Cool kids: Explorer Adam Divens loves natural world

Adam Divens, 9, is a teacher of environmental ethics. “He passes his knowledge on to other kids whether he knows it or not,” said his mother Karin Divens. His knowledge comes from his experiences in nature.

Last summer, Adam traveled to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area where, carrying a 20-pound pack, he explored. “He’s a tough guy. Some of the terrain was so steep we had to pull ourselves up by grabbing branches,” his mother said, and while most 9-year-olds tend to complain a bit, Adam didn’t. “It was fun,” he said.

Adam is no stranger to nature. Living on 10 acres without a television, he spends much of his time in communion with nature. “Being outside is funner than being inside watching TV all the time,” he said.

His days are all about exploring and learning. He studies streams, examining their contents and collecting bugs. He enjoys biking, fishing and hiking. He has been skiing for five years, and he is a licensed hunter. “Hunters ed was the hardest test I ever took, not counting the WASL,” he said.

He has even taken his exploration to the skies when last year he took a ride in a small plane. “I flew over the red wagon and actually held the steering wheel, which was very sensitive,” Adam said.

His other interests include animals, cooking, boating, photography, space, archeology and science. He is learning to play the violin in orchestra at Continuous Curriculum School in the East Valley School District where he is a fourth-grader, and he has played the piano for a year now. “He decided on his own to play piano,” said his father Marc. “He’s very enthusiastic about it.”

Adam lives to learn and explore; he is quick to run outside and investigate the curiosities of nature. His enthusiasm is contagious, making him the perfect environmental educator as he takes off in the direction of the woods; one cannot help but want to follow.