By ERICA ESTEP
6 News Education Reporter
STRAWBERRY PLAINS (WATE) - A growing number of summer programs are making sure kids get a dose of education, too.
A group of Roane County students learned about farm animals and went on a safari recently, all close to home.
It was up close and personal at the petting zoo for the nearly 100 students enrolled in the Roane County Schools summer program. They visited Circle G Ranch in Strawberry Plains for the first time.
"They have been in awe, especially when they see the chickens coming out. And when they first get off the bus, the pig comes walking up to them. So they're all having a blast," said program coordinator Rhonda Nickell. "They're really enjoying it because a lot of these kids don't see these kind of animals."
The farm experience isn't all they get there. There are more than 100 acres for exotic animals to roam.
"We've got over 45 different species with over 600 animals, and you get to interact with all of them," said Christy Michel, with Circle G Ranch.
One student said out of the "llamas, and emus, and pigs, and cows, and chickens and camels," her favorite was the camel.
The safari truck tour is another favorite. Students got to hand feed zebras, a yak with a long tongue, an antelope, ostrich, camels and the list goes on.
"It was kind of, it was kind of scary," one boy said, "At first I thought it was going to bite my hand, but it ate out of my hand."
"When the school groups come here, there's nothing wrong with reading signs, but you don't have to read your way through our place," Michel said. "We've always got staff that's walking around. And I think for kids, I think they soak that in a little bit better when you've got staff, and everything is so hands on."
The kids seem to agree. "We get to learn new things, and we get to experience things that we haven't experienced," one girl said.,
The ranch staff answered questions about the animals and shared common misconceptions about "the behavior of like yaks, and donkeys and zebras."
They also got a glimpse at some of the more rare species, like a white baby camel.
Circle G Ranch is a USDA certified animal park, recognized for its emphasis on education.
"Well, it's very important because we do fall under the Roane County School System. So we always try to teach them, too," Nickell said. "They'll have some great stories to tell when they get back home."
The ranch is open seven days a week. By the end of this year, it will have hosted about 150 school groups.
"We've got over 45 different species with over 600 animals, and you get to interact with all of them," said Christy Michel, with Circle G Ranch.
The safari truck tour is a favorite at the ranch.
One of the more rare species at the ranch is a white baby camel.
