A group of eight students from Thurston County Juvenile Court ventured out to Nature Nurtures Farm in West Olympia on November 22nd. This field experience was part of a weekly environmental workshop or field experience for Thurston County adjudicated youth in partnership with the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium and Capital Region ESD 113. The youth were very excited to meet some farm animals up close and personal, and witness what life is like on a farm. The farm is home to a large variety of animals including cats, horses, pigs, llamas, chickens, peacocks and more.
Meeting the Goats
The youth were nervous about approaching some of the animals at first, but it was very rewarding to watch them slowly warm up and start to really enjoy themselves. Many of these youth have very limited experiences outdoors and a farm is a very unfamiliar environment to them. Just spending a few hours outside enjoying themselves is a very enriching experience but the farm is also home to an active salmon run and the activities of the day weaved in concepts of sustainable environments and habitats and compassion for animals. The youth gave very positive feedback about this experience and are hoping to visit this farm again in the Spring.
