Ryan Schneider summed it up as well as anyone: "Dad, this is fun! This is a lot better than staying at home!"
Ryan, his brother Austin and several other families were having breakfast with the lories at Tracy Aviary on a recent Saturday morning, which meant they could enjoy these colorful, tropical birds at close range. So close, in fact, that birds sat on the kids' heads, ate apples from their fingers, hopped around on arms and shoulders. And the kids were totally captivated.Kate Goetsch, aviculturist and sometime "mother bird" at the Aviary, explained how to hold the bits of apple so the birds would eat them. "See if you can see their tongues," she suggested. "They are rough. The birds like the juice; they use their tongues to squeeze it out of the pulp."
She explained that lories, sometimes called lorikeets, belong to the parrot family and come from Australia and the South Pacific, that they live on fruit nectar and fruit pollen. "They add insects to their diet during breeding season. But ours don't like bugs much." She talked about two babies that she had to raise by hand, feeding them by syringe every two hours.
All too soon, the lories had eaten their apples, and it was time for the kids and parents to have their rolls and orange juice. But the chatter about the birds didn't stop. "It was cool," said Shoshana Bromley-Dulfano. There's nothing quite like having a bird on your head.
The kids at Tracy Aviary were actually having what those in education call a "non-formal learning experience," which is one of the most effective kinds of learning kids can get -- especially in the summer, especially when you have a classroom as big as all outdoors.
"A lot of research shows the importance of non-formal learning," says Betsy Price, curator of education at the Aviary. Sometimes, she says, kids have a hard time believing what their teachers say or what they read in a book. "But they believe when they have a bird in front of their face."
And, Price says, in a recent survey of scientists, 90 percent said their interest was triggered by non-formal learning experiences they had with science as kids.
The great thing about the aviary, Price adds, is that "birds are the wild animal children come in contact with the most -- in their back yards, as they go to school. They see them constantly. Here, they have a chance to learn about bird behavior."
But the aviary is certainly not the only place for parents and kids to have fun and learn about nature. We're lucky to live in an area where there are so many great opportunities, say those involved in natural activities. We have everything from museums and nature parks and gardens to lakes and mountains and deserts.
"The world around us offers tremendous possibilities," says Stephen Garton, education director at Red Butte Garden. "There are so many opportunities for kids to learn about the environment."
But, he says, these activities have to be enjoyable as well as educational. "It's got to be fun. Especially in a family situation, first and foremost, it's got to be fun."
Price agrees. "The brain is a wonderful instrument. When it is having fun, it is actively engaged. All the senses are involved. And you have a richer learning experience."
In this area, we have so many opportunities to see nature at its best, says Kathy Jo Pollock, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Forest Service. Camping, fishing, hiking -- those are great family activities, she says. "And you can learn a lot just soaking in the scenic beauty. There's nothing like being out there, enjoying it firsthand. Once you hear the sound of a babbling brook, that's something you never forget."
But if you take along a guidebook, she says, if you take time to learn about what you're seeing, "that adds to the experience. It helps you learn to respect the land."
The hope is that as children have fun, they will learn. And as they learn, they will come to appreciate.
Today's children are tomorrow's stewards, says Diane Burns, co-author of a book called "Fun With Nature" (NorthWord Press, $14.95) that is designed to be a take-along guide to help kids and their families enjoy and learn about nature. And not only to learn, but also to feel a kinship with the natural world.
Take trees, for example. "Our book is not designed to be a definitive guide," says Burns in an interview from her Minnesota home. "When you consider that there are 20,000 species of trees worldwide, and just under 1,000 in North America, our book only talks about 18 species. But we hope to heighten the child's interest, satisfy a beginning curiosity that will lead to bigger and better discoveries."
The same is true for caterpillars, and frogs and squirrels and animal tracks and other topics covered. "The basic information isn't an end in itself, but it leads to thinking about the environment on a deepening level," Burns says.
Consider trees, again. "Trees don't speak in human speech, but they make sounds. The leaves make noises, trees creak and groan as they grow. Just because they are rooted in one place and are human-speech silent, doesn't mean they can't have a personality. And by learning about trees, you can feel a kinship with a living, breathing part of the natural world."
The same is true with animals, she says. "When it comes to wild animals, in essence, they trespass in the child's world. You can't plan encounters with these animals as easily, so there is a sense of adventure and mystery and discovery."
And she hopes kids will get a sense of what it takes for animals to survive. "So much of their habitat is disappearing, we need to think about providing places where they can survive and can thrive. The children reading this book will be the ones to take care of animals after we're gone."
Burns encourages families to work on projects together, urges parents to find opportunities to interact with nature. "Visit museums and parks where kids can have hands-on experiences. Learn what particularly interests your kids and look for activities to complement that natural curiosity. Learn to look at ordinary things: grass, for example. There isn't just one kind of grass. Or insects. Kids have a tendency to squash first and ask later."
One of the most important things kids can learn, Garton says, "is that they are part of a larger system. They are a product of the natural world, and they can seriously impact their environment. But to have some understanding of something larger than themselves is important; for many people it's almost a spiritual thing."
As Burns has visited classrooms, she says, she's noticed that kids do respond when they know the reasons why. "We take in a Venus' flytrap, and we explain that it is a living thing that has feelings -- not in the sense that it can talk or think, but it can respond. And because it is a living thing, it can be harmed. If every child puts his finger in to make it close, the plant will wear out. The kids understand that, and when we pass around the plant, they don't abuse it. They can learn about logical consequences to thoughtless behavior."