Friends Bound for New Horizons

Unique fundraiser nets $24,000 for nonprofits

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos

It was 2011 when retired Pell City educator Deanna Lawley offered an idea to help boost the Pell City Schools Educational Foundation’s funding following an economic downturn for investments.

A group trip to Italy with friend Diane Schilleci sparked the idea. The representative of the travel company, Collette Tours, asked her if she ever thought about getting groups to travel. “You’d be perfect,” they said, and she could put the commission into whatever project she wanted.

Diane and Craig Caufield admire incredible view from hilltop village of LaMorra over Langhe wine country.

She loved to travel and as a natural born teacher, she remembered how important grants were to her classroom. This would give her an opportunity to organize trips for groups so they could learn more about the world, and it could raise money for the Foundation.

Friends Bound for New Horizons is the moniker she gave it, and off they went to Ireland that first year, raising $7,000.

Since that time, the Foundation’s coffers have grown by more than $100,000 courtesy of the travels of Friends Bound for New Horizons.

Lawley and her groups didn’t stop there – on their traveling or their giving. A few years ago, the Pell City Library became a recipient of funds each year. “I couldn’t do this job without Danny,” Lawley said, referring to Library Director Danny Stewart, who helps coordinate the trips.

Two years ago, the Museum of Pell City, co-founded by Lawley, was added to the list of beneficiaries of the gifts. “The museum is special to my heart,” she said. Since serving as co-project manager for Pell City’s hosting of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street in 2014, “I started thinking about people and our history that was being forgotten about.” In 2023, the city’s own museum opened in a 4,000 square foot suite in the Municipal Complex.

In May, the group traveled to Italy – 41 ‘Friends’ – and while they benefitted from a ‘bucket list’ trip filled with memories, their travels generated $10,000 for the Education Foundation and $7,000 each for the museum and library.

Their Italian adventure took them to Tuscany, where they spent the final four days at an historic estate outside Florence called Hotel Villa Casagrande.  They visited Turin, known for fashion and design, and saw the Shroud of Turin in the chapel at Savoy Palace.

They stayed at Sestre Levante, right on the Italian Riviera, and they visited Cinque Terre – five villages on the coast that hang over the sea.

Among the many sights they still savor were Lucca, the Medieval-walled Tuscan hill town, home of Puccini, the great Italian opera composer and the Chianti Road to the winery and olive oil cannery. “Both were incredible,” said Lawley.

Greve was a small Chianti village with only two squares, where they shopped and had farm-to-table lunch.

As for the group’s favorite moments, “I loved seeing all the laundry hanging from balconies,” said Patti Harper. “I’ve always seen it in pictures, and they really do it! Also, how the boats had rented spaces on the walkway in Cinque Terre” because there isn’t enough space on the water. The captains have to carry boats down to the sea.

Johnny and Cheryl Gregg’s favorite experience was “the day trip to Cinque Terre. The train ride, the architecture and the beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean.”

For Mara Walls, it was “the town of La Morra, but especially the camaraderie of everyone in our group.” Husband Blythe singled out “City of Greve and the countryside.”

“The village at Manola was especially beautiful, nestled in the hills, and the Mediterranean,” added Jeff Hestley. His wife, Vicki, had a vivid recollection. “The day we spent at the olive vineyard and the afternoon in Greve were a perfect day for me.”

Their stories are typical of the conversations among these travelers upon returning home. They are dream trips carefully put together for maximum enjoyment and memories to last a lifetime.

There were three Danas on the trip – Dana Corte of Fairhope, Dana Merrymon and Dana Ellison of Pell City

About a month after returning home, they recounted their experiences at a special Italian dinner held at The Grill at the Farm in Cropwell. It was an opportunity for them to reunite, reminisce and be honored for their gifts to the Foundation, library and museum.

In accepting for the Foundation, Vice President Jackie Robinson said how vital the funds have been to their efforts to enhance classroom experiences through grants to teachers. The Foundation’s account now stands at over $1 million, with grants for everything from microscopes to books funded through the interest earned.

Stewart recounted traveling with the group in years past, helping Lawley coordinate trips and the personal enrichment it gave to him. Through the fundraising, the library is now able to do so much more to serve its patrons, especially children. A Christmas event featuring Santa and the Grinch draws over 300 children and landscaping lights outside the library were but two of the projects made possible in part with the funding.

Museum President Carol Pappas called the gift an honor to accept. The museum is launching its “Digging Deeper Initiative,” a series of new exhibits and oral history films that will dig deeper into Pell City’s history and present those stories in new, compelling and interactive ways.

“Stay tuned,” she said. “Because of Friends Bound for New Horizons, Museum of Pell City is bound for new horizons, too.”

Next up on the itinerary for the Friends group are a Rhine River Cruise and Painted Canyons of Utah, both in September.

In August 2025, the group plans to head to Scotland with tickets to the famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tatoo, a spectacular show “celebrating British Military, Scottish Heritage and international culture with world-class lighting projects and cutting-edge sound technology.” They are even offering an additional option trip – a 4-day, 3-night London pre-tour with fast train to Edinburgh.

Editor’s note: For more information on joining Friends Bound for New Horizons on their next adventure, contact Lawley at dnlawley@gmail.com.

Turkey call of the wild

Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve kicks off education program

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free

Wattle, caruncle, snood!  Characters in a Dr. Seuss book?  Though quite amusing to say, and quite like the nonsensical words used in the works of children’s author Theodore Geisel, these are real words that describe features of a gobbler, a tom, or a hen or simply a turkey. 

The wattle is that flap of skin under the turkey’s chin, while the caruncle are fleshy bumps on the turkey’s head and throat.  The snood is the fleshy flap that hangs just above the turkey’s beak. 

Fun facts about turkeys kept the attention of dozens of young people and their parents at the Youth Turkey Call Expo, held at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville to kick off its education program.  The Preserve opened in March, and the education component will be a key focus.

Traci Ingleright helps a child practice using a turkey call

The goal was to get kids outdoors and learning about the sport of wild turkey hunting, an activity they can do now with adults and continue to enjoy into adulthood. They learned about turkey behavior, their habitats, turkey calling and about habitat management. 

If you’re wandering around the woods and find a turkey feather, don’t worry, that bird has quite a few more…about 6,000 more. And if you want to find that turkey, you’re going to want a locator call.  There are basically three types of turkey calls – locator, diaphragm (or mouth) and friction. 

Locators help to find where the turkeys are. Diaphragm-type calls are those that are held in the mouth, and sound is made by forcing air through them. Friction calls use a rubbing motion to make sound and include push-button, box and slate calls.  Which type a hunter uses depends on his or her need at the time and their skills and preference.

“My favorite is a slate call,” said Miller Gauntt, already a seasoned hunter at 12 years old.  His dad, Trey Gauntt, took him on his first hunt six years ago.  “He didn’t even want to take a gun,” says Trey.  “But I killed a turkey that day, and he changed his mind.”  Miller says what he likes most is hearing them gobble. “100 percent it’s hearing them gobble … and being outside.”

Male turkeys are called gobblers or toms. Females are hens, and young turkeys are called poults.

As three children from one family head home, they excitedly reflect on their favorite lessons of the day. Five-year-old Noah and his 10-year-old brother, Caleb, were particularly impressed with their newfound knowledge on identifying turkey droppings. “Boy turkey poop is shaped like a hockey stick,” says Noah. Caleb completes the lesson by adding that the female’s skat can be identified by its more artistic spiral shape.  Macy, their 9-year-old cousin, now knows that turkeys have three toes, a lesson learned this day through pushing a metal impression of a turkey’s foot into a bit of modeling clay.

“I think events like this are crucial to getting people out here,” says David Hopper, senior conservation officer and wildlife biologist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “Being a turkey hunter myself, I think it’s imperative to teach kids about the traditional ways of turkey hunting. We want to teach them to be safe and to respect the bird.” 

He explains that respecting the turkey includes only killing what you plan to eat. And, if pictures are posted to social media, making sure the bird is cleaned up. “Make sure he’s shown respectfully,” says Hopper. “They’re beautiful creatures.”

Hopper grew up hunting and credits his grandfather as his outdoor mentor. “Turkeys and hunting, period, kind of shaped my career path, down to both degrees I ended up getting,” he says. 

“As much as the outdoors and hunting has given to me, it became natural to give back. And the way we give back is to manage these resources so that my kids and their kids and everyone else have these natural resources for the future.” 

He was four when his grandfather took him hunting for the first time.  It’s a tradition he is planning to carry on with his own children.

Three generations of one family are enjoying the event and learning about the sport.  Kyle Mavin, from Springville, has brought his son, Jake, and 5-year-old grandson Rowan to introduce the youngster to the family pastime. “I introduced Jake to hunting when he was a young boy,” says Kyle.  “Now we’re introducing Rowan to it together. We wanted to get him outside, away from technology. Today’s been a great day to do that.”

Traci Ingleright leans in to help a child practice using a turkey call.  She’s a teacher by day and volunteers with educational events for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).  Having grown up turkey hunting with her dad, she is helping to educate future hunters as a tribute to him. 

Her dad, Ben Knight, was a two-time world slam turkey hunter. A world slam turkey hunter is one who has harvested one of each of the North American subspecies of wild turkey in a given year. 

Another grand slam turkey hunter is helping with another presentation today. Preston York got his single season grand slam in the spring of 2021. A family friend took him turkey hunting when York was 18 years old. “It spurred my love of the outdoors,” he says. “It got me in the woods every day of the season.” 

Preston York (left) talks turkey with Trey Gauntt and his son, Miller

Now he’s in the woods a lot as owner of FloMotion Trail Builders, the company that built most of the trails at the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve and another 200 miles of trails in 40 locations in five states.

The VanWagner family loves coming out to the Preserve. “It’s a huge resource for us,” he says. “I do a lot of hiking and landscape photography, and this is a great place for that.” He has brought his two girls out for the day to enjoy time outdoors and to participate in the turkey call expo. 

Eight-year-old Emma can hardly contain her excitement as she talks about her love of these “fuzzy and cute” creatures. She says she’s always wanted to use a turkey call, but that her dad won’t get her one. 

Thanks to the vendors who donated prizes for the day, the VanWagner family has a very happy daughter. Emma won her very own turkey call. She’s sure to summon a gobbler soon, complete with wattle, caruncle and snood. 

Maybe one day, she’ll be a grand slam turkey hunter, too.

Modern Manufacturing Program takes shape

Honda steps up with SUV for workforce development program at Eden Tech

Story and photos
by Graham Hadley

Once again, St. Clair County is leading the way for the rest of Alabama when it comes to workforce development programs in public education – and Honda Manufacturing is already stepping in to help.

The John Pope Eden Career Technical Center in Ashville, working with the St. Clair Economic Development Council, is taking a lead role in the Modern Manufacturing Program, a partnership between the Alabama Works initiative and local school systems, as the state continues its efforts to boost the number of qualified manufacturing professionals.

The program at is already well on its way to being another workforce development success story for the region. Now, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama has joined those efforts, donating a Honda Pilot SUV and more to MMP at Eden in late October.

“At the Honda Alabama Auto Plant we are excited about the opportunity that the Modern Manufacturing Program can provide for students and industry alike,” said Michael Gaines, division leader at Honda Alabama.

Handing over the keys

“Modern Manufacturing will provide the necessary skills for entry level manufacturing positions in our company, as well as other manufacturing companies in our region. Almost all industries in our area are experiencing manpower shortages, and this program will give students the basic skills they need before entering the workforce, helping to increase their career options, and hiring potential, while also helping local employers to fill open positions with individuals already advanced in work-based skills.”

Bob Johnson, who helms the program at Eden and a former HMA employee, expressed his gratitude to his former employer for its generosity. “The MMP program at Eden Career Technical Center is very thankful to Honda. This donation will contribute to ensuring that every student is prepared to meet future opportunities beyond high school.”

Students and guests attend the MMP presentation at Eden

And that generosity goes beyond just the Pilot. “Honda has contributed parts, materials and money and worked with the St. Clair County Board of Education to make this happen,” he said.

Jason Roberts, director of Industry and Workforce Development at St. Clair EDC, was credited with playing a key role in bringing everyone together. He said the partnership is essential to the success of the MMP program and was quick to point out that across the state, all of the major manufacturers, especially the big automotive companies – Honda, Mercedes, Toyota-Mazda and Hyundai – are stepping in to make sure the skillsets they need are being taught.

The donation is a first for Eden and for schools in the region, said Kristen Holder, executive director for Central Six AlabamaWorks. She, along with other officials, like Alabama School Board Member Marie Manning, EDC Director Don Smith and St. Clair Superintendent Justin Burns, attended the event.

“This is such an opportunity for our students,” Burns said. “I knew it would be a good opportunity when you partner with companies like Honda or Unipres, and Eden Career Tech is the perfect next step in the workforce development process. … I know this is just the beginning. Thank you for giving us the opportunity.”

A community connection

Ashville Library celebrating five decades of service

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Richard Rybka

When you consider what a public library has to offer residents, the most obvious answer is books.

If, however, you ask Paula Ballard and Gail Walker what the library in Ashville offers their community, they give a completely different answer. The most vital gift it provides, they say, is connection.

The McCain Memorial Public Library in Ashville, formerly known as the Ashville Public Library, turned 50 last month, and Ballard and Walker were among the many who celebrated its five decades of connecting patrons to information, book lovers to adventure and people to people.

“The town of Ashville is surrounded by rural communities, and people do come here to make connections,” said Walker, who lives in Shoal Creek Valley and is on the library’s board of directors.

Children’s reading area

Ballard, who has served as the library’s director for nine years and is only the ninth librarian in its 50-year history, said it’s not unusual for older residents to spend time in the library visiting with each other. “For some, it may be the only time they see other people that day,” she said. Ballard loves watching young mothers connect with each other while their children become friends during story time and other activities.

The library, one of seven in St. Clair County, moved to a new and larger location last year and offers nearly 18,000 items for circulation. In addition to books, there are DVDs, magazines, audiobooks, board games and learning tablets for children. They offer programming for adults as well as children, and many residents who don’t have access to a computer or who have spotty Internet service make use of the facility’s computer stations.

“We fill a lot of needs, so we’re more than just books,” Ballard said, adding that she provides computer assistance every day. “You can’t walk in and apply for a job on paper anymore; you’ve got to do it online. We scan, make copies and fax so people don’t have to drive to Gadsden or Birmingham. We have DVDs because not everyone has reliable streaming. We have people who sit in the parking lot to use Wi-Fi even when we’re closed.”

The first chapter

Although those who worked so hard to make the town’s library a reality in 1973 couldn’t have known the many ways the library would change lives in 2023, chances are good they would be pleased with the impact it makes. After all, their goal from the very beginning was to “improve the environment of our town.”

Members of the Ashville Garden Club got the ball rolling in the summer of 1972, according to a narrative written by Mattie Lou Teague Crow, who served as the Garden Club’s Environmental Improvement Program chair at the time and later became the first librarian. Ballard discovered the narrative in an old scrapbook during last year’s move.

Until then, the “library” consisted of several shelves of books provided by the Alabama Public Library Services, and they were housed in the Town Hall. One employee worked one afternoon a week, checking out books and writing overdue notices. The town clerk was responsible for the books the rest of the time.

“The collection had grown and was crowding the town’s office space,” Crow wrote. “The Garden Club had enjoyed a rewarding experience with our House Pilgrimage in 1972. Our bank account reached an all time high, and we were searching for a worthwhile activity.”

After meeting with the mayor and Town Council, it was eventually determined that the library could be housed in the previous Town Hall building, which had been empty for several years. Before it was over with, members of the community joined forces to make the project a success, and in a bit of foreshadowing, they built connections while they worked together.

According to Crow’s narrative, the town purchased two library tables, a desk, typewriter and filing cabinet, and the Garden Club members “reworked an old desk and chairs given by one of the schools.” They also provided new shelving, magazine racks and a card catalog cabinet. Local civic clubs bought sets of encyclopedias, and the mother of a soldier (James Robert Heard, Jr.) who was killed in Vietnam, donated the flag that was draped on his casket. In addition, local artists displayed their works at the library.

“By the time we were ready for our Open House, the entire town had become involved in our project,” Crow wrote.

Move-in day was Sept. 1, 1973. “The place had been made lovely with soft green walls, wall to wall carpet, new lighting and year-round air conditioning,” Crow added. “In a few days, all was in apple-pie order and the public began using the new library.”

Happily ever after

While that first library served Ashville well for decades, history has a way of repeating itself. In recent years, the library had begun to outgrow its space, parking was limited on the downtown square, and the city owned a building on US 231 that had been empty for a few years.

In addition to city funding, a generous donation from David and Louisa McCain, made in honor of the four generations of McCains who have called Ashville home since 1878, helped bring the project to fruition. The McCain Memorial Public Library opened in April 2022.

In addition to an ever-growing collection of books for adults, teens and children, there are study rooms and a computer lab. A grant from the Alabama Public Library Service, made possible by the Library Services and Technology Act, will allow the library to soon have six new computers for public use, a new staff computer, catalog station, and an iPad station for the children’s area.

Programming has grown, as well, with the library’s multi-purpose room. Larger events, like the annual Father-Daughter Dance fundraiser, are held offsite but having a dedicated space for programs has opened up a world of possibilities, Ballard said.

For adults, there’s a Book Club and weekly exercise classes. A group meets to crochet together twice a month, and adults and teens have enjoyed events like Harry Potter Trivia Night, ceramics classes, a beekeeping program, henna tattoo class and a hair tinsel tutorial.

In addition to weekly story time on Tuesdays at 10:30, children enjoy the summer reading program, which continues to grow in popularity. During the summer, kids enjoyed a variety of activities, including science demonstrations offered by the McWane Center, a visit from a llama, a rock painting activity and reading to dogs as part of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s Reading Buddies program. A monthly Lego Club is a big hit, and students’ creations are displayed each month between meetings.

“We’re proud of our new facility and what it enables us to do,” Ballard said. “We wanted this space to be inviting and cozy but look new and fresh. You want people to leave happy and wanting to come back.

Walker and Ballard, both avid readers, hope that children visiting the library today develop the same love for books they’ve enjoyed.

“I’ve always loved books,” Walker said. “My sister and I would each check out the maximum number of books, and then we’d share. It always opened up our imaginations. I think a love of reading is the single most important thing a child can have to be successful. If you can read, you can do anything.”

Ballard’s mother, Susan Kell, was the librarian at Ashville Elementary School for years, so reading has always been a part of her life. “I remember coming to the library all the time in the summers,” she said, adding that she feels fortunate that reading a wide variety of genres is now part of her job. “I read everything from young adult fantasy to psychological thrillers to romantic comedies.”

Knowing that Ballard is now guiding a new generation of readers would likely make Crow – Ballard’s great-aunt – proud. In fact, the words Crow wrote in 1973 still reflect the impact the library continues to have on the community she loved so much.

“Without a doubt, the library has improved the environment of this whole community,” Crow penned. “First it has furnished reading materials for inspiration and information and entertainment to people in every walk of life. It has brought civic groups together in greater harmony and cooperation. It has become one of the leading institutions for our small town, and our citizens are appreciative of the services.”

Friday night hero

Honoring Pell City High School Coach Pete Rich

“Success is based upon a spiritual quality, a power to inspire others.”
— Vince Lombardi

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Richard Rybka

Coach Pete Rich is one successful man. He must be; he has a stadium named after him.

The reason for that honor, though, is somewhat of an anomaly. His namesake stadium is home to the Pell City High School Panthers. He never lead his Pell City football team to the most wins of any coach. He did not even serve as head coach the longest. His fame is less about statistics and more about relationships.

His biggest victories are still being realized in the lives of the young men he inspired in his 34 years of coaching high school football. And those former football players, many whom are now retired from successful careers, say Coach Rich was a powerful force in shaping them into the people they are today.

Pell City High School jerseys, jackets and other memorabilia

On a Saturday afternoon, more than 50 former players and coaches gather at the Municipal Building. They’ve come from as far away as California and New Mexico to honor their former coach and mentor on his 88th birthday. Just as they did in the lock room decades ago, the men form a huddle and Coach begins their time together by leading them in prayer.

One of those in the huddle was Alabama State Senator Lance Bell, who played nose guard from 1987 to 1989. Senator Bell read a resolution from the Alabama Legislature honoring Coach Rich for his many years of service to the people of Pell City and the astate of Alabama.

“Coach Rich was like a second father to me. He taught us about discipline and about life,” the senator remembers. He recalled a time that he suffered a significant injury to his knee during a game. “The call from Coach,” he said, “was the first phone call I received checking on me.” 

“He was a father figure for all of us,” adds former tight end Leslie Smith. “He is bigger than life. I mean, the man still lifts weights at 88 years old!” Coach Rich has had that weight room at his home since he started coaching Pell City football in 1969. And it has always been open to any of his players.

“Coach truly saved my life,” chimes in Bobby Watson, tight end and linebacker from 1975 to 1978. “He got me into weightlifting when I was 18 years old,” he tells. “That habit saved me later in life, when, in 2014, I suffered a bilateral quad rupture. I was told I’d never walk again.” Watson credits Coach Rich with teaching him the value of strength training through weightlifting. Weightlifting, rehab exercises and sheer determination, he says, helped him to regain his mobility. Not only is he walking again, he is now a strength coach and weight strength coordinator for the Trussville YMCA.

Sammy Brown, played defensive end during the ’74-’75 season and again the next year. He gets emotional talking about Coach. “He was always open to listen. I could go to his house and sit outside with him and when I left, it felt like a huge burden was lifted. He cared so much about others.” When Brown later had a wife and children of his own, he said Coach would often come to his home after his own family Christmas and share in the Brown family celebration.

A hometown boy, Pete Rich grew up in the Avondale Mill Village, played football for Pell City High School, and worked at the mill during the summers. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1957 and immediately started coaching football, baseball and basketball at Jones Valley High School.

He started coaching at Sylacauga High School in 1961, where he stayed for eight years. He returned to Pell City as head coach in 1969. After five years as head coach, Rich stepped down from head coach to spend more time directly with his players as defensive coordinator. Rich retired from coaching in 1991, having served on the coaching staff at Pell City High School for 22 years.

In total, he coached for more than three decades.  In that time and since then, he has touched the lives of countless people, who consider him a friend and mentor.

His former players are devoted to him and, when you meet him, it’s easy to see why. When he’s involved in a conversation, he is committed to it. He does treat people as if they are the most special person in that moment. His sense of humor is part of his charm. He’ll often start a story off with “I ought not tell this …” and then chuckle as he tells it.

Former players talking with coach

Coach admits to working his boys hard, but it was second nature to him. “I made sure my kids worked hard. It was just the way I was raised,” he says. “My mama always made sure I worked hard as a kid. I remember coming home from school one day and mama said to get ready because I was about to be picked up to go out and help plow the fields.”

Although he had plenty of opportunities to advance in the world of coaching, he was committed to his community and remained with Pell City High School.

He and his wife, Gwen, raised their two children, Lori (Billingsley) and Brian, in Pell City. “We always had people around the house, either visiting my dad or using the weight room,” says Brian.  “It was like Grand Central Station, but it was good. Both Mom and Dad are great. I feel like I won the parent lottery with them!” Brian did play some football and basketball, but tennis turned out to be his best sport.

Former player Jerry Posey was not quite as lucky in his childhood experiences. His dad suffered from alcoholism and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Coach Rich, he says, was one of the first positive influences in his life. “I was from the housing project, and he was from the mill village,” said Posey. “He treated everyone the same. He was an unbelievable influence for me.”

As the lights come on and fans file into Pete Rich Stadium for Pell City home games this fall, just maybe some will think of the lessons Coach Rich taught. “Nobody’s more special than anybody else,” he said. “I’ve just always tried to make sure everybody felt equally special.” 

That’s a win any way you look at it.

Schooled by nature

Immersive outdoor program at Pell City’s Hidden Lake Farms

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Kelsey Bain

The day is cool and crisp. One by one, the cars arrive, children emerge, laughing and greeting each other. This is a group of homeschoolers, and they’ve come to the farm for a field trip.

But, this isn’t a trip to just any farm. This farm is the site of a new nature immersion school, and today, they’ve come to learn from nature at Pell City’s Hidden Lake Farms.

In their half-day visit, they’ve met Ham Solo and Princess Luau, a pair of eight-month-old Kunekune pigs. They’ve learned that while they are yet quite small, they will eventually tip the scales at around 200 pounds each. The students have learned that because of their shorter upturned snouts, this particular breed is not able to root as much as most pigs.

Students hold a delicate egg.

Meeting and learning about the pigs was the best part of the day for five-year-old Vivienne, daughter of Deanna and Jonathan Stanton. “I loved the pigs,” she beamed. “They are cute!” 11-year-old Miller agreed. The son of Frances Gauntt, he was fascinated by the pigs, but also enjoyed learning about the farm’s covey of quail.

“That was pretty cool about the quails,” says Miller.

As farm owner and nature educator, Bethany Milstead, described typical quail behaviors, daughter Allie entered the enclosure to collect eggs. She emerged with a handful of tiny eggs. The miniscule hatchlings, Milstead explained, will only weigh as much as a quarter.

A homeschool mom herself, Milstead knows the value of hands-on experiences in keeping the attention of a mixed-age group of students. She hands out quarters for the children to experience a weight similar to the quail hatchlings. Even the parents are hanging on every word. “I never thought about the babies being so tiny,” comments one adult.

Another child’s voice is heard asking to hold the eggs. The tiny eggs are handed out for the children to hold and observe. “Can you eat them?” asks one student. “Yes, you can,” answers Milstead, “but you have to eat a lot of them because they’re so small.”

The students also learn about beta-casein proteins that relate to the farm’s cows and the milk they produce. They work on a gene distribution and expression exercise called Punnett squares to figure out what types of cows would need to be bred to produce particular proteins in milk.

“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.”

~Albert Einstein

Milstead is a firm believer in the strength of learning through experiences in nature. She believes in its value strongly enough that she is opening her nature immersion school in January. The school will be patterned after so-called “forest schools,” which originated in Scandinavia and gained popularity mostly in Germany and the U.K.. Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, forest schools in the U.S. have seen a moderate gain in popularity.

Hidden Lake Farm Nature Immersion School will have space for up to three classes of five- to 10-year-olds. The program runs September through June, with a break in July and August. Classes are three days a week from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be held outside each day beginning and ending at the 54-feet-by-45-feet pavilion.

A recreational vehicle is parked there for kitchen and toilet facilities. Administrators will monitor the weather and shuttle students to Milstead’s nearby home if storms are imminent.

Students will have opportunities to interact with and learn from the activities and animals on the farm. In addition to the pigs and quail, Hidden Lake Farms has horses, donkeys, dairy cows, chickens and turkeys – even a tortoise.

Milstead plans to incorporate the animals and land in her cross-curricular approach to education. Instead of concentrating on math or English at a particular time, she will integrate activities that support learning in multiple disciplines.

“There’s so much research on how important it is to be outside, yet children spend most of their time indoors,” explains Milstead. “There are so many benefits to being outside, including the development of large muscles, heightened immunity and learning opportunities that take advantage of natural curiosity. A nature immersion curriculum empowers children and fosters imagination and confidence.”

Research from Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit which studies childrens’ mental health and education, shows that being outside also supports creative thinking, encourages responsibility, reduces stress and promotes learning by fostering children’s natural sense of wonder.

Fostering that same sense of wonder that enthralled both Vivienne and Miller on that homeschool field trip will be a foundational tenet for teachers and administrators of this new school at Hidden Lake Farms. “We will be right here with the children making note of where their interests are,” adds Milstead. “We will then focus our studies there. We will all carry journals so we can document interests that emerge, and they can journal about what they’ve learned.”

The students will have plenty to journal about as they explore and learn about the animals and plants on the 60-plus acres of land that includes the school and Milstead’s home and farm.

A native of Talladega, she returned to the area to settle down with her husband, Rusty, and her three daughters and one son. From the time they purchased the farm, Milstead has had a vision of one day sharing it with others to help build their love of nature and learning. Ultimately, she hopes, that love of nature will extend to both students and parents. l

Editor’s Note: If you are interested in learning more about getting involved with Hidden Lake Farms Nature Immersion School or in field trips to Hidden Lake Farms, contact Bethany Milstead at hiddenlakefarmpellcity@yahoo.com.