THUNDER BAY – Complete silence: it’s a sound rarely heard in a class full of young kids. Just one example of what can happen when your classroom is outside, in the middle of a forest, say staff at the Kingfisher outdoor education centre.
The children gathered quietly at Chickadee Landing, where birds will eat from your hands (or toque), were enjoying some of the free fun on offer at Kingfisher’s 50th anniversary open house on Saturday.
Elsewhere, attendees of all ages were outfitted with snowshoes and cross country skis, with instruction available. Volunteers served up hot chocolate and fire-roasted hot dogs. Several of those helpers were teachers and principals who had seen the facility’s benefits up close.
The centre is owned by the Lakehead District School Board – an uncommon arrangement that has paid dividends for generations of students in the region, says Kingfisher’s lead instructor, Kelly Henderson.
“It’s quite visionary to have an outdoor education centre owned by a school board,” she says. “When they started it, they maybe weren’t envisioning where it would be in 50 years. But from what we hear from teachers and parents – and witnessing it ourselves – it is really such an important piece of students’ experience in Lakehead public schools.”
Pam Heffren still vividly remembers the three-day overnight trip she took with her class in February of 1996. She recalls being dropped on the road with backpacks and overnight gear, cooking meals over a fire, splitting wood, and many outdoor activities.
Heffren hadn’t returned since her public school days, but was lured back by the anniversary event. Stepping out of the cold into Kingfisher’s science building, Heffren and her husband happened across the centre’s archive of log books. The couple spent some time looking over their classes’ signatures and reminiscing about old classmates.
“I think it’s great it’s still going,” she said. “It’s very educational for kids to come out and spend some time in the bush. They get to experience activities they may not if they live in town. It’s an overall great experience.”
For Henderson, the centre’s lead instructor, seeing former students return years later is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact trips to Kingfisher can make on young minds.
“A number of times we have multiple generations coming out – sometimes grandparents with grandchildren, and they both have stories of their time out here,” she relates. “Kingfisher has really reached so many people, and it’s always nice to have an event where you get to hear some of those stories.”
Throughout the school year, teachers work with Kingfisher staff to plan day trips and incorporate visits into the curriculum in a variety of subjects. Activities like pond studies, mapping and orienteering, GPS sessions, and animal biology studies can make classroom learning come alive for students, Henderson says.
