In times of budget cuts, school field trips are often the first on the chopping block. That’s not the case for first and sixth grade students of Auburn School District.
Thanks to Auburn Rotary, Soroptimist of Auburn and White River Valley Museum working together with Auburn School District, field trips to Mary Olson Farm are happening through December.
First-grade students explore life on the farm and where our food comes from. Activity stations include pressing apple cider in the farm’s century-old orchard, making butter in the 1897 barn, planting seeds in the garden and feeding chickens in the chicken coop.
The sixth-graders learn about stream ecology, focusing on salmon life cycles. The students study various fish traps in the barn, including woven Native American traps, and are then provided supplies to invent their own. At the farm’s Olson Creek, they identify native plants, test water and observe Coho and Chum salmon during spawning season. The sixth graders also participate in an interactive game about the migration of salmon from local streams to the ocean and back again.
A $4,000 gift from Auburn Rotary helps cover transportation costs while $1,700 from Soroptimist of Auburn goes toward field trip supplies. Additionally, White River Valley Museum and Auburn School District are helping by waiving other field trip fees. The field trips to Mary Olson Farm began last year as a pilot project also funded by Auburn Rotary.
“Auburn Rotary’s major focus has always been kids and education,” said Way Scarff, Auburn Rotary member and past White River Valley Museum board president. “Auburn is very fortunate to have our White River Valley Museum. It’s a true gem. It was conceived with an educational emphasis to give young people the perspective of local, personal history. The turn-of-the-century farm is another advantage kids have in Auburn to learn about the past, giving them a clearer picture of their current life and their future,” Scarff said.
Auburn Rotary earns funds for community charity programs through its annual golf tournament.
When Soroptimist of Auburn found out the school field trips to Mary Olson Farm were facing cuts, they decided to join the effort to save the field trips.
“Soroptimist of Auburn has been very supportive of the Mary Olson Farm and this spring, when cuts were being made, we stepped up to do our part in seeing that the field trips continued,” said Judith Roland of Soroptimist of Auburn. “It just goes to show what a partnership in a community can do when we work together.”
The Soroptimist mission is “to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.”
Neighboring school districts and private schools can also take advantage of field trips to Mary Olson Farm for a fee of $5 per child. For more information, call the White River Valley Museum at 253-288-7433.
Field trip volunteers needed
Volunteer tour guides are needed at Mary Olson Farm to help with the school field trips. Guides receive training to learn about one activity station and presentation per age level. An application process that includes a background check is required to volunteer. For more information, call the White River Valley Museum at 253-288-7433.
About Mary Olson Farm
The White River Valley Museum is working with the City of Auburn to restore Mary Olson Farm, the most intact 1880s family farm in King County. The farm is a King County Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Mary Olson Farm is currently slated to open to the public in 2010 as a living history and environmental learning site.
About the White River Valley Museum
The White River Valley Museum is a partnership with the City of Auburn and combines history and culture to create an exciting and educational experience for visitors. Museum collections focus on Puget Sound history, Northwest Indian culture, Japanese immigration and the Northern Pacific Railroad.
The White River Valley Museum is the best local history museum in the state according to the 2007 Washington State Visitors Guide.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. and is located at 918 H St. S.E. in Auburn. Admission is $2 adults, $1 seniors and children, and free on Wednesdays. Call 253-288-7433 for event information.
