Cuyahoga Valley, Peninsula, Ohio
- By: Carmen Reynolds
- Created on:Fri May 02 15:43:53 +0000 2008
- Hate It!
- Love It!
Have you ever seen a deer up close? Have you ever seen a Paw Paw tree? Have you ever seen a big wall of rock called ledges? I have experienced all three of these by participating in the Young Naturalist and Young Archeologist Youth Program at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway in Peninsula in 2001. During the program, I attended three classes.
One of the classes was called "Into the Woods." The objective of this class was to explore and discover life in a mixed hardwood forest. I learned that out of clay, potting soil, and sand, potting soil is the best soil for plants because water can get deep in the ground to the plant roots.
The second class I attended was called "Prehistoric Art." At this class I learned about how prehistoric Indians express a variety of emotions and actions by painting pictographs and carving petrogliffs. I even got to paint my own pictograph and carve my own petrogliff.
The last class titled "Fishing and Water Ecology" was my favorite. At this class I learned about protecting the environment by not littering. I also learned the basic fundamentals of fishing.
I had a blast attending this wonderful program. The best part about it was that I earned my Junior Ranger Badge! In doing so, I qualify for a camp out on August 4th. As you can see, I learned a lot this summer - thanks to the Young Naturalist Program at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Carmen Reynolds is an 11-year-old from Hilliard, Ohio. This story was the First Place winner in the Middle School Division of the Great Ohio Adventures in Learning (GOAL) essay writing contest on the subject of “What I Learned this Summer.” Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Development’s Division of Travel and Tourism, the contest challenged students in grades K-12 to write essays describing their visits to Ohio’s educational tourism attractions. Winners were selected by the GOAL Education Advisory Council comprised of educators from throughout the state. Families can find these and other attractions at www.OhioTourism.com.
