Article and photos by Shannon Mounyo, Third Grade Teacher at Magdalena Elementary School.
Magdalena Elementary School’s third, fourth, and fifth graders are no strangers to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, located eight miles south of San Antonio, New Mexico on Highway 1. Just a forty-five mile bus ride away, the refuge offers a variety of educational experiences for students and staff, and Friends of Bosque del Apache’s Bus Scholarship even foots the transportation bill for New Mexico school groups traveling to the refuge. Thanks to this important scholarship, more than 500 New Mexico children each year have had the opportunity to experience the magic of Bosque del Apache, many of whom had never before visited the refuge “in their own backyard”!
Shannon Mounyo’s third graders visit Bosque del Apache annually after they read about “Whooping Cranes in Danger” from their reading curriculum. Although whooping cranes no longer frequent the refuge, their smaller cousins, the sandhill cranes, give students first-hand observational knowledge about their size and characteristics, which are similar to whooping cranes.
Mrs. Mounyo’s class has spent time on the tour loops where they have observed turkeys, turtles, javelinas, a variety of birds, geese and cranes, and an occasional coyote, deer or elk. Her students enjoy getting off the bus and going out on the Boardwalk to see the “cattails” that grow in the marshy areas.
They have taken nature hikes on various trails and then gone back to the Refuge Visitor Center to eat lunch and watch an educational video or explore in some “hands on” activities. The final highlight of the trip is the Nature Store, which offers affordable souvenirs.
Mrs. Chelsea Armstrong-Pettis’ fourth and fifth graders have been on several trips to Bosque del Apache as well. She collaborated with Refuge Ranger, Amanda Walker, who organized comprehensive lessons, which were aligned to the Next Generation State Science Standards. Students began their instruction in the classroom, where they learned about animal survival and the internal and external structures that support their survival. They looked at track molds and animal jaw models to identify the features of predator and prey. Students also learned about adaptations animals have to hunt or to flee, “Eyes on the side, run and hide. Eyes on the front, I hunt.” The visit to Bosque del Apache enabled her students to use their learned skills to identify tracks and a lot of scat!
The study continued with animal instincts and plant adaptations. Students began to understand that plants and animals rely on each other and that ecosystems need diversity to maintain survival and growth. Students also learned about invasive plants and animals that threaten our fragile ecosystem and were able to observe them on their visit.
Education at Bosque del Apache is abundant! The experience of being in nature gives students confidence and has interested many students in pursuing careers involving Life and Earth Sciences. And thanks to Friends of Bosque del Apache’s Bus Scholarship, the cost burden of transportation on school districts is alleviated. So, what are you waiting for? Board the bus and take your class to Bosque del Apache!