Environmental Education Topic for April: Celebrating Green Clubs!
Many of our Clubs are demonstrating green practices for their kids, families, and communities.
This month in honor of Earth Day we are recognizing Clubs with outstanding projects and programs.
Kirkland's Earth Adventurers Club
Led by Americorps volunteer, Meagan Cooney, t
he Earth Adventurers Club meets twice a week to learn about environmental issues, create nature themed art, and implement projects to increase Club sustainability. Meagan also involves the Kirkland Torch Club in activities such as bird house construction, recycling, and gardening.
Bainbridge Island's Worm Bin
Bainbridge Island built a worm bin in the spring of 2009. Assisted by Program Director Sarah Reid's interest in invertebrates (she recently attended a class on backyard beekeeping) they are still using the worms to compost food scraps and guide activities.
Redmond's Garden
The Redmond Club began a garde
n in the spring of 2008. In 2009 they involved 13 volunteers and planted 250 plants during their April garden party. Motivated by
Senior Program Director Meaghan Jowdy, Childcare Operations Director Shaila Khan and assisted by Childcare Directors Shankia Cornethan and Chalee Johnson, Club kids and families planted bulbs, transplanted native plants, and decorated a rain barrel.
Rainier Vista and IslandWood
This spring three IslandWood graduate students are working with Rainier Vista Child Care Director, Tom Tidyman, to enhance R.V.'s recycling program and involve Club kids with a local community garden. Earlier this year, an IslandWood grad student assisted with environmental education program implementation and assessment with R.V.'s childcare and drop-in LEAP! program.
Wallingford Recycles
The Wallingford Club has a group of dedicated kids who learned all about recycling and waste management. Now they remind other Club kids and staff to dispose of waste properly and reduce what the Club sends to the landfill.
Mercer Island Goes Camping
Every other week during the summer Mercer 
Island Club kids get to go camping. M.I. Childcare/Teen Director, Joan Caldon, designs outdoor camping and hiking experiences to enrich summer camp programming and introduce kids to the local landscape. Additionally, M.I. works on reducing waste with help from their janitor. Each week he reports to the Club on the percentage of recyclables found in the trash. This feedback helps Club kids and staff improve their recycling efforts.
Shout Outs:
Mercer Island's Trash Pick-Up Day involving 50 kids and 5 staff
Chalee Johnson and Lis at Redmond's Smith site for their work on the Club's container garden
Elanya Delacruz's green activities with North Seattle's Torch Club
Debbie Campbell's work to start at garden at Federal Way
Bridget Powers, Adam Monda, Meagan Cooney, Joan Caldon, Chris Dunford, Quincy Robertson, members of North Seattle's Torch Club, and 8 UW MBA student volunteers for their work on the very successful 2010 Earth Works event at Gold Creek Lodge on April 2nd. Rainier Vista, Southwest, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Wallingford, Redmond, Federal Way, Rotary, North Seattle, and Ballard attended bringing 157 kids!
Thank You!
August
Environmental
Education Topic:
Hiking Seattle Parks
Step beyond the playgrounds and onto the hiking trails in Seattle's Parks. You will find lush vegetation, spider webs, slugs, and birds. These wild areas encourage multi-sensory exploration. Take time for observation, stop frequently, touch, smell, and listen. 
Hikes may take you along Puget Sound or Lake Washington, through dense forest, and to beautiful lookouts.
For Seattle hiking trail and park information visit www.cityofseattle.net/parks/search_byfeature.asp?ftr=58&searchSUBMIT=Go%21
Hiking Tips and Activities
Scavenger Hunt
What is fun to search for while hiking? Insects, the tallest tree, scat, berries, bigfoot. Giving kids something to focus on beyond the physical action of hiking will help involve them with the surrounding environment. Make a list for the kids ahead of time or simply read off the scavenger hunt questions before the hike begins.
Tick Check
This game can be especially usefull during a longer hike. A clothespin is called the 'tick'. The person starting pins the tick on another person. If that person finds the tick, they can take it off and pin it on someone else. Like hot potato, the object is to not have a tick on you when a counselor calls out "Tick check!". The person caught with the tick begins the game again. Ticks stow away on deer and seeds can stow away in our socks. Though ticks do live in the Pacific Northwest, it is important to reassure the students that they are unlikely to be found in Seattle Parks. That is why the game is played with a clothespin and not a real tick.
Stop and Listen
Ask the group to stop in silence and hold up a finger every time they hear a bird. How many were heard? Many birds or just several singing many songs?
Stalking
Can you walk without making a sound? Try rolling weight onto your foot gently. Find more information about quiet walking on: http://wikihow.com/Walk-Quietly-in-a-Forest
In an open spot near the trail you can play a stalking game. One person is "it' and is blindfolded. They have a rock or stick at their feet. Everyone else tries to creep silently toward the person and steal the object. If you are heard and pointed at by the blindfolded person, you must return to the periphery where you began.
Leave No Trace
Teach your kids about the Leave No Trace ethic. While hiking treat the environment with the respect you would expect in your own home. Be careful not to leave trash and to pick it up after others. More information can be found on: http://www.lnt.org/programs/frontcountry.php
Volunteer
Seattle Parks and Recreation Department has plenty of volunteer opportunities to keep our parks clean and healthy. From litter pick-up to reforestation work parties kids can get involved with rewarding community service, learn new skills, and spend time in nature. Find more information on: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/volunteers/default.htm and for information about Seattle's Spring Clean see: http://www.Seattle.gov/UTIL/Services/Garbage/KeepSeattleClean/Sping_Clean/index.asp
June Environmental Education Topic:
Outdoor Safety
Just in time for summer days at the park we have a review of outdoor safety. Read on below for first aid, map reading, orienteering, and shelter building tips and activities.
Safety + fashion= fannypack
Summer Safety Tips
- Familiarize yourself and staff with your Club's Safety Protocol
- Bring a first-aid kit. All staff should know how to use the contents
- Prevent sunburn and dehydration
- Practice food safety
- Be aware of allergies and medications
- Don't lose anyone
The American Academy of Pediatrics website has more information on: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/summertips.cfm
Detailed first aid information can be found on: http://www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/Training/FirstAid.htm
First Aid Activities:
What's In the Box? Let each kid close their eyes and take out something from the First Aid box. They can guess what it is and how it is used. You can throw in some hilarious red herrings for comic relief. Use this activity to discuss safety considerations.
Safety Improv Give each group of kids a safety scenario written on a card. The kids will act out the scene and determine the appropriate course of action. This is most fun when the scenes are acted out in front of an audience. Props from the first aid kit can be used and costume pieces can add interest. After each skit the entire group can discuss.
Map Reading, Orienteering, and Shelter Building Activities:
These activities provoke awareness of geography and environmental surroundings. Though our kids may not need to build a shelter for the night or find their way home with a compass, learning back-country safety skills can be rewarding and fun.
Attention to environmental landmarks and hands-on use of natural materials will lead to further exploration, curiosity, and interaction.
Map Making
Gather kids around a map. What area is represented? What are the symbols? What do the colors mean? Give kids time to generate answers. Explain the purpose of the compass rose and legend. Discuss scale (e.g. 1 inch= 1 mile).
What kinds of maps do we use? Topographic maps, city street maps, world maps, emergency exit maps, and most importantly, treasure maps.
Kids can make their own map of the park using graph paper and colored pencils. Add a legend with symbols and the compass rose. Pairs can can hide an object, mark the spot on their map and exchange the map with another group. Can each group find the treasure? What was most helpful? The symbols? The scale?
Find maps and activity ideas on: http://geology.com/teacher/map.shtml
Compass Course
Pass out compasses to pairs of kids. What is this? How does it work? Why would we use a compass? Let kids explore and investigate before you explain. Demonstrate how to use a compass to take a bearing and travel in an intended direction.
Find out how a compass works on: http://www.howstuffworks.com/compass.htm For instruction on how to use a compass, go to: http://www.buckskin/Resources/Outdoor/compass1.htm
Place a marker or piece of candy on the ground. Hand out a compass course direction su
ch as this one written by Boyscouts of America:
Walk 5 paces to the North.
Walk 10 paces to the West.
Walk 20 paces to the South.
Walk 15 paces to the East.
Walk 15 paces to the North.
Walk 5 paces to the West.
The kids should return to the original marker.
Shelter Building
Many parks in King County have natural places where kids can find materials on the ground to build shelters. In survival situations people use shelters to stay warm and dry. Kids can have fun using their imaginations, working together, and problem solving.
Ask the kids to think about:
-wind direction
-how the shelter could keep them warm
-level of the ground
-sturdiness of the structure
-possible weather conditions.
Water can be poured from a water bottle to test the functionality of the structure. Kids can discuss and share. Before leaving the park the shelters should be dismantled and materials returned to where they were found.
Building a mini-shelter
he Earth Adventurers Club meets twice a week to learn about environmental issues, create nature themed art, and implement projects to increase Club sustainability. Meagan also involves the Kirkland Torch Club in activities such as bird house construction, recycling, and gardening.
n in the spring of 2008. In 2009 they involved 13 volunteers and planted 250 plants during their April garden party. Motivated by
Senior Program Director Meaghan Jowdy, Childcare Operations Director Shaila Khan and assisted by Childcare Directors Shankia Cornethan and Chalee Johnson, Club kids and families planted bulbs, transplanted native plants, and decorated a rain barrel.
Island Club kids get to go camping. M.I. Childcare/Teen Director, Joan Caldon, designs outdoor camping and hiking experiences to enrich summer camp programming and introduce kids to the local landscape. Additionally, M.I. works on reducing waste with help from their janitor. Each week he reports to the Club on the percentage of recyclables found in the trash. This feedback helps Club kids and staff improve their recycling efforts.
