Nature is Good for Kids: A Snow Creek Pond Case Study
As parents, we know that nature is good for kids. Green Spaces Make Kids Smarter. They can explore, create, play and get dirty. They can observe wildlife, develop physical strength and stamina and make some meaning of their young lives.
As parents, we know that nature is good for kids. Green Spaces Make Kids Smarter. They can explore, create, play and get dirty. They can observe wildlife, develop physical strength and stamina and make some meaning of their young lives.
As educators, we know nature is ‘really good’ for kids, especially when we use it as a classroom to make intellectual, ethical and meaningful connections with the natural world. Daily Dose of Ecotherapy Eases Stress in Kids Read more in this blog from one of our teachers to see how a local pond helped our students build confidence as scientists, help do good for their community and maybe get a job in the future.
“Our first grade students have been collecting data weekly and learning about the habitat of Snow Creek Pond over the course of the semester. This Wednesday, our TEA students went to the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC), who owns and manages the area, to present their findings. The students shared the history of the pond, gave a tutorial on bird identification, presented data surrounding the species of birds they have seen and reviewed the criteria they created regarding healthy habitats for nesting birds.
They ended the presentations with five recommendations they have for the CTC in order to make the pond a healthier habitat for birds. Their suggestions were: litter removal, enforcing leach laws for dogs, planting a variety of native plants including emergent vegetation, shrubs and deciduous trees. Students also presented their field guide to the CTC.
The scientists, wildlife biologists and engineers on the CTC panel were utterly impressed with the depth of the students’ knowledge and literally offered them jobs alongside them doing research and restoration. The forester reached out to the students and let them know their assessments were accurate and he had come to the same conclusion.
These first graders did the work of scientists.
On Thursday, after the meeting, the students visited the pond once more to install the bird boxes they had engineered and constructed. They also collected litter and said goodbye to the adolescent goslings they had come to know and love.