May 2019 Coffee & Discussion Minutes

Topic: Challenges and Solutions to Engaging Older Youth with Nature
Location: Bolingbrook Park District: Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Bolingbrook, IL
SUMMARY:

Moderator: Fatima Al-Nurridin
NCH2 Coffee and Discussion Coordinator: Barb Kreski (barb@barbkreski.com). Please contact Barb if you are interested in hosting a Coffee in the future.  
 
Challenges: 
  • For some, fear re: aspects of nature is very real and must be respected and acknowledged before moving on
  • Cell phone “addiction’
  • Sense of activity being mandatory or a requirement
  • Teachers must buy in before they can lead their students
    • Teachers are challenged by time constraints
    • School-based activities must be tied to educational standards
  • Vandalism, use of nature areas during unauthorized times (night)
 
Ideas/Solutions
  • Choose words carefully to invite youth to participate
  • Provide as few rules as possible in order to assure safety, then emphasize freedom in environment
  • “Sneak” science concepts into play
  • If a potential “troublemaker’ is identified, proactively enlist that person as a leader or assistant
  • Break down large groups into sub-groups of about 5 with a participant/leader of each
  • Emphasize real work vs make work; show respect and care
  • Relate caring for environment to caring for one’s own room or home
  • Teachers can offer extra credit for Forest Therapy walk
  • Create professional development offerings that earn CEUs for teachers, therapists and others
  • For teachers: phenomenon-based learning and story-lining are concepts that lend themselves to incorporating nature in curriculum

  • Dealing with minor vandalism, unauthorized use:
    • Channel interest: set up graffiti board
    • Institute night programs
    • Provide opportunities for acceptable, autonomous use of location (tasks; areas; times when use is OK)
    • Provide a safe outlet as alternative to trauma at home
    • Involve and reflect the community
    • Encourage repeat participation over time so that individuals can see transformation

  • Harness technology
    • Use phone to take photos AND provide a further use/display of those photos
      • Participants create slide show of photos, either individually or as a group project; can send photos to leader/teacher to create the slide show; include ID crediting photographer
      • Blast selfies identifying participant in relationship to nature or element of natural environment
      • Have a photo contest or competition
    • Use App:  https://www.inaturalist.org/

  • Encourage youth participation into adulthood
    • Provide mentorship role
    • Create intergenerational connections
    • Pair “Junior” steward with “Senior” steward
    • Provide system to count volunteer hours for required community service hours for HS students

  • Items linking past and future discussions
    • Alison Mitch, physical therapist, has provided a presentation re: benefits of nature to Illinois PT Association.  This type of presentation was discussed in February as a way of increasing understanding and buy-in among medical professionals.
    • Report re: ParkRxAmerica
      • There currently is not enough information on the ParkRxAmerica.org website for Illinois locations to make it attractive to prescribers.
        • Note added after 5/15/2019: Forest Preserves of Cook County is working with ParkRxAmerica to upgrade the quality of the information about FPCC sites on ParkRxAmerica.org.
      • Jan Roehll has facilitated project fleshing out info for DuPage County
    • Consider for next NCH2 symposium: presentations from nature-based schools such as Prairie Crossing and Waters School (CPS)


  • Next NCH2 Coffee and Discussion:
    • When:  July 30, 2019, 8:30 – 10:30 AM
    • Where:  The Farm on Ogden, 3555 Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60623
 
Resources:
Mighty Acorns: https://www.mightyacorns.org/
Heritage Corridor: http://www.heritagecorridorcvb.com/Home
I naturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/
Plant ID group on Facebook: There are multiple groups, here is the name of one and its FB ID.  Plant identification and discussion, https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/
Mushroom ID on Facebook: There are multiple groups, here is the name of one and its FB ID. The Mushroom Identification Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/MushroomIdentification/permalink/1030980140287969
Wellness in the Woods http://fpdcc.com/wellness-in-the-woods/
The Resiliency Institute: http://www.theresiliencyinstitute.net/
Birds in My Neighborhood: https://www.openlands.org/schools-and-gardens/birds-in-my-neighborhood/
Teacher resources: https://www.openlands.org/schools-and-gardens/teacher-resources/
Major Taylor Trail: https://www.traillink.com/trail/major-taylor-trail/


DISCLAIMER: All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only. This information should not replace a medical consultation or treatment plan given by a qualified healthcare provider. 

We take time to acknowledge that the land we meet on is the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires, the Potawatomi, Ojibwe and Odawa. This land also served as an important meeting place for Miami, Ho-Chunk, the Menominee, Inoka, Sac, Fox, Peoria, Arapaho, Cheyenne and other Tribal nations. This land has long been a center for Indigenous people to gather, trade, and maintain kinship ties. Located at the intersection of several great waterways, the region has become the site of travel and prosperity. Today, we acknowledge that we are living, breathing, loving, grieving, laughing, and sharing space on unceded territory. May we learn to honor the historical and contemporary presence and power of the people and their belief that we must be caretakers of the lands and waters for the livelihood of future generations.
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