Meeting the Need for Environmental Education

Children learning and collecting samples on a nature hike.

Do you remember the earthy, rich smell of a cedar swamp, the haunting sound of a calling loon, the tart and tingling taste of staghorn sumac seeds, or the beauty of a hundred trilliums as you walk through the woods? Perhaps you were fortunate enough to grow up in the country and experience these types of things, as I was. Those frequent positive and direct experiences in the outdoors are what are essential to developing positive attitudes toward the environment. My own love of nature and the outdoors began in early childhood and carried through into my adult life.

Have you ever paddled a kayak in the early morning on an inland lake, or rowed a boat out to fish for a few hours, or even just gone for a quiet walk in the woods? Remember the feeling of serenity and inner peace that that brought you? It's a well known tenet that being outdoors promotes a feeling of well-being and that exercise combats depression, to say nothing of obesity. It has also been proven that outdoor education contributes to children's physical, emotional, and social development. Exploration of nature increases children's confidence, their comfort level, and even their coordination. Time outdoors means exploring and discovering and a continual unfolding of mysteries. Seeing a butterfly hatch from a chrysalis, watching a mother snapping turtle laying her eggs, smelling the exquisite blossoms of the trailing arbutus: the wonders of nature are endless!

There must be something interesting in the jar...

What about today's generation of children? How many kids today have a true connection with nature? The formal classroom offers few opportunities for kids to interact with the environment and to explore the rich and dynamic natural world. Schools may take an annual field trip or classes may go on a "nature hike." Some children participate in Scouts. Unfortunately, that is the extent of contact with nature for many of today's youth. A lot of tomorrow's leaders and policy makers will grow up without that wonderful love of nature that comes from exploring the nooks and crannies of fields, ponds and forests. In 1976, Grand Traverse County designated 360 acres of parkland the Natural Education Reserve, and dedicated it to nature education and quiet recreation. The passage of the National Environmental Act in 1990 mandated environmental education programs, and the Environmental Protection Agency established a national Environmental Education Program. The 1999 Quality of Life Index for Grand Traverse County indicates that 78% of the people believe that the natural environment is important. I believe that there is a need for more quality environmental education in the Grand Traverse area, both for children and for adults.

Through my work as Education Coordinator at the Grand Traverse Conservation District, I've had the opportunity to introduce hundreds of kids to the natural environment through our "Discovery Hikes Program." The hikes take place at the beautiful Natural Education Reserve (NER), which has swelled to over 500 acres. There are over six miles of trails that follow the meandering Boardman River through a variety of habitats and terrain. Improvements include boardwalks, benches, scenic overlooks, canoe launches and pavilions. The Oleson Pavilion, recently completed, is the first step toward building the Boardman River Nature Center at the Sabin Pond Trail. Last week I guided a kindergarten class on a fall "Leaf Collecting Hike."

Children stop learning about nature just long enought to pose for a picture on the rocks.

Before the hike, I asked how many kids enjoyed going for walks in the woods. Every little hand went up. And how they loved it! Such enthusiasm and energy and unbridled curiosity! I believe in the power of nature to instill in us a desire to explore, to discover the natural wonders around us. I believe every child should have the opportunity to go outside and see a water strider skating over a still pond, to find a Petoskey Stone at water's edge, to hear a red-winged blackbird's call in the wetlands. I would like every child in the Grand Traverse area to be able to stand on a scenic overlook at the NER and gaze out at the Boardman River, knowing that Traverse City grew up around the logging industry, and that the River was the conduit for bringing the logs from the surrounding countryside to the sawmills in the City, to be made into lumber and barrels and baskets. I believe that by knowing their environment and its history, children develop a "Sense of Place."

As parents and educators, I believe we have an obligation to provide quality environmental education to our children. A recent book, "The Last Child in the Woods," by Richard Louv, and an article in the Record Eagle by the National Park Service to implement a new program entitled "The Last Child Left Inside," both stress the dire need for environmental education. Through our Discovery Hikes Program, the Grand Traverse Conservation District has been working with the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau to sponsor Eco-Tours. We have partnered with Inland Seas Education Association to sponsor hikes for school groups coming to the Traverse City area from downstate. As part of the Discovery Hikes Program, we have given custom hikes to scout groups, church groups, community groups and school groups. We customize the hikes to conform to the objectives of the teachers and to the Michigan Standards & Benchmarks. We also go to school classrooms and give specialized presentations, per teacher requests. This is a good start. But I believe we must all work toward the goal of quality environmental education for everyone. Shouldn't every child (and adult) have the opportunity to connect with the wonders of nature.

Cindy Retherford, a former science teacher, has been directing the "Discovery Hikes Program" at Grand Traverse Conservation District for five years.