The first day of the Fells Adventures After-school program began on April 8, 2024, the day of the total eclipse. While Massachusetts was not in the eclipse’s path of totality, students came prepared with eclipse watching glasses, and we got to experience the cool, clamminess of the air as the sky dimmed around us. It was an exciting way to start the 8-week pilot program in which eight students, grades 4-6, from the Malden Out of School Time Program (MOST) experienced new challenges of trail hiking and outdoor exploration.
Many students who participated in Fells Adventures had never been to the Fells before and had never experienced any extended time in a forest. The first day was full of wonder and curiosity, though mingled with their wonder was a palpable dose of uncertainty about what their forest experience was going to be like. It bubbled out of them, mostly in the form of questions. Questions about what creatures lived in the muddy water we passed by, and why there were so many bugs, and if there were bears and snakes! No doubt, there were some new things to get used to and some additional buy-in needed!
When we made it to our first destination – a high, rocky outcropping with views expanding all around us – we felt like we were on top of the world. With the sky gently dimming, we donned our solar eclipse glasses and soaked in the landscape spread out before us. We took time to appreciate the rare beauty of the moment and maybe, just maybe, the buy-in had begun.
In the weeks that followed, the kids settled into the forest. They watched with wonder as an owl took flight from an overhead branch. They spotted red tailed hawks soaring through the sky and frogs peeping out near the water’s muddy edge. When a garter snake startled us, slithering by under the leaf litter, it was met with screeches of excitement and curiosity, rather than with fear.
Using hand lenses, participants had a chance to observe the forest in a unique way. They uncovered, at the micro level, the underbelly of the forest. Simple moss on a stick morphed into a whole city of soft, plush green streets and alleys gently swaying in the breeze. Tiny, hairlike tentacles revealed themselves on a budding flower. On the bark of a tree, insects not visible to the naked eye were hard at work burrowing and finding food.
Kids became noticeably more comfortable being in the forest as the weeks went on. Some participants asked to lead the group, feeling empowered to walk ahead and be the first to experience the trail as it unfurled before them. Students were able to tackle steeper climbs, and they learned to support each other when precarious parts of the trail presented new challenges.
During these eight weeks, participants increased their self-confidence as an intangible connection to nature emerged within them. They traversed rocks, explored waterfalls, streams, and reservoirs, and stood tall on rocky outcroppings, proud of their accomplishments and ready for their next adventure.
The Friends of the Fells is excited to be partnering with the MOST program again this school year and will be offering both fall and spring programming. Many of the students from last spring will be participating for a second round (buy-in complete?) and new students will join in the Adventure!