Muddy Sneakers’ impact goes beyond fifth grade

Working with young people in the outdoors at DuPont State Recreational Forest is always a bit of an adventure.

But there were certain days last summer where I was in for a sweet surprise, as I saw firsthand the lasting impact Muddy Sneakers has on its students.

A fifth-grader from Pisgah Forest Elementary gets a closer look at an arachnid on a Muddy Sneakers trip to DuPont State Recreational Forest in January.

I led outdoor learning experiences at DuPont Forest for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders from the Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County. As I greeted them, it soon became apparent that I was witnessing a homecoming. Almost all of these children had participated in Muddy Sneakers while in fifth grade at schools in Transylvania County and were now returning to a place where they had experienced adventures and formed connections. It was hard for them to contain their excitement, as many of them had not had the opportunity to return to the forest since their Muddy Sneakers expeditions. As shoes hit the trails, memories of their experiences flooded in. ìWhereís the tree we used to make the pine needle tea?î asked one student. ìWhereís the leaf that tastes like green apples?î said another.

Time and time again throughout our learning about the outdoors and natural resources together, I witnessed the children tying in what I was teaching them to what they had already learned in the field with Muddy Sneakers. ìOh I remember pulling apart a dead log like that one. Thatís how we learned about decomposers,î said one student.

Students observe the effect of solar radiation on a container of water placed in a reflective box as a method of learning heat transfer on an expedition in DuPont Forest.

Concepts we talked about such as invasive species, succession, and erosion were already part of their knowledge. Instead of being uneasy with the wild surroundings, these young people felt at home. During their time with me, they deepened the sense of place that was born out of their opportunity to visit DuPont State Recreational Forest with Muddy Sneakers.

What a gift this program is to our local young people, ensuring that they can get out to our public and preserved lands to experience the joy of outdoor learning! Through my work with these Boys & Girls Club students, I was able to witness the reawakening of a joyful sense of wonder and see the lasting impact of Muddy Sneakers on young peopleís connectivity to this forest and development of environmental stewardship.

By Jane Dauster

NC Forest Service, DuPont State Recreational Forest