Burritt on the Mountain

Burritt on the Mountain

By Jason Paul

This past Wednesday was a very special day in Huntsville, Alabama for my family.  My daughter’s second grade class went on a field trip to Burritt on the Mountain and I was able to go as a chaperone.  Due to my prior career as a Paramedic/Firefighter, and working 24 hour shifts, this had never been possible before.  Burritt on the Mountain sits on the top of the Monte Sano Mountain overlooking the city of Huntsville and originally belonged to Dr. William Burritt until the land was donated to the city in 1955.

Our morning began with the parents meeting the school buses on the mountain at 0900 hours and we began our day with a classroom session discussing the different animals that are located in the Huntsville area.  The room was divided into various animal classes and each area was full of interactive tools used to share a ton of information.  The children seemed to really enjoy learning in this environment.  Next the children were able to participate in a scavenger hunt were they had to match animals with their furs.  After this game was completed the kids were given free time to see and play with all of the other exhibits in their chaperone groups.  This was a blast and included such immediate classics as “Scoop the Poop” and “Guess That Footprint”.  It was then lunchtime and everyone moved to the pavilion area where you were able to enjoy your lunch in the presence of some of the most breathtaking views in Huntsville.  After lunch, all of the groups went on an approximately 1 mile hike down the mountain with a nature scavenger hunt that brought you back up to the top.

The children all seemed to have a wonderful time and were all exhausted by the time the field trip concluded.  My daughter stated that she was so tired that she slept the entire way back to school on the bus.  This field trip was just another way that this community showed how seriously it takes having an active life style.  I took a couple pictures on this field trip and posted them on both my Facebook business page and Twitter accounts, so I’ll let you go take a look for yourself and see if you agree that Huntsville, Alabama really is a slice of heaven.  Talk to you soon.