Youth Series: Becoming the Animal

Join us for our new three-day Becoming the Animal summer program series for kids ages 9-12! This series is an opportunity to learn about animal behavior and ecology through the lens of the animal! Students will learn about squirrel, beaver, and mastodon by studying their habitat, life cycles, and behaviors. Students will explore how these animals move in the landscape through fun, engaging activities and then they will become the animal by mimicking their behavior on the land, while learning how these animals play an important role in our ecosystems.

The program will run Monday, July 31, Tuesday, August 1, and Wednesday, August 2. Each day we will meet from 9AM to 12PM at the farm. Parents are encouraged to stay and attend the program or drop off and pick up a half hour before class begins and ends. The program schedule is as follows...

Day 1: Squirrel (July 31st)

• Who is Squirrel - Students learn about squirrel’s habitat, life cycle, and behaviors. 
• Journaling - students draw squirrel and document squirrel’s unique characteristics
• Moving Like Squirrel - Students explore how squirrels move on the landscape. This will be an action-packed activity in the woods that will involve natural movement! 
• Becoming the Squirrel - Students go into the landscape to explore squirrels’ habitat and the ecological services they provide. Students will discover that squirrels help to plant trees, so the students will become the squirrel by planting trees on the landscape.

Day 2: Beaver (August 1)

• Who is Beaver - Students learn about beaver’s habitat, life cycle, and behaviors. 
• Journaling - students draw beaver and document beaver’s unique characteristics
• Moving Like Beaver- Students explore how beavers move on the landscape. This will be an action-packed activity in the creek that will involve getting their feet wet!
• Becoming the Beaver- Students go into the landscape to explore beaver’s habitat and the ecological services they provide. Students will discover that beavers are a keystone species that help to shape waterways, so the students will become the beaver by building a beaver dam!

Day 3: Mastodon (August 2)

• Who is Mastodon - Students learn about mastodon’s habitat, life cycle, and behaviors. 
• Journaling - students draw mastodon and document mastodon’s unique characteristics
• Moving Like Mastodon - Students explore how mastodons move on the landscape. This will be an action-packed activity in the woods that will involve big movements!
• Becoming the Mastodon - Students go into the landscape to explore mastodon’s habitat and the ecological services they provide. Students will discover that mastodons help to create openings and new growth in the forest so the students will become the mastodon by getting their hands dirty with youth-appropriate restoration work. 

At the end of each day, students will earn a Becoming the Animal Badge and take home a Becoming the Animal Nature Journal! For more information, visit our website for a detailed program schdule, packing list, policies, and forms.

Class fees are $75 for the three day program. 

About the Instructors:

Wilson Alvarez is a certified permaculture designer, inventor, gardener, skilled tracker, bowyer, nature-awareness instructor, and writer from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Since 2004, he has taught classes and workshops on bio-intensive agriculture, regenerative technology, foraging, hunting, trapping, tracking, and wilderness survival. Wilson studied at the Wilderness Awareness School via the Kamana program, and he received his Permaculture Design Certificate through Susquehanna Permaculture.

Alexis Campbell grew up in semi-urban Berks County, just outside of Reading, PA. Before leading the Horn Farm Center, Alexis served as the Associate Director and head of Communications for the Berks History Center in Reading, PA. She also co-founded and served as the Operations Director of Permacultivate Inc. and Reading Roots Urban Farm. Alexis is a permaculture practitioner, educator, and longtime student of regenerative agriculture. She holds a B.A. in Letters, Arts, and Sciences from Pennsylvania State University where she explored human systems, politics, and ecology. She is trained in Commercial Urban Agriculture (2010) and holds certificates in Permaculture Design (2009) and Teaching Permaculture (2012).

Program Notes:

Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend the program with their child. However, in order to accommodate those who are unable to attend with their children, HFC staff has a Pick-Up & Drop-Off Policy. Parents can drop-off students 30 minutes before the program begins and pick-up 30 minutes after class each day. 

Check out our wesbite for additional information and necessary forms for youth programming. 

All programs are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances including inclement weather. Participants will receive an email in the days preceding the program for any changes or cancellations. You can review our current Cancellation and Refund Policy here.