On October 17th, the HIKE Foundation hosted its' monthly HIKE SCHOLARS huddle at Dodge Nature Center. The reading theme for October is "autumn". This month's huddle focused on learning more about autumn and participating in nature. Matt kicked the evening off, as we do every month, by recognizing the HIKE SCHOLARS who had perfect school attendance during the month of September. Each of these SCHOLARS received a 1/3 lb Hershey's Chocolate Bar for their hard work. Continuing their attendance success of last year, we had nine SCHOLARS with perfect school attendance for September.

Each SCHOLAR received a copy of The Autumn Equinox, Celebrating the Harvest by Ellen Jackson - a story of how many different cultures celebrate autumn. Matt read the book aloud as the SCHOLARS patiently listened - trying to contain their excitement about what lay ahead. Matt reminded each of the SCHOLARS that autumn was here and that nature was preparing for the winter. Matt reminded the SCHOLARS to be on their best behavior and then introduced Brett, our Naturalist from the Dodge Nature Center.

Brett took center stage and began telling the SCHOLARS about the major changes that nature makes during this season. He spoke about how the different trees and plants are preparing for winter, as well as the many animals that call the Dodge Nature Center home. He explained how we were going to witness some of those changes first hand on our "Season Walk".

The SCHOLARS grabbed their jackets and Brett led them out to woods for our "Seasons Walk". Our first stop was at a small maple tree whose leaves where changing colors. Brett explained why the reduction in daylight due to the shortening of the days caused the leaves to die and how the leaves fall to the ground.

Our "Seasons Walk" led us to the apple orchard, where the HIKE SCHOLARS were treated to a tasting of freshly picked apples. Brett told the SCHOLARS about the many uses of the apple and how the animals at Dodge rely on it for food. Brett showed the SCHOLARS the proper process for apple picking and then unleashed them with the goal of picking a bushel basket load of apples for cidering.

Within no time the bushel basket was full and the SCHOLARS were headed to the apple press to make cider. Brett explained to the SCHOLARS how the first process in cidering is to shred the apples into small pieces. Only after each SCHOLAR and Matt, had their turn at cranking the shredding wheel did we focus on pressing the apples to squeeze out the juice. The cool temperature and the month's heavy rainfall made for very juicing apples and the SCHOLARS ended up with nearly a gallon of apple juice. Brett explained the differences between the freshly pressed apple juice and store-bought juice, as the SCHOLARS drank the fruits of their labor.

As darkness fell, the SCHOLARS returned to the classroom to gather their books and treats. The evening concluded with a big round of applause for Brett - their fearless leader.

Once again, the October perfect attendance success and the nearly perfect parental participation were another big step toward in inspiring the HIKE SCHOLARS to seek higher education.