Leelanau Montessori Students Learn, Play, Explore at Palmer Woods
A neat program called Wheels to Woods pays for bus transportation so that teachers can get their students out into a forest like Palmer Woods to learn about the natural world. We recently hosted a group from Leelanau Montessori in Suttons Bay. Forester Kama Ross helped children to identify trees using fun metaphors to describe their bark. Examples: think elephant legs when looking for beech trees, or wavy ski trails when searching for oak. Photos: Kids calculate this tree’s diameter. Students created salamander houses and will come back in May to see who has taken up residence.The 4th-6th graders also measured off an acre, counted tree rings and observed an owl pellet. Thanks to you, places like Palmer Woods exist now and for future generations to discover nature’s wonders. “A lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to get out in a place like this,” says Montessori teacher Emma Kelly. “It was great to spend a day outdoors in the woods to play, explore and learn all at the same time.” Posted April, 2017. Staff photos.
