Teacher Impressions of McKinney Roughs Nature Park
James Scott
McKinney Roughs really impressed me. When I drove up and saw the buildings, I got the feel of summer camp. It just felt like it was going to be so much fun.
We watched the introductory video and the beautiful scenery just amazed me. This
was a site with so much going on. The beautiful nature, the Lone Pine Grove,
the rafting — my imagination began to run wild!
As we started discussing what the facilities have to offer, the preparedness showed through. This site has taken time to develop its activities and curriculum. The kids attending summer programs were smiling and glowing from the fun and excitement.
We went and looked at the site, and the ropes course was awesome!. So many activities designed to promote teamwork and foster individuality. The other teachers and I talked about getting our staff to come and do it.
It was so exciting to be in a place where at every turn learning was going on, from the different kinds of plants to the wildlife that slithers away. McKinney Roughs was amazing. I enjoyed the activities, the facilities and am excited about the possibility of taking students there.
Melissa Shannon
When I entered McKinney Roughs, it had the façade of a lot of other parks I had visited. I had passed the park entrance many times but had never gone in. The classroom facilities looked great and the kids at summer camp seemed to be having so much fun.
When
Nicholas came into the room in his Lewis and Clark costume, I had to laugh outloud.
Is this guy serious? But yes, he was serious. Serious about the park and its
history. He was so knowledgeable about everything. Indian songs, frog
calls, ancient ways of the forest—he’d be a great survivalist!
After lunch, we visited the animals. Cool snakes, alligators, turtles and spiders! After that we went hiking on one of the trials. It was pretty hot that day, but the trails were great! So many different tree species, birds and insects. I was excited that I was able to identify some of the birds there. Joanie also showed us some Indian Markers. Native Americans tied a sapling down to mark the location of things. Joanie said they had many of these markings on the property.
We
did not go to the river, but I would have loved to do a rafting
trip.
The Colorado River that passes through there is slow and that is just my speed!
The park seems like a great tool for a teacher who really wants to get the kids
outdoors, but does not have a lot of time to plan a trip. The staff at McKinney
Roughs does it all for you! Just pick some activities, tell them how many kids
and McKinney Roughs will take care of the rest.
Chris Costello
There
is so much diversity here – 135 varieties of plants and native Texas critters
are flying, swimming, slithering and crawling. Variety and a geologic history
dating back 275 million years ago to the Mesozoic
era — all
observable from 15
miles of trails.
The learning opportunities are as diverse as the park itself.
The box canyons are home to many ecosystems and the interdependence of all of
them provides the basis for excellent
student inquiry. There are
so many natural systems here for students to study and learn how everything
we humans can do to either preserve those systems or bring about their demise.
Students need to understand all of the systems and their natural cycles of
formation and growth, decay and regeneration. McKinney Roughs is one of the
few places in Austin where all of these systems and cycles can be studied in
the same place.
In addition to analyzing the systems and cycles that make the earth habitable students can use scientific tools like GPS and topographic maps. Students can also experience personal insight and growth on the challenge courses.
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