Seekers finding nature in Smokies

TOWNSEND - The preteen couch potatoes were nowhere to be found Thursday in Jen Martin's Science Seeker class at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

Like 12-year-old Austin Dowell of Nashville, who had his first up-close-and-personal encounter with a box turtle.

"I can't believe I'm holding a turtle!" exclaimed the wide-eyed Austin, who will start the seventh grade this fall at inner-city West End Middle School in Nashville.

Austin, like many of the Science Seeker students in Martin's class, had never been exposed to life in the great outdoors before he came to Tremont.

"The first time I came here with my school, I was in the fifth grade," Austin said.

"This is a wonderful place. I've done things I had never done before in the city. I had never picked up a turtle, a frog or a millipede before I came up here," he said.

Martin, a senior teacher and naturalist at Tremont, said Austin is typical of many of the Science Seekers. "Austin has been coming here for three years with his school group," she said.

"It is just great to see someone like Austin with an inner-city school - who has never gone hiking, been to a waterfall or picked up a salamander - experience those kind of things," Martin said.

That's exactly the goal of the Science Seeker program, according to Meredith Goins, public relations and development director at the institute.

"We offer school programs year-round, but this is the first year for the Science Seekers," said Goins, who noted that all of the youngsters had already been to Tremont with their schools.

"Last fall, we asked their teachers to nominate students who were really excited about science and had a real curiosity about the outdoors. We're trying to connect children and nature," Goins said.

Thanks in part to a $5,000 donation from Tetra Tech of Oak Ridge, Tremont will host two weeklong camps for Science Seekers ages 9 to 12 this spring and summer.

"We give children the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature study, field science, cultural history and outdoor adventure through activities focused on the unique habitats and culture of Great Smoky Mountains National Park," said Jennifer Love, Tremont's school program director.

Campers engage in a host of outdoor activities, including hikes, salamander and plant identification, wilderness survival techniques and stream searches.

The Science Seekers come from backgrounds as diverse as the wildlife in the national park.

Seth Landry said Tremont is much different than his hometown in the Florida Keys.

"Where I'm at is flat, and the weather is much different," said the 10-year-old, who attends Stanley Switlik Elementary School in Marathon. "It's much more peaceful here with the woods. My favorite thing this week was seeing all of the different kinds of snakes."

While Seth made the long trek from Florida to participate in the camp, buddies Jonathan Gibson and Jake Johnson came from just down the road in Walland.

"I just like being out in the woods," said Jonathan, an 11-year-old who will attend Heritage Middle School this fall. "My dad and I go hiking a lot. I'm looking forward to going on the eight-mile hike. The farthest I've ever been is five miles."

Martin said one of the objectives of the Science Seekers program is to have the youngsters return as often as possible. "We don't want this to be a one-time thing," she said.

Based on feedback received the last four years from the campers, that goal is being met.

"We do pre-camp surveys, post-camp surveys, and three months after the kids have been here, we send one to their teacher. We're finding kids are not only having fun - they're learning so much and retaining the knowledge," Martin said.

Evidently, campers are enjoying their Tremont experience so much that Martin's job may one day be in jeopardy.

"I love it here," said Austin. "I want to come back here one day and work. I want to be a naturalist."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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