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The nature of kids
By LANE DEGREGORY
Published June 26, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG -- On the first day of Nature Camp, all the kids crowded at the end of the dock, peering into the pond behind their cabin-classroom, pointing at something in the murky water. "Look at that!" "No way!" "I wish I had my binoculars." More than 30 elementary-age students had come to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve to spend a week digging in the dirt, trapping bugs. They were going to identify animal tracks and plant ferns and feed baby rats to box turtles. Five whole days in the woods, without air conditioning, TV or video games. Before the counselors even called roll, one of the kids had spied something in the pond. His shouts brought the other campers, who were pushing each other, trying to get a better look. "Check this out! "That's amazing!" "Anybody bring a camera?" A small boy near the back of the dock struggled to see. Was it an alligator? An otter? Some strange species of fish? Wriggling through the crowd, the boy finally made his way to the railing. He leaned over, looked into the water and . . . there it was, on the bottom of the pond, half-buried in muck. A rare, elusive specimen, seldom seen in nature: the blue-backed Game Boy SP. Lane DeGregory can be reached at 727 893-8825 or degregory@sptimes.com. Short Takes is an occasional feature on miscellaneous moments from daily life.
[Last modified June 25, 2006, 23:47:37]
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