed. While leading students, I kept them engaged and focused on content while ensuring they had a fun time enjoying nature. 

Building Community

A key component to environmental education is understanding how to engage students through interpretive lessons even when there is pushback. This has often taken the form of behavior management through inclusive leadership practices when I facilitate for student groups. In one incident, when a student of mine did not want to participate in the camouflage adaptation game, I came up with a creative solution to ensure they did not miss out on the activity but still had fun. For context, the student did not want to use the mud to camouflage their body. I gave the student space and then I talked to them about their frustrations. I asked how I could best support them, and we came to a collaborative solution that involved them camoflauging some of my materials instead of themselves. This resulted in both the student and myself completing the activity, learning adaptations, and getting excited about nature.