There’s no substitute for getting out of the classroom and into nature (analysis)
Leading a group of ecology students down a trail through the forest behind Merrimack College, in North Andover, Massachusetts, U.S., where I teach biology part-time as an adjunct professor, I spot a garter snake. As it rapidly starts crawling away, I grab the snake by its tail. Excited students gather round to check out the […]
On a recent field trip, I encountered a garter snake while leading a group of ecology students through a forest trail near Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. The students, eager to see the snake, gathered around to take photos with their cell phones as I carefully picked it up by its tail and handed it to one of them.
They expressed excitement about holding the serpent, noting it was their first time doing so. After briefly discussing garter snakes with the class, we released the snake back into the wild and continued our educational journey. These field courses have been a staple of my teaching at Merrimack College since 1997, providing students with unique opportunities to learn outside of traditional classroom settings and directly engage with nature.
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