Darien Nature Center To Offer Geology Program For Children

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Nature Center has been working on new curriculum for middle school-aged students, and will soon roll out the first in a series of educational and fun STEM programs.

Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 28 and continuing on March 1, 7 and 21, children will have the chance to investigate the earth through the lens of geology.

Geology deals with the earth's physical structure and substance, its history, and the processes that act on it.

Each session begins at 3:30 p.m., and runs until 5 p.m.

Caroline Cone, a teacher in the Darien Nature Center's preschool enrichment program, and a geologist, developed the program aptly named "Geology Rocks!" Cone is a Darien native.

Students in 5th-8th grade will learn about rocks and the rock cycle, minerals and mineral testing, fossils, deep time and natural hazards, among other topics.

The experience will be a mixture of experimentation and testing, with an outside component where children can explore and discover rocks and minerals.

"Our mission is to provide nature-based experiences for the Darien community. That is more important than ever," said the nature center's program director, Molly Robertson.

"Nature is science, science is nature. It's just so fascinating, and I think the more the community, especially children, understand the interconnectedness of nature and the importance of it, the planet will benefit," Robertson added. "Also, the world is so STEM-oriented these days... It's a big part of high school and college, and there are good skills to learn."

To register, residents can call the Darien Nature Center at 203-655-7459, or register online.

Robertson said more STEM-inspired programs will be offered in the future for 5th-8th graders.