Fifty-plus years of moving education outdoors

Area students descend upon Cloquet Forestry Center

Some of the first morning frosts of the season didn't put a chill on the enthusiasm of local fifth-graders participating in the Conservation Education Days at the University of Minnesota's Cloquet Forestry Center last week.

More than 500 students from eight Carlton County school districts spent a full day learning outside their usual classrooms at the educational event focused on natural science topics Sept. 28-29.

The annual event for fifth-graders has been held since 1968 in the same demonstration field area of the Cloquet Forestry Center. Over those years, tens of thousands of Carlton County students have attended the long-running outdoor education experience.

The University of Minnesota's Cloquet Forestry Center has hosted and sponsored the event since the beginning. Rachael Olesiak, forest management and research team member at the Cloquet Forestry Center, coordinated the two-day event.

"We had 11 presenters stationed in the forest, presenting on different aspects of the environment," Olesiak said.

Topics range from learning about the food chain to tree identification, pollinators, wildland firefighting, soils, exotic worms and invasive species, macroinvertebrates, and wildlife.

"They are pretty quick sessions, but it gives the kids an introduction, some background, and hopefully they learn something about the topic and make a connection that they can do these jobs when they grow up," Olesiak said. "We hope they will learn about their surroundings and take care of it in the future."

Students followed 11 stops along a walking route in the forest in small groups, sitting on wooden benches or tree stumps and standing in others. Professionals from agencies including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the federal agriculture department's Natural Resources Conservation Service, Carlton County, Fond du Lac Band, St. Louis County, UMD, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, 1854 Treaty Authority, and Sappi Fine Paper covered topics related to the environment, biology, and related natural sciences.

"This is a great opportunity for our students to get outside and learn about the state that they live in and what is happening around them," said Dawn Hallsten, Esko fifth-grade teacher. "It goes along with our science and social studies. They are really enjoying it, saying 'That's cool' about things they've never known before and they get really excited learning about it."

Hallsten added that seeing some of the specimens from the river and other artifacts has been interesting for her students.

The interactive day of learning provides an opportunity for students to move around a little bit more and interact with different instructors, teachers and students from other schools.

"I'm learning about all kinds of wildlife," said Esko fifth-grader Cruz Olson. "We played Wildlife Jeopardy, and learned about forest fires. We learned about the Sappi sawmill and what type of trees they use there."

The point of bringing the students out of their usual classrooms and into the forest for a day of experiential education wasn't lost on the Esko student.

"I know a lot more about animals now and that the widest tree is the sequoia," Olson said. "It's really fun. You get to be more active and see the stuff, more than in our school, and actually be in it."

Hearing students relate what they learn makes it worthwhile for the adults doing the educating.

"Some of their knowledge is absolutely amazing for a fifth-grader," Olesiak said. "They are 10 years old and have pretty expansive knowledge. Some of them have 'oh, wow' moments here where the light bulb goes on when they make a connection to something. That is pretty special."

Olesiak enjoys a long personal connection to the annual event.

"I remember my Conservation Education Days and I absolutely loved it," she said. "The fact that it is still going on is really special. We get to bring all of these kids here to make memories."