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			Coming from a slightly more urban area, I have been around a lot of kids who haven&rsquo;t had the chance to truly experience nature.&nbsp; This isn&rsquo;t to say St. Louis is completely barren of trees or wildlife; rather, school aged children lack the opportunity to explore the wildlife surrounding them.&nbsp; I believe that in order to really experience something you have to get to know it first.&nbsp; At first this may seem confusing.&nbsp; How do I get to know nature, it&rsquo;s not exactly an individual I can shake hands with?&nbsp; Yet, in a way, a dialogue with nature can still be formed through exploring, playing, watching and simply learning. It is this experience of quality time spent in nature that allows us to know it.</p>
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			Giving kids the opportunity to experience nature is really what Au Sable is all about. Today, as I was leading a group on the trail running along Louie&rsquo;s Pond, we discovered a gigantic dead tree right beside the path.&nbsp; The tree was impressive in itself but as we began to explore it the class realized that this tree was loaded with a diversity of bugs that in turn attract birds like woodpeckers.&nbsp; After more exploration, the kids saw that the tree had no bark on it. Scattered around the tree were pieces of bark and singe marks indicating that the tree had been stuck by lightning. &nbsp;We later used the area around the tree as a good spot to make some nature art projects. What at first sight to the class was just a large dead tree transformed into a learning experience with nature. &nbsp;</p>
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			I know kids come to Au Sable because they are learning about plants, mammals or even Michigan History, but it&rsquo;s being surrounded by nature that really captivates them. &nbsp;After all, you can learn about mammals anywhere, but being able to hike on a trail and look for some provides excitement in the experience.&nbsp;</p>
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			<em>Jessica graduated from Oral Roberts University with a degree in biology, and vast experience working with children through summer camps and gymnastics classes. &nbsp;This is her first Au Sable experience.</em></p>
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