Why should kids have all the fun? The Ozark Natural Science Center (ONSC), which has been providing field trips for school children for more than 20 years, is now offering Field School that is nature for grownups.
“We had a lot of teachers, parents and chaperones who said, ‘This is great for students, but what are you doing for adults?’” Matthew Miller, executive director of the ONSC, said. “So we created the concept of Field School, nature for grownups, to enhance the understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the Ozark natural environment.”
Miller said Field School programs offer authentic learning experiences for the general public, with instruction led by local experts and the naturalist staff at ONSC. Natural science, the arts, and Ozark cultural history are all topics for field school courses.
Programs for adults cover three areas:
- Natural science studies include “Birds, Bugs and Blooms” that focus on natural science and learning more about the biology and botany of Ozarks.
- Looking for Art in the Natural World. Susan Morrison, well known nationwide for nature art, is offering a couple of different workshops. Photography workshops are also planned. Miller said the workshops are focused on different ways of connecting to the Ozarks through the arts.
- Cultural and personal development. These include yoga workshops, a family camp, and the primitive skills fire and flint workshop. Miller said these connect people to the Ozarks by teaching information and skills.
Miller said they want each student to have quality time with the instructor, so enrollment is limited to about 20 people. Because they didn’t want to preclude anyone from participating because of work schedules, most Field Schools are offered on weekends, and courses vary from one to three days. A three-day program starts on a Friday at 6 p.m.
There is a wide range of pricing for the courses. Birds, Buds and Blooms scheduled Saturday, April 15, costs $15 including instruction and lunch. At the other end of the spectrum, three-day, in-depth art and nature program June 2-4, with Morrison as the main facilitator, costs $536. The all-inclusive price includes two days of lodging and food, instructor fees and course materials.
While ONSC has a classroom, the field trips take advantage of being outdoors in an area with about eight miles of trails, bluff shelters, rock outcroppings, glades, trickling creeks, a historic farmhouse and cabin, and beautiful vistas. ONSC is adjacent to the approximately 15,000-acre Arkansas Game and Fish Commission McIlroy-Madison County Wildlife Management Area. Miller said their studies often take them to this adjacent public property to study forest and aquatic ecology, and to admire waterfalls and Ozark vistas.
For teachers, the Field School courses may qualify for Arkansas Department of Education professional development credit hours.
ONSC is private, nonprofit organization located south of Eureka Springs off Hwy. 23, that depends on participant fees and donations for its continued operation. For more information, see www.onsc.us, email info@onsc.us or call (479) 202-8340.