Blog Post: African Community Center Enjoys the Greenway

By: Zach Pekor, SCRGP Youth Program Coordinator

Saturday, April 6th was a wild and exciting day for students of the African Community Center (ACC). A dozen ACC students visited the Morrison Nature Center in Aurora as part of our organization’s NextGen youth program. It was the students first time visiting the center, and they had a blast!

Thanks to Liz Wickard, a naturalist at the nature center, the students learned about animals native to the Greenway. The bravest students actually held a live bull snake that is kept in the nature center- definitely not for the faint of heart!  After the students examined a variety of animal pelts, teeth, and skulls, Liz took the whole group out for a nature hike.

The students used binoculars to see a great horned owl and her babies in one of the hollowed out trees next to the nature center. They also enjoyed watching a group of prairie dogs play in their colony. As the walk continued, we spotted several beaver dams along Sand Creek, a few deer, and a horse on the trail. As the hike wound down the students questions did not, which showed how much fun they were having—and how much they were learning.

In the end, perfect weather, great people, and an awesome setting made this NextGen session a huge success!