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| Love of nature is the first step in environmental education. We protect and preserve what we love, and love is developed through relationship. As the naturalist John Burroughs stated, "Knowledge without love will not stick, but if love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow." In order to create this relationship, children must spend time in the natural world. You cannot bring a forest, meadow, or pond into the classroom. You must go outdoors to observe a hawk soaring overhead or experience the grace of a whitetail deer bounding through a thicket. At Wolf Creek Environmental Center, children can discover the wonder of nature and have learning become an adventure. |
| Mrs. Ruth Oenslager gave her 103-acre farm as a gift to the people of Medina County. She stipulated that the use of the property..."shall stress outdoor education and encourage educational classes in its use of said land as a public park." The Medina County Park District, along with a group of teachers from Medina County and an advisory committee, created the plans for the center. During construction of the center, farmland to the south of the original donation was added by the park district. This 146-acre acquisition increased the land holdings at this facility to almost 250 acres. The building includes a classroom for formal instruction, a lab room for detailed studies, rest rooms, offices, and a central gathering area for groups.. |
| The Wolf Creek Environmental Center curriculum is designed to focus on academic content standards in science that are required for the Academic Content Standards. The academic content standards listed under each program were taken from the newly- revised Ohio Department of Education Academic Content Standards in Science K-12. Students will experience authentic learning while participating in activities in a diversity of ecosystems including deciduous and coniferous forests, meadows, tallgrass prairies, ponds and wetlands. |
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