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Excited by nature

By Blackwell Thomas, The Southern

Saturday, July 19, 2008 1:30 PM CDT

Arms spread as wide as she could stretch them, 7-year-old Daylen Flynn screamed excitedly that she'd seen a turtle "This big!"

The only thing in sight that might have matched the size of that turtle was Flynn's smile as she joined a group of kids on Friday at Giant City Park for a day of learning, hiking and play as part of the Carbondale Park District's Junior Naturalists program.

Headed up by Sarah Heck, a youth supervisor with the district, the program meets once a week and seeks to teach kids a about the great outdoors.

Heck said about a half dozen or more kids usually attend, but Friday's group of four was smaller and more manageable. Flynn was accompanied by her brother Gavin and another brother and sister tandem, Ryan and Kelsey Jurich

As the midday sun beat down, Heck said the group was learning about ponds and water, specifically indicator species, this week.

"Those are the (animals) or bacteria that, when they are gone, you know something's wrong," said Heck, as she looked into an algae-coated pond where the kids tossed bread to turtles. "We came here to see the goldfish but there aren't as many as there used to be here. They aren't the indicator species, though."

With a couple of the kids listening, and the others occupied with bread throwing, Heck said she wasn't sure what the indicator species here would have been.

But the kids weren't too concerned about the fish population - there were turtles to see and trails to be hiked. As the group made its way around a small, heavily-treed trail, Heck kept the kids in line, literally.

"There's a cliff right over there," said 8-year-old Ryan Jurich. "I've walked right to the edge of one before."

"We'll stay on the path today," Heck, said quickly.

Marching on, the kids found butterflies, caterpillars, squirrels and a selection of other wildlife along the way.

To beat the heat they used their water bottles with Kelsey regularly asking for, and receiving each time, a drenching from Daylen's water bottle.

At the end of the trail the group took a breather. Asked where they wanted to go next, Ryan piped up with a laugh "Home!"

But the majority rules and, with that, Heck had the group off on another hike.

Those interested in summer programs at the Park District can call 549-4222.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

351-5823