Stewards of the Land
Babler State Park is located on 300 acres 45 minutes west of St. Louis off of highway 40. The facilities include a dining hall, recreation hall, various outdoor pavilions and 8 heated cabins. Each cabin can accommodate 14 people and contains a shower and restroom.
Babler focuses on a service-learning project. Students work in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to develop a wetland area in Babler State Park. Students will clear out invasive species of plants and reintroduce the natural inhabitants, therby helping to establish new wildlife areas. Additional activities will include team building, reading, journaling and water testing as we integrate this field experience. This expedition focuses on stewardship of the land giving each student a feeling of a sense of accomplishment and creating an important piece of work that others can enjoy and appreciate.
The Enduring Understandings for this expedition are:
• The decisions we make affect the health of our planet.
• We are members not visitors to our environment and are strengthened by acts of service to others.
• People can make connections to nature anywhere.
The Essential Questions are:
• How does a community decide what it values?
• What does it mean to contribute to society?
• What is the impact of one person's effort to preserve the Earth?
October 11-13, 2007
