Sydney Denekamp | Staff Intern
This past week, sophomores taking world history at West Central High School went on a virtual tour of Good Earth State Park.
The event was made possible by Park Naturalist Jen Nuncio and history teacher JoAnne Bohl through the Good Earth Zoom School Outreach Program.
Typically, students would go on an on-site field trip to the park; however, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the class from being able to safely tour the park in person.
COVID-19 limitations prompted Nuncio to think of new ways to connect to students. This is where she got the idea to reach out to schools to do virtual state park tours.
“I took a typical on-site field trip and turned it into a PowerPoint presentation and, with the aid of Zoom, I can present that. Then walk through the building and exhibit while students watch from their computers,” Nuncio said.
Nuncio designed and presented a personalized tour of Good Earth State Park with guidance from Bohl based on the history class’ needs: the early people of the Americas.
The virtual tour began with a PowerPoint presentation describing the park, its history and its importance.
Nuncio then took students on a virtual walk through the visitor’s center and Oneota exhibit while narrating what students saw. If time allows during a virtual tour, Nuncio will also take classes on tours of outside buildings and trails.
The student response, according to both Bohl and Nuncio, was very positive. Both said students asked great questions and were happily engaged in the material.
“This was easy to organize and a good way for the students to connect the history lessons we read about in the classroom to their surrounding area and for students to see that history, really is their stories as well,” Bohl said.
Good Earth State Park has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic with more than just virtual school tours. The park is offering year-round programs to visitors, school groups, adults and special groups with new guidelines on group sizes as well as virtual options. These programs are always free.
“Virtual programs, Facebook live, videos, self-guided hikes and zoom classes are a few ways we have adapted to the changing times,” Nancio said.
Nuncio said she thinks that she will definitely give more virtual state park tours to students in the future and that some of the new COVID-19 adapted programs will continue even after the pandemic.