MAKING A DIFFERENCE : One Group’s Approach: Tap Nature’s Wonders

Southern California’s natural beauty is legendary, seen by millions nationwide in everything from car commercials to movies. But for many urban families who have limited incomes and transportation options, the miles of coastline-- more than 4 million acres of national forest and 25 million acres of desert that are within a 90-minute drive from the most densely populated areas--may as well be a Hollywood illusion. Enter Nursery Nature Walks, a group determined to provide wilderness programs for young children, parents, educators and extended families. Since 1985, scores of the group’s volunteers have used workshops, walks and classes to introduce more than 10,000 children and parents each year to parks and wilderness areas throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Walks for low-income and disabled children are funded by membership fees and donations. In the past three years, Nursery Nature Walks has increased its support to these children by 60% and developed workshops for their teachers and child-care providers to show that nature activities and projects are as close as a neighborhood tree, sidewalk crack or snail.

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE: Broadway Gym Mentally Disabled Program, Santa Monica

Business Industry Teen Moms Program, City of Industry

Headstart classes in Compton, El Monte, San Dimas, Thousand Oaks

Pacific School for the Handicapped, Huntington Park

Rose Hill Recreation Center, East Los Angeles

San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Center, Northridge

Center for Pacific Asian Family, Domestic Shelter

WHAT VOLUNTEERS LEARN

More than 200 trained volunteers organize workshops, walks and classes at 50 locations in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The “walk leaders” conduct wilderness activities after completing eight, three-hour classes. During class, experts instruct volunteers in trail safety and first aid, nature-oriented children’s games, songs and activities, local animal and plant identification, geology and Native American culture.

A SAMPLE ACTIVITY

Nursery Nature Walk volunteers spent five years creating “Trails, Tails & Tidepools in Pails,” a nationally acclaimed, award-winning book filled with dozens of simple, illustrated nature activities for parents, educators, child care workers or other adults to do with their young children. Here’s a sample activity that finds an artistic use for a gardener’s nemesis:

BORROW SEVERAL SNAILS FOR A MOMENT OR TWO

Place them on a piece of black construction paper, then watch the patterns they leave behind.

Gently touch them as their art take shape

Pluck your snails off the paper after several minutes, and let them go home.

Hold the paper up to the sun and enjoy the painting you’ve helped the snails create.

TO GET INVOLVED

For information about the book, nature activities and volunteer, donation or other support opportunities in Los Angeles or Ventura counties, call (310) 364-3591. No prior wilderness knowledge or experience is necessary to be a volunteer walk leader. Training cost is $40, but free baby-sitting is provided; some scholarships are available. Teacher and child-care workshops are $25; partial and full scholarships are available.

Orange County has a modest Nursery Nature Walk program administered by the South Coast YMCA. For information about volunteer, donation or other support opportunities and nature activities, call Dana Barney at (714) 859-3496.