Dear HCN,
This spring I had the
pleasure of leading a group of fifth-graders from Portland, Ore.,
on a hike through the Opal Creek Ancient Forest. These are the
future hellions which our politicians have been scrambling to build
prisons for. Kids from not-so-normal families. Their neighborhood
is known as “felony flats.” My kind of crowd.
I
met their school bus at the trailhead during a chilly spring
downpour. Most wore sneakers, T-shirts and thin jackets. A few
carried their lunches in brown paper sacks. We embarked on a
well-worn path and I set about explaining the local history,
ecology and folklore common to the area. For the first couple of
stops they actually seemed interested. At the next stop along a
creekbed all hell broke loose. The next thing I knew, every kid was
down in the river turning over rocks, collecting bugs, chasing
newts and showing me a thing or two about discovering
nature.
So, for the next three hours, I followed
them as they explored every nook and cranny, and generally had a
good time as kids are wont to do. I learned a lot. I learned that
what we really need to do in this country is take every kid in
search of adventure or meaning in life, and spend a day in the
woods with them. Let them find the wild in
themselves.
K.C.
Card
Portland,
Oregon
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Kids know where to look.
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