The field trip to Ba Vi National Park opened up an exciting journey of discovery for our Grade 3 students.
As soon as they arrived, the children took deep breaths of the fresh, crisp mountain air. The lush green pine hills were still shrouded in early morning mist, creating a scene that was both dreamy and mysterious.
The adventure began with physical games and a “secret code” decoding challenge. The students transformed into “little entomologists,” grabbing their small nets and weaving through the grass to search for grasshoppers. Cheerful laughter echoed across the pine hills as they eagerly gathered the forest’s “treasures”:
Dried pinecones
Fallen pine branches
Rough, textured bark
Each “treasure” came with a fascinating story about the natural world shared by their teachers.
As the sun began to cast golden ribbons of light through the canopy, the entire forest seemed to wake up. Occasionally, from the high branches, the faint and mysterious call of the Great Hornbill could be heard. Only the most observant ears could catch that magical sound.
In the afternoon, the adventure grew even more thrilling as the students ventured deeper into the primeval forest. Following the early season rains, the vegetation had grown dense, leaving only narrow paths just wide enough for one person to squeeze through. Fallen logs across the trail became challenging natural “welcome gates”—some students skillfully crawled under, while others bravely climbed over.
Under the guidance of their teachers, the “little explorers” were able to:
– Touch the rough, mossy bark of ancient trees.
– Taste the unique flavor of wild bamboo shoots.
– Inhale the gentle fragrance of begonias.
– Listen to hundreds of intriguing stories about wildlife survival.
“But why?” — this question was repeated endlessly, turning the trip into a vivid, hands-on learning journey. As the trip came to an end and the bus headed back, the chatter about color-changing tree frogs or the rescue of Siamese crocodiles remained lively, extending the joy of discovery long after the journey finished.
