When a garter snake zipped across a path at River Bend Nature Center, Leah Inman didn’t hesitate before gently scooping it up.
Most of the tykes and a few of the parents in her Little Sprouts class were brave enough to give it a touch Monday morning.
“Snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them,” Inman said as she let the little snake slither on its way.
The mission of their Earth Day hike was to pick up trash, but Inman said she’s an educator who likes to seize unplanned learning opportunities. In addition to a snake and trash, they also made stops to learn about the trout lily, to balance on a fallen tree branch and more.
“Even when they fall over they are still a home to animals,” Inman said while pointing out the stump of a tree.
She started her Little Sprouts program for children up to age 5 and a caregiver three years ago. Once, twice or occasionally three times a month Inman offers an hour-and-a-half of nature-themed play and learning.
Inman started the program as a volunteer because she said she saw and wanted to fill the gap of no early childhood programming at Faribault’s nature center.
She had interned at the center in her younger years and assisted with the early childhood programs that were offered at that time. But by the time she had children and was taking a break from teaching to be a full-time mom, there was no longer such a program.
With support from River Bend leadership but no funding, Inman brought her own educational toys and other materials from home.
A grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation at the beginning of the year has allowed her to finally receive some compensation, to participate in professional development opportunities and to purchase new learning materials.
The $17,000 grant will also fund more outreach with a goal of reaching more diverse populations. Last week Inman piloted a class at the Community Action Center.
The classes at the nature center draws families from not just Faribault, but around the region, Inman said. Many are regulars whom she's gotten to know over the last three years. Newcomers are welcome, as are full families that include a child who is over 5.
The Kranda family came from rural Waseca to Little Sprouts for the first time on Monday after seeing a post on social media. They'd never been to River Bend before. Mom MJ Kranda said the class was engaging for 1-year-old Mylo and worth the trip.
Inman said she focuses on experiential and sensory activities that build early literacy and motor skills.
Each class has a theme and Monday’s class celebrated Earth Day. After some free-play time with nature toys, Inman read a book about the earth and on a felt map of the earth, children placed the continents and where various species of animals might live on the map.
“Can we all say thank you to the Earth?" Inman asked before they headed out on their hike. "Thank you, Earth, for being so pretty."
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