The morning of Nov. 2 was idyllic by Southern Illinois standards.

The clouds that had shrouded the region for weeks had disappeared, replaced by the clearest blue imaginable. There was a touch of fall chill in the air and the smell of hickory mysteriously wafted in the breeze.

The forest sounds were soft, the murmuring of running water in the background and rustling of squirrels scurrying about the forest floor. The scratchy screech of a red tail hawk broke the morning silence just seconds before school buses rolled down the narrow Shawnee Forest Road.

Moments later, scores of seventh graders from Harrisburg Middle School began pouring off the busses. The squall of the hawk was the last sound of wildlife heard for the next few hours.

The forest sounds were replaced with the laughter, talking and sometimes sounds of amazement emitted by the junior high students. The field trip to Bell Smith Springs has become a Harrisburg Middle School tradition over the past 10 years.

"We want to first give them some grasp that this is public land and they own it," said Sam Stearns, tour guide and member of Friends of Bell Smith Springs. "They have not only the privilege of coming here anytime for free, but the responsibility of taking care of it."

The field trip is not only educational, but also practical. Students were issued plastic bags and urged to pick up any litter they encountered along the way.

"We kind of spring the cleanup on them once they get here," Stearns said.

Some of the students took the cleanup more seriously than others.

Darren O'Dell crawled into a thicket of trees and worked at dislodging a trash back that had previously been left behind. He meticulously untangled bag and branches, then stuffed the entire mess into the bag he was carrying. By the end of the day, O'Dell toted an impressive load over his shoulders.

"This is all me," he said proudly.

In the meantime, the students explored the area, hiking to Devils Backbone, wading in the nearby pool and following the path of Bay Creek.

"As we go along we'll point out some of the natural history, some of the hydrology, some geology, all the -ologies," Stearns said before the students arrived.

It wasn't long before students took advantage of the outdoor classroom.

Minutes into the hike Zachary Clarida brought a rock to the attention of John Hurd, one of the teachers serving as chaperones. It was an example of a layered detrital sedimentary rock.

"This is a prime example of how sedimentary rocks are formed," Hurd said. "You can't describe it like you can see it. We were just getting ready to finish up our study of rocks. It couldn't have come at a better time."

Students who'd visited Bell Smith Springs before were impressed anew with the fall beauty, soaring bluffs and the rippling azure waters of Bay Creek.

"The color of the water is beautiful," said Brett Pinkerton. "It's not what you'd expect in Southern Illinois."

And, although the field trip was an excuse for some students to get out of the classroom, Pinkerton said the educational benefits were apparent.

"I think I've already learned a lot and nobody has said anything," he said. "I'm just kind of figuring out what I already knew about our natural environment and seeing how everything was formed."

That was Stearns' plan.

"The lessons will come on their own," he said. "If they bond with the place, they'll seek out the knowledge."

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com

618-351-5088