Fourth Grade Winter Field Trip to Hidden Valley Nature Center
Submitted by: Becky Hallowell
A flurry of activity at the barn in Hidden Valley Nature Center recently occurred. Fourth-grade
students from Wiscasset Elementary School visited with naturalist Cami Wilbert to discuss
strategies and structures animals use to survive winter. First, students worked in cooperative
groups to determine which animals stick around during the winter and which animals will sleep
or stay awake. The students checked out pictures of animals to notice that thick fur and
clustering in groups were two methods animals used to stay warm.
Once all the pictures were sorted and strategies were discussed, the students were given the
serious task of creating a structure to keep animal blood (warm, liquid jello) from freezing.
Different groups used strategies like building up a snowpack or stuffing a hole with dried
grasses and leaves. While they gave the “blood” time to acclimate to the weather, all the
children went on a search for food that would feed chickadees. Once a bag of chickadee food
was gathered, it was time to check the “blood.”
Unfortunately, most of the blood froze, but the students were gleeful in showing off all the
chickadee food they discovered. On the hike out, everyone took a moment to check out a
boulder that had broken. They examined both the boulder and the broken piece carefully to
determine what may have caused the smaller piece to fall. This exploration set the stage for the
fourth-grade weathering and erosion unit.
Another great day at Hidden Valley Nature Center left fourth-graders happy to be outside and
ready to explore more of their world.
Photo credit Becky Hallowell
Charlie Herrick checks out a boulder with a missing piece.
Liam Cressey shares a picture of deer surviving the winter.
