Learning through play in the great outdoors is a mantra gathering steam among parents and educators worldwide.
The concept is fairly simple: Teach kids the skills and information they need through a variety of hands-on, nature-filled moments of discovery. Not necessarily a new idea in Alaska, where many children whet outdoor appetites from an early age, but one that combines family time with outside exploration, along with a ton of fun.
One organization, the Eagle River Nature Center, has found the secret sauce for inspiring families to connect with the outdoors, try new skills, and hang out together. Toddler to teen, the nature center's programs appeal to a wide demographic of kids and parents through events, classes, and free-form observation, especially during the long Alaska winter.
Indoors and out at the center
It's the rare beam of sunlight that reaches the trails surrounding Eagle River Nature Center during late fall and winter, but that doesn't seem to deter the legions of dedicated walkers, hikers and other youngsters who flock there. Asta Spurgis, manager of the center, says part of the organization's mission is to connect visitors to nature. That means encouraging outdoor participation year-round.
"This place is magical during the colder months," she says. "People come to hike or snowshoe, and it's never the same view twice. The light hitting the mountains and river, the hoarfrost on the trees, it's my favorite time to be out here."
Spurgis should know. She's been making the commute from Anchorage to Eagle River since 1994 as the center's manager, and she's seen the influx of parents and kids making their way around the trails and viewing decks since before her own son, now a high school freshman, was born.
Outdoor opportunities at Eagle River Nature Center between October and December range from a Halloween-themed nature walk in costume to a winter solstice ski (or hike, if Alaska's fickle weather doesn't cooperate) when daylight is down to five hours, 28 minutes.
Families who wish to visit on their own are given maps and guidance from front desk staff before heading out to explore up to 10 miles of trails lacing the property. Some even make tracks to the public use cabin or yurts the Eagle River Nature Center maintains for the state park system, which rent for $55-$65 a night. There families can immerse themselves in a wintery wonderland of aurora borealis, snowball fights and campfire cooking.
Indoors, the nature center proves its worth as an educational stop for anyone curious about Southcentral Alaska's wilderness areas, critters or opportunities for recreation.
Junior Naturalist program
Every Saturday around 2 p.m., school-aged kids in the Junior Naturalist program gather around the wood stove for a presentation or activity centered around a chosen theme. One week, kids learned about moose and their nature signs. This weekend, they'll get the creeps with a class about bugs and spiders in preparation for Halloween.
Some programs are geared toward the whole family. Animals are a constant topic of interest, so the center often brings in speakers from other organizations, like the Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center or Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs, to pique the interest of kids and adults and perhaps spur further conversation or action around a particular topic.
Our family has snowshoed on brilliantly sunny days when a partially-frozen Eagle River was a thousand sparkling jewels and marched along the Rodak Nature Trail in costume toward the education yurt for cookies and hot cider.
Last winter, during a particularly non-snowy stretch of December, we hiked the historic Iditarod Trail one foggy afternoon, taking note of an exquisite hoarfrost clinging to every tree branch. Afterward, we cozied up on couches inside the nature center and looked at photo albums from the facility's early days while indulging in an indoor picnic of treats from home, content in each other and the day.
Nature center information
Eagle River Nature Center is open Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April. Trails are always open. Parking is $5 for nonmembers of the Friends of Eagle River Nature Center.
Membership is an annual fee of $40 (look for an increase to $50 in 2016) and includes a one-year parking pass for one vehicle, discounts on yurt or cabin rental and free check-out of the center's "Explorer Packs" for kids to use on site ($5 per child otherwise).
Find the center 12 miles from Eagle River city center, at the end of Eagle River Road. Allow 30-40 minutes from Anchorage.
Junior Naturalist programs are held Saturdays at 2 p.m. for kids, from kindergarten through grade 6, involving indoor and outdoor exploration. Pre-registration is required. Call 907-694-2108.
All-ages programs are geared toward most families, but call ahead for a presentation overview if you have questions. The nature center's space is small, so there's not a lot of room for wiggly toddlers or preschoolers during a more structured event.
Special events, like the Halloween Nature Walk, Ice Lantern class and Winter Solstice Lantern Walk require require registration to ensure materials are available. Call 907-694-2108.
Find nature center class and event schedules at www.ernc.org. Print one out for your bulletin board. You won't regret it.
A word about the Rodak Nature Trail closure: At this writing, the trail was still closed due to an aggressive brown bear near the viewing decks and trail loop. However, the Historic Iditarod Trail and Dew Mound Trail are open, Spurgis said. Hikers should, as always in bear country, carry bear spray, travel in groups and make noise. Updates on trail conditions and closures can be found online.
Erin Kirkland is author of Alaska on the Go: Exploring the 49th state with children, and publisher of AKontheGO.com, Alaska's only family travel resource. Connect with her at e.kirkland0@gmail.com.