CONNEAUT – Families explored the woods, learned about plants and animals, tried their hands at traditional crafts and got a closer look at nature Saturday, Sept. 19, during the Gateway Outdoor Learning Center’s annual Discovery Day.
The free family event, now in its 14th year, is designed to introduce children and families to the center while providing opportunities for hands-on learning about nature and science.
Michael Kimmel, director of the Gateway Outdoor Learning Center, said the event began in 2012, after Matt Crawford developed a walking trail through the nearby woods.
“He put in a walking trail,” Kimmel said. “It’s about three quarters of a mile long back through the woods here. The idea being to get some of the kids from the school out into nature and learn some things and provide a place for the teachers.”
The trail leads to an outdoor classroom equipped with a whiteboard and bench seating. Kiosks along the route provide information about the terrain, natural features and species found on the property.
Discovery Day builds on that educational mission by bringing together organizations and individuals who can provide hands-on demonstrations and information about the natural world.
Exhibitors included tables focused on plants and animals, a local Scouting troop, ropemaking and the Conneaut Public Library, among others.
A pollinator garden founded by master gardener Carol Blake was another attraction at the Gateway Outdoor Learning Center. It provides an opportunity for visitors to observe wildlife up close.
“There’s a pair of hummingbirds, they nest up in one of these trees here,” Kimmel said. “There were three juveniles from the last brood buzzing around here. It was absolutely marvelous to see them.”
A faux chimney was incorporated into the pollinator garden to provide nesting habitat for chimney swifts, a bird that historically used masonry chimneys but has fewer nesting opportunities, as modern homes are built without them and older chimneys are often capped.
Although the number of exhibitors was slightly lower than in previous years, Kimmel said attendance by children was particularly strong.
“We had over 300 hot dogs that we gave away,” he said.
The turnout reinforced the center’s goal of getting children onto the property so they can understand what it offers and why outdoor learning is important.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Kimmel said.
For organizers, Discovery Day is ultimately about providing children with an opportunity to learn by seeing, touching and experiencing the natural world around them.
The Gateway Outdoor Learning Center has recently built a new pavilion, a project that has been about five years in the making, according to Kimmel.
Local foundations and social service clubs contributed to the project, which includes accessibility features intended to make the pavilion available to a broad range of visitors.
It also incorporates several features designed to demonstrate ways people can interact with and support the natural environment: rain barrels collect water that is gravity-fed to the pollinator garden, and a windmill and solar panel demonstrate alternative energy sources.
The pavilion adds another educational component to the Gateway Outdoor Learning Center, complementing the trail, outdoor classroom and other features designed to bring children into direct contact with nature.
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