Watching TV, gaming or TikToking. There is plenty to do indoors for children. But forest rangers prefer to see young people outside in nature. That is why today a few buses were loaded with students from Emmen and Aalden, among others, for a mandatory outing to the forest.
When the doors of the bus in Hoogersmilde open again, the children jump outside. A little later the first ones already have their feet in the mud. And that is exactly the intention.
The students are taken on a stroll through the Drents-Friese Wold. And they are actually allowed to get off the hiking trails.
“I had always wanted to go off those paths and see the animals,” says Quyllur, from Het Anker primary school in Emmen. “Now that’s finally happening.”
Ranger Lysander van Oossanen leads the way through the wilderness. Along the way he tells all about things they encounter, such as tracks of a deer, an excavated wasp nest, different tree species and frogs.
“It’s just fun to be out and about with children,” says Van Oossanen. “To teach them something in this way. You see that children also blossom from it. A completely different day than when they are in school.”
It is the thirteenth time that IVN Nature Education organizes these tours together with Natuurmonumenten, Staatsbosbeheer and Het Drentse Landschap, among others. And according to the forest rangers, that is really necessary.
Van Oossanen: “We notice that the connection between people and nature is sometimes skewed. That fewer and fewer people are coming into nature. And that connection starts in your youth.”
And that seems to work. “I find this fun and interesting,” Quyllur laughs. “And I’m learning a lot.” For example about different types of mushrooms. “It’s really cool because you have collaborators, murderers and scavengers.”