Wolftree project enlists Sisters preschoolers

Last week, the science education organization, Wolftree, broke new ground - both literally and figuratively. Already adept at working with older children, Wolftree expanded their target audience by introducing very young children to an ecosystem restoration project on the banks of Whychus Creek.

"These days, kids aren't connected with the natural world as much. It's a virtual world," said Wolftree's education director, Jay Hopp. "Our role, along with our partners, is to get kids out into nature as much as possible; but this is the first time we've worked with pre-school age kids." All of the children were in the three- to five-year-old range.

The location of the project is just a mile south of the Sisters City Limits off Three Creek Lake Road. The site was chosen for riparian rehabilitation after being badly damaged by off-road vehicles. As a first step the U.S. Forest Service strategically placed boulders to block vehicle access to the area. The project has been ongoing for several months, and the site has come to be known as Bird Beach.

Hopp said that last week, high school students planted pine, willow and cottonwood trees, but a few plantings were left for the preschoolers.

Wolftree staff and volunteers greeted the 18 children as they filed off their mini-school bus. Hopp assembled everyone in a circle for a brief indoctrination session that included information about native fish and teaching the children to walk softly "like foxes" to minimize impact.

The preschool is a partnership of Head Start and SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation). Head Start center coordinator Jennifer Holmes said that the children's favorite activities were "planting trees and watching bugs."

USFS fisheries biologist Nate Dachtler, from the Sisters Ranger District, stirred up the creek bed to produce a fine catch of green rock worms, caddis fly nymphs and mayfly larvae. The aquatic creatures were transferred into tiny plastic viewing containers. Some of the enthusiastic children were extremely proud of "their" very own bugs.

Nadean Murray was one of the Wolftree volunteers on hand to help with the project. Although she and her husband operate The Pony Express in Sisters, Murray is actually a biologist by education. It was also her first time working with such a young age group.

"It's really rewarding to work with kids that age. Their eyes just light up," Murray said.

Murray had high words of praise for the project.

"The reason I've been volunteering with Wolftree is that it's an organization with a lot of integrity that reaches out to our kids and understands the importance of teaching kids about the environment." She lamented the decline of science in school curricula but welcomed the active role of organizations such as Wolftree.

Wolftree's goal is to help fill in some of the science gap that Murray is concerned about. Specifically, they hope to "increase scientific and geographic literacy" through programs such as this one. Wolftree focuses on ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest and has an office here in Sisters. Its programs are especially designed to promote scientific interest in "underserved populations" such as ethnic minorities and female youth or rural populations, with limited access to scientific programs.

Hopp pointed out that Wolftree very much reflects the philosophy outlined in Richard Louv's acclaimed book "Last Child in The Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder." For his work Louv was awarded the 2008 Audubon Medal. Hopp stated that the book has created a national conversation about the growing disconnect between children and nature. Some like to call it the "No Child Left Inside" initiative.

After about an hour of studying aquatic bugs and planting pine seedlings, Hopp gathered all the participants back together in a circle for one final ceremony that plays on the organization's name.

"At the end of every Wolftree project," Hopp announced, "we always do something that wolves do...."

Sure enough, soon the woods were filled with the sounds of the children howling.

"Even the older kids like to howl," Murray said.