Distance Learning with Dodge

If you spend your childhood summers at Dodge, what could you grow up to be? Maryland arborist Meg Smolinski says her interest in horticulture stemmed from happy days hiking at the nature center. In the latest post on the Dodge Log, Meg reconnects with one of the naturalists that cultivated her love of trees, gardens and growing a greener world.

Whooo would you say is the most excellent educational animal at Dodge? An owl? A fowl? A pig with big jowls? Some of our staff select their favorite resident animals in the latest Dodge Log post.

“I love hearing the audible ‘wow!'” Every Dodge naturalist aims for those kinds of marvelous moments in their classes and camps. In this post, they talk about what they like to teach best and their standout memories in the outdoor classroom.

What’s fiery, fun and foraged from the forest? Campfire cooking at Dodge! Outdoor cooking is a great way to bring a little Dodge into your yard, and naturalists Mick and Pete have the wild-style recipes to get you going.

Dodge preschoolers may be staying home, but that doesn’t mean learning—or reading—stop! Our teachers have savvy selections for books to keep your preschooler laughing, lively and feeling loved. Picks range from fiction to nonfiction, fantasy to nature-based, animals to animation, and silly to serious. Snuggle up for some stories!

Dodge naturalist Teresa Root developed the Signs of Spring contest to honor a feeling shared by many Minnesotans in early March: “You’re so tired of winter, and really looking forward to spring.”

This season, as our communities combat COVID-19, that stressed and restless feeling is amplified.

Though the contest’s entry deadline has passed, its activities—watching wildlife, identifying flowers, listening closely to bird calls—are available to all. On Dodge’s trails or closer to home, you can de-stress and deepen your observational abilities. Take advice from a naturalist: “Just sit in a chair in your backyard, slow down, take time, really notice.”

Dodge doesn’t pause when temps drop. Horses prep to pull sleighs, Naturalist Fellows dig snow shelters (no, they don’t have to live in them), and bonfires bring some warmth to the most Siberian season.

In taking kids outside all winter, naturalists and preschool teachers ascribe to the motto, “There is no such thing as bad weather—only the wrong clothes.”

Dodge’s yearlong Naturalist Fellowship trains college graduates as environmental educators, readying them to teach everything from Animal Tracks to Wilderness Survival.

What’s teacher training like at Dodge? It’s outside, it’s hands-on—and it’s crammed with questions.