Middle School February Break Field Trips
By Lily Gordon, Program Coordinator
This February break, Nature Linc ran an ambitious schedule with our Middle School Environmental Leadership Program: three field trips throughout the week of four hours each! From transportation to activities, Brandon Tolentino-Serrano, Program Manager, planned and implemented every detail of these adventures with the support of the Nature Linc team. The goals of the week were to expose students to new outdoor activities, build confidence and skills outdoors, and foster a sense of community. Each day, staff picked up students from two different Somerville schools in vans and drove them to fun adventures around the Boston area.
The first field trip was rock climbing at Boston Bouldering Project in Somerville. Most youth had never rock climbed before, so Meg Ito, a very experienced rock climber, gave a tutorial on safety and technique. Youth got to try both top-roping and bouldering, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and building confidence. In my smaller group of kids, at first they seemed a bit fearful and resistant to the idea of climbing, but once we got started everyone was excited to try multiple times. A sense of friendly competition developed, with friends trying to get “a bit higher” than the other had before. After one girl pushed herself and was able to get to the top of the rock wall, she told me she felt proud of herself and excitedly ran to tell the other staff that she’d made it all the way up.
The second field trip was a day of snowy fun at Nature Linc’s site in Lincoln. Youth had a blast sledding, trying on snowshoes, and making a snowman. Though Middle Schoolers often act tough and indifferent, staff saw their childish joy come out in silly snowball fights and whoops of glee as youth sped down the sledding hill with friends. Warming up inside, we had a peaceful art hour trying out linocut print-making, a tactile, satisfying craft during which youth showed us their creativity by carving and printing all sorts of unique designs. Finally, we ended with a cozy campfire and celebrated the day by roasting delicious s’mores.
The final field trip took place at the Somerville Growing Center, a nonprofit with a beautiful green space in the heart of Somerville that teaches youth about urban agriculture and is a community hub. Youth learned about the process of making maple syrup, exploring its Indigenous roots and taste-tasting different types of maple syrup and maple sap. In teams, they built mini greenhouses out of recycled milk jugs for the Growing Center. Youth also enjoyed outdoor play time climbing trees, playing an animal-themed running game, and exploring the space.
Staff ended with a reflection, each Middle Schooler giving themself a compliment to appreciate the growth they had during the week. Youth said things like, “I talked to someone new today,” “I tried something new,” and “I’m awesome.” By trying these new outdoor experiences in a safe and supportive community, youth built self esteem and connections with nature and each other.
As staff ushered the kids into the vans on the last field trip, they overheard youth saying to each other “When will I see you again? Can I have your phone number?”, as kids from different schools said goodbye. It was lovely to see these new friendships forming, strengthening the sense of community within the program. The Nature Linc staff team is thrilled to have been able to spend so much time getting to know the Middle Schoolers better this week and enjoy connecting with nature while supporting each other and having fun.
