Consider it a blessing that these college kids visit the mountains for recreation, that they ski here, and play in the waters. In my experience, it takes years for an individual to develop a deep and abiding love for things in nature, and often such a love begins with simple things. I truly believe we are on the edge of a very slow paradigm shift, with conservation and awareness of our role in nature, the way of that shift. Such changes in attitude happen slowly, they permeate society over the decades, but such a change is in the works.
Thinking back 25 years, when I was a college student, environmental type classes were new and the idea of environmental education, something only some public schools addressed. Now, years later, there are outdoor environmental ed camps run by most school districts, and text books have been updated and expose students to things such as conservation and ecosystems. I work in public schools and I have seen these concepts integrated into the curriculum, through more subject areas and more frequently.
I also have worked as a naturalist in a park setting, where one tries to bridge the gap between the people and the resource, helping and guiding visitors to feel some sort of connection with nature, and perhaps inspire an abiding concern or love for that resource.
It’s with middle age and years of exposure to nature and these mountains (I live in the southern sierra foothills) and my years working with kids, that I realize what is lacking is a way for most people to truly connect and experience nature, in a way that fosters concern and caring. In the past couple years, I’ve looked into the nearby USFS locations, and seen little, if any sort of public interpretive programs to help connect the visitor to the resource. Few, if any, interpretive walks or talks, maybe just a few per year, at most, and not known to the general public.
If people don’t connect themselves with nature, on a regular basis, be it through media, books, education, nature walks, or outings, then an intense concern for the resource just isn’t going to be there. It’s the opportunities for connecting that are lacking. Local walks and talks, slide shows, class field trips, these kinds of things that let people experience nature in a more personal and emotional way. Some ideas: on a local level, provide once a month slide show lectures, to expose the public to the resource. As for connecting with local college students, remember, you are competing with all sorts of things that society offers. Many students live on their computers and games, so reaching them via interactive websites (if they can find the websites) that are fun and inspiring enough to keep them coming back might be work. Talks at nearby libraries and schools. For kids, puppet shows, or touchy/feely presentations. People like to be entertained, most don’t want boring lectures or difficult books.
A very interesting program the National Park Service has developed for it’s interpretive program, with all sorts of ideas for how to reach people and help foster concern and caring for resources can be found here (the site has many links and modules, and takes time to work through, but the program looks mighty intriguing): http://www.nps.gov/idp/interp/
Zhakee Williams
http://sierra-nevada-ramblings.blogspot.com/
My take
Consider it a blessing that these college kids visit the mountains for recreation, that they ski here, and play in the waters. In my experience, it takes years for an individual to develop a deep and abiding love for things in nature, and often such a love begins with simple things. I truly believe we are on the edge of a very slow paradigm shift, with conservation and awareness of our role in nature, the way of that shift. Such changes in attitude happen slowly, they permeate society over the decades, but such a change is in the works.
Thinking back 25 years, when I was a college student, environmental type classes were new and the idea of environmental education, something only some public schools addressed. Now, years later, there are outdoor environmental ed camps run by most school districts, and text books have been updated and expose students to things such as conservation and ecosystems. I work in public schools and I have seen these concepts integrated into the curriculum, through more subject areas and more frequently.
I also have worked as a naturalist in a park setting, where one tries to bridge the gap between the people and the resource, helping and guiding visitors to feel some sort of connection with nature, and perhaps inspire an abiding concern or love for that resource.
It’s with middle age and years of exposure to nature and these mountains (I live in the southern sierra foothills) and my years working with kids, that I realize what is lacking is a way for most people to truly connect and experience nature, in a way that fosters concern and caring. In the past couple years, I’ve looked into the nearby USFS locations, and seen little, if any sort of public interpretive programs to help connect the visitor to the resource. Few, if any, interpretive walks or talks, maybe just a few per year, at most, and not known to the general public.
If people don’t connect themselves with nature, on a regular basis, be it through media, books, education, nature walks, or outings, then an intense concern for the resource just isn’t going to be there. It’s the opportunities for connecting that are lacking. Local walks and talks, slide shows, class field trips, these kinds of things that let people experience nature in a more personal and emotional way. Some ideas: on a local level, provide once a month slide show lectures, to expose the public to the resource. As for connecting with local college students, remember, you are competing with all sorts of things that society offers. Many students live on their computers and games, so reaching them via interactive websites (if they can find the websites) that are fun and inspiring enough to keep them coming back might be work. Talks at nearby libraries and schools. For kids, puppet shows, or touchy/feely presentations. People like to be entertained, most don’t want boring lectures or difficult books.
A very interesting program the National Park Service has developed for it’s interpretive program, with all sorts of ideas for how to reach people and help foster concern and caring for resources can be found here (the site has many links and modules, and takes time to work through, but the program looks mighty intriguing): http://www.nps.gov/idp/interp/
Zhakee Williams
http://sierra-nevada-ramblings.blogspot.com/