Seriously Fun Nature Programs

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River Cane Dream Catcher

Reta Barkley is the Discover Nature Women program coordinator here at Twin Pines. Local ladies, known as the Wild Things, have found that if you plan on attending one of Reta’s programs, you’d better sign up early. Reta does a great job of mixing a conservation message with a great time, and her candle-dipping event is an excellent example. The workshop’s hook is making beeswax candles. The program, however, is about pollinators and how we depend on them. 

Hidden Learning

Think about it—are you going to be interested in attending a program about a little fellow who stung you when you were 6, or are you going to be interested in making candles the way your great-great-grandmother did? You’re probably going to go for the candle-making, and when you’re deep into the dipping, you’ll be ready to hear about the ways honeybees and native pollinators work to keep wild and cultivated fruits producing year after year. Nice job, Reta!

We call this approach “hidden learning.” My folks used it with us when we were kids. Vacations?  No. Summer science and geography field trips. We had a great time and learned so many lessons that I still remember and treasure. That is what we are doing at Twin Pines—offering fun workshops that you will remember for a lifetime, with hidden lessons that will make you think and take action.

Conservation Connections

The next time you see a Twin Pines program featuring a hunt for the Karkaghne monster or a hog-calling demonstration, you can be sure the program is rooted in conservation but will be loads of fun. For a listing of upcoming programs at Twin Pines, check out Related Information below or call 573-325-1381.