One could hardly choose a better spot in Rockland County to study nature than Hook Mountain, with its dense woods, towering cliffs and access to the Hudson River shoreline.
The Hook provided an outdoor classroom this spring to 450 fourth-graders who experienced hands-on learning about its rich geological features as well as the diversity of aquatic, animal and plant life thriving in its hundreds of undeveloped acres.
These youngsters from four Nyack and South Orangetown elementary schools participated in the Learning in the Parks: Hook Mountain program offered by the Friends of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain and its educational arm, the Outdoor Science Alliance.
The program returned this spring after a two-year pandemic hiatus, providing a day of outdoor learning for kids from Upper Nyack, Liberty and Cottage Lane elementary schools. Cottage Lane’s inclusion marked the first time the South Orangetown school district participated in the program.
Learning in the Parks starts with a classroom introduction, then takes the kids to three separate stations in the Upper Nyack park, where scientists guide them through experiences designed to deepen their understanding of their natural world.
A station along Nyack Beach State Park provides a setting for studying life in the Hudson River, including seining for fish the way the region’s Native Americans would have done.
Students learned about trail stewardship and the park’s flora and fauna during a stop along a switchback trail, and then walked up to the Hook’s plateau to study the rare geological features of its cliffs.
Most of the children had never been to Hook Mountain before the May and June field trips, said Outdoor Science Alliance Coordinator Melody Partrick.
“They don’t realize that they have this natural, national landmark that’s right here,” she said. “Having access to nature and to these amazing hiking trails in this part of the Palisades, having this right here, is incredible for every family. But to be able to take our state curriculum and match it up to the kids being outdoors and learning that way, it’s extraordinary.”
Partrick added: “The kids will remember this trip their whole lives, because you don’t get to do that kind of learning. The teacher could have talked in the classroom about how the native people would have fished, but actually seeing it done I think is more impactful.”
The program includes a high school mentorship component, which offers community service hours for students who work alongside scientists in the field.
Next year’s program should see even greater expansion, following a $68,000 state grant that will allow the Friends to include more local fourth-graders as well as strengthen the high school mentorships and create a study to assess the impact of its program on past participants.
Email info@rocklandlakeandhookmt.org for more information about the Friends of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain and the Outdoor Science Alliance.
Robert Brum is a freelance writer covering the Hudson Valley. Read more of his work at robertbrum.com
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