Visiting teachers find much to learn about

You know you're in for a treat when you're told to grab 3-D glasses in the middle of a slide show about bugs.

A couple dozen Boston-area teachers got the red-and-blue lenses treatment Tuesday when a Harvard University researcher walked them through a presentation about the insects, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies they were likely to find during an afternoon exploring the Boston Harbor Islands.

The presentation was just one part of a series of free summer workshops coordinated by the National Park Service and the Boston Harbor Islands Alliance . The workshops, called "Charting a Course to the Boston Harbor Islands," show teachers how to use the islands as a living lab -- a place to bring students to teach them about local archeology, biology, and geology, and to glean lessons to take back to the classroom.

The teachers became students themselves during the daylong biodiversity workshop, as they swooped butterfly nets through the air, splashed in tidepools, and rattled tree branches to collect insects during a day of discovery on Lovell Island.

"You can't teach biology exclusively from a textbook," said Carl Johnson , an education consultant and facilitator of the summer program. "You've got to get your hands dirty and your feet wet; you need to smell the ocean air."

Nia Burke, who teaches physical education at the Agassiz School in Jamaica Plain, plans to use what she learned during the workshop to enhance the obstacle courses and other activities she leads her students through.

"We're trying to link together science and physical activity," she said.

The workshop series also speaks to a growing movement among parents and educators to reconnect children with the outdoors, reflected in campaigns such as the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation's "No Child Left Inside" initiative.

It's not just about reclaiming tree forts: recent research shows that access to nature actually improves children's emotional and intellectual growth. And, many outdoor advocates say, exposing kids to nature early on promises to produce a new generation of environmental stewards.

"We want students to know it's their right to visit the islands and to take responsibility for the care of these islands, " said Dawn Tesorero , National Park Service education ranger and one of the workshop leaders. "Who else will take our place when we're gone?"

Plus, being outside just makes learning doggone fun, said Anna Mejia , who teaches history at Odyssey High School in South Boston.

"It's incredible to see how many bugs we caught in such a short time," she said. "I can see our kids going crazy with this exercise. And maybe now, when they see a bug, they'll know to not step on it."

Harbor Island workshops take place every Tuesday in July from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Topics will include invasive species, island geology, and arch eology. Registration information is available online at nps.gov/boha/forteachers/professionaldevelopment.htm .

Jennifer Cutraro, who used to guide educational camping trips on the Boston Harbor Islands, can be contacted at jenny@nasw.org