A beekeeper, a military working dog, heavy road equipment and miniature cows. This was going to be a different kind of school day.
On Oct. 15, all 320 Fernley Intermediate School sixth graders traded their desks for outdoor learning stations led by people from across northern Nevada.
There were bows to shoot, fishing casts to practice and gold-panning techniques to try. Along the way came lessons in science, wildlife, safety, taking care of the land and the work people do around them. But the day was also about something closer to home: a community supporting its kids — and each other.
About 15 teachers and 45 exhibitors and volunteers helped make it happen. Custodians and other school staff pitched in, too. Breakfast welcomed the visiting exhibitors before a day of sharing their knowledge. Jessie Weller, a sixth-grade teacher, has helped organize the event and recruit exhibitors for the past 10 of the 13 years it has been held.
Jessie emphasizes that it takes a team. The smooth-running day reflects work shared across the school and with its community partners. After a morning welcome from the principal, Mrs. Pulsifer, students headed out to rotate through the stations. Students from special resource classes joined in, too.
Some lessons called for concentration and a steady hand. Nevada Department of Wildlife staff taught archery and fishing casts and brought wildlife skulls and hides for students to examine. Nevada Bighorns Unlimited supplied an inflatable archery range. Archery also gave students a way to understand kinetic energy by seeing it in action. Pull back the bow, release the arrow and watch stored energy become motion. A classroom idea suddenly has somewhere to go.
Gold panning brought density lessons to life. At the Northern Nevada Gold Panners Association station, students learned how lighter material washes away while heavier, denser material stays behind. They could see why the technique works while learning about the area's geological history. Those activities gave teachers something to build on later in classes. Instead of asking students only to imagine a process, they could now refer to something the children had tried themselves.
A new station this year became one of Mr. Weller's favorites: the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. Students saw a 55-pound backpack, unpacked its contents and then packed everything back in, learning what goes into preparing for time on the trail. They also explored an idea that might have been new to them: being good stewards of the land. What does that mean? Caring for it. Enjoying the outdoors comes with a responsibility to look after the places we visit.
Other exhibitors offered different ways to explore Nevada's natural world. Nevada Audubon introduced bird identification and local ecology. Safari Club International brought its mobile sensory trailer for a hands-on experience. Yerington Bees introduced beekeeping, native pollinators and their connection to agriculture.
Johnni Archuleta brought miniature cows from Fallon and shared information about livestock care. Then there were the people whose work involves keeping others safe. A Naval Air Station Fallon K-9 team demonstrated the training, discipline and working roles of military dogs. Lyon County Search and Rescue covered emergency response, safety skills and community rescue operations. The Nevada Department of Transportation brought heavy equipment, giving students a close look at the machinery and an introduction to civil engineering careers.
Together, the stations opened windows into both work and recreation. A child who likes animals might become curious about wildlife biology or livestock care. Someone who enjoys being outdoors might want to learn more about search and rescue. Heavy equipment might prompt questions about how roads are built and maintained. An interest does not have to become a career to matter. Fishing, archery, hiking and other outdoor activities can become hobbies children carry into adulthood.
Just ask Jessie Weller, who is a bow hunter, fly fisherman and teaches NASP hunter safety classes from the National Association of Safety Professionals. And that's not all. Jessie is also a NW Nevada hunting guide. He says that the outdoors is like a church for him in terms of how he feels there, as well as something that helps his overall outlook, gets him to exercise and is his real hobby. Helping children discover those interests is part of the Outdoor Day purpose.
The day also creates a shared experience. Students from different classrooms return having tried some of the same unfamiliar things. They have something new to talk about, and teachers have experiences they can draw on in future lessons. What is density? Oh right, it's the way gold and heavy materials sink, not float.
Research offers support for learning outdoors. A review of 147 studies from Frontiers in Public Health (2022) reported benefits including greater student involvement, stronger teamwork and some academic improvement. The studies varied in quality, so the findings are promising rather than a guarantee. But Nevada teachers and students see value in outdoor time, too. In a 2024 survey conducted for the state's outdoor education effort, 97% of responding classroom teachers said being outdoors improved their students' mood. Eighty-one percent of students agreed. They felt better after being outside.
For all the activities, the day's strength was the people behind them. Teachers, custodians, school staff and visiting exhibitors worked together to keep things running smoothly. People enjoyed being part of it. This was a community supporting its kids — and each other. Everyone brought something to share, and 320 sixth graders got a chance to discover something new that might just change their lives.
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