Pathways Winter 2011.pdf

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PathwaysOfcial Publication of the New York State Outdoor Education Association • Winter 2011

w w w . n y s o e a . o r g • 6 0 7 . 5 9 1 . 6 4 2 2

• Technology in Nature pg 3

• What to do with your kids

• Buzzing with Boredom pg 6


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2 of 12 Pathways Winter 2011

NYSOEA Executive BoardPresident MaryLynne Malone

VP Administration Maritza Cuevas

VP Communication Nirmal Merchant

VP Human Resources Tim Stanley

VP Program Rebecca Houser

Secretary Meaghan Boice-Green

Treasurer Elizabeth Van Acker

Ofce Darleen Lieber

Regional DirectorsEastern- Tim NeuMetro- Jessica KratzNorthern- Gary ‘Griz’ CaudleWestern- Lauren MakeyenkoCentral- Christina DeCesare

2011 Annual ConferenceCommittee ChairsPaul Hai

Drona SchroeterTanya MilanoSusan HerethRebecca Houser

PAthwaysJessica Kratz (Editor)Richard Parisio (Poetry Editor)Frank Knight (Member)Nathan Garcia (Layout, Student)Nicole Gatherer (Teacher)Jonathan Duda (Marketing Manager)Snapper Petta (Member)

Invitation for Articles and News.The PATHWAYS team is always eager to hear from members and publish the articles thatthey have authored or news or event announcements that they would like to share withfellow members. We invite you to send your submission for our Spring issue. Simply sendus the text with any supporting material -- pictures, newspaper clippings and more. We canreceive it in any of the ways listed below.

Advertising in PathwaysPATHWAYS welcomes advertisements which will be of interest to the membership of NY-SOEA. If you have a product, service, equipment, resource, program, etc. that you would

like to share with our membership via an advertisement, we can receive it through any of thefollowing ways:

Email: [email protected]: (607) 753-5982

Materials should be typed. Please include a short biographical section about the author ofthe article. References cited in the article should be listed at the end of the article, APA style.

(ISSN 1077-5100) PATHWAYS is published four times a year by the New York State Out-door Education Association and is emailed to NYSOEA members. Opinions expressed bycontributors are theirs solely and not necessarily those of the Editorial Board of pathways

or of NYSOEA. Advertisements included in pathways should not be interpreted as endorse-ment of the product(s) by NYSOEA.

Icicles are on the rooftop and there is smoke in the chimney as another yearpasses. On these cold winter days, I can’t help but reect on the year’s accomplish-ments. NYSOEA had a very busy and productive year including increased member-ship, the creation of the draft Environmental Literacy Plan with many great partners,and a ve-year strategic plan of operation. And this great work continues into 2011!Some of the highlights for the coming year include the Good Old-Fashioned WinterWeekend at Ashokan that will be hosting the 2010 NYSOEA award winners, theMaple Celebration at Sharpe Reservation, regional workgroup sessions for Environ-mental Literacy- and that just brings us into the month of March. We will be hosting

our Teacher Ecology Workshop, annual conference, and so much more. Afliates, ifyou are planning events, consider hosting the NYSOEA exhibit. It is easy to do: justcontact you regional director to make arrangements.

Warm wishes for a great new year,

MaryLynne Malone

A Note from the President

Mail: Darleen M. LieberRef: Pathways Advertisement / ArticleE-334 Park Center, SUNY Cortland RPLS Dept.PO Box 2000 Cortland, NY 13045



3 of 12Pathways Winter 2011

Only 8% of the world’s used cellphones are recycled to nd out more about

cell phone recycling, visit:www.epa.gov/wastes/partnerships/plugin/cellphone.

index.htmor

www.recellular.com/recycling/ donatePhones

There is so much talk about completely disconnecting,detaching from technology. But could it be possible thatour mobile technologies actually enhance our ability toexplore and enjoy the outdoors? I would argue that onecan still experience the solitude and stillness of nature butenhance the experience by having additional tools at closereach.

The question is, what turned me into such a technophile?The answer: the smartphone. While a recent Ranger Rickcartoon pointed out all the coltan mining to make cellularphones and the dangers it poses to Gorilla populations inthe Congo, I will point out that I waited until my previouscell phone [a basic, no-camera, color ip phone] was deadand I was sure to recycle my old phone [which not onlysaved precious coltan but also helped raise money for alocal nature organization]. But I digress… so how have I

used the phone smartly?

An adage in environmental education has been “Leavenothing but footprints. Take nothing but pictures.” SinceJanuary 2010, when I obtained my smartphone, I havenever been without a camera on the trail. From footbridges to frozen ponds, I have been able to take photosof memorable places, and then e-mail them to myself. Ihave also been able to take photos of downed trees andother trail conditions, and then send these photos to parksupervisors, which has helped get these matters resolvedmore quickly and maintain better trail access. Aside fromnot being without camera, I am also not without notepad.Bird observations, metaphysical musings, and otherwise

eeting thoughts can be typed in as notes, e-mailed, textmessaged, tweeted, or posted on Facebook. No paper isrequired. If a turkey vulture ies overhead, that momentcan be shared in almost real time. But what if I am notsure the bird overhead is a turkey vulture? There areseveral options. One, I could do an internet search forwebsites about “turkey vultures” and look at various photosand listen to calls. Two, I can search YouTube for videosothers have posted about turkey vultures in ight. Three,if willing to spend a little bit more money, I could downloadan Audubon Guide App [$6.99 for the Audubon Birds Mid-Atlantic] and research the bird’s behavior, range, eld

A Good Walk Spoiled, or, a Good Walk By Jessica Kratz

markings, etc. and determine if it truly is a turkey vulture.On a hike in July, I found myself conrming the call of

a common yellowthroat in the above manner. A Googlesearch for “witchetty yellowthroat” was all I neededto conrm the appearance and bird call. Was this adistraction? Not really. A few minutes later I put away myphone and continued to hike through Clay Pit Park StatePonds Preserve, enjoying countless other sources ofsummertime serendipity.

Employing a bit of creative anachronism, some havebrought 19th century Thoreau into 21st century Twitter.Truth be told, a lot of his aphorisms t nicely into the 140character count restrictions. [i.e., “Sweep away the clutterof things that complicate our lives.” or “Our life is frittered

away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” [www.twitter.com/ thoreaupage] In my opinion, by not having to rememberto bring a pen, paper, a camera, and a eld guide, lifebecomes more simple, more clear, less cluttered. Solituderemains an option: simply silence the smartphone, placeit in your bag or pocket, and continue to go condently inyour chosen direction, to the pace of your drummer.

Photo Courtesy from Marie Petta




R A m b

l i n g s

f r o m r

e d h

i l l

b y S n a p p e r P e t t a

The original farmhouse on Red Hill burned to theground over 100 years ago. On its footprint nowstands an oak framed, concrete block structurethat is disguised through the marvels of vinylsiding. When we rst moved in I joked that the

house looked like an Amazonian war bunker. Ivycrept across every inch of the east facing wallwhile small birch trees poked out of the front stepsleading into the house. Bats, birds and bees allmade their homes out of ours, making for someuncomfortable introductions in the early years.And this was only the outside.

Walk through any door and the interior tookits cues from a side show fun house. In ourdaughter’s room upstairs there is a denite uphillas you crossed the space. A marble can rolleasily out the door, travel across the landing only

to trip down the stairs. Upon reaching the nextlanding an easy right bend takes it the rest of theway down the stairs and onto the main level ofthe house. Most doors have been cut to t theirrespective openings because nothing is square orplumb. The entire house reects the nal exam ofa carpenter who failed.

Of course, some of this was not entirely thefailure of the original builder. Time, and largeunsupported spans, had become the protagonistin our domicile’s undoing. While the oakframework remains incredibly strong, overly long

hemlock beams show the strain of too manyyears without underlying posts. The middle of thehouse has sagged about two inches off center,making for our interesting angles and interioroddities. Couple these issues with two unplannedbat encounters this past summer, one in theliving room while the other occurred as we weresleeping, and it was time to bring our home backinto alignment.

Through working with a DEC approved specialist,the bats were safely evacuated from their

The Re-Alignment of Home

previous quarters this autumn. There is aten year warranty on this work which will beinteresting to follow. Based on what I’ve read,bats, when displaced, will attempt to return totheir most recent residence for up to eight years.Only time will tell if this is true or not but I lookforward to being able to sleep without a tennisracquet parked next to my bed for the nextdecade.

With the bats cared for our next task was toraise the house back to level. Currently ourbasement has three sets of wooden cribbing;each with a large turn screw jack centered uponit. Every morning amazing feats of strengthand leverage (mostly the leverage) allow meto rotate the two outer screws a quarter turncounterclockwise while the center one travels a

full 180 degrees in the same direction. Duringthis exercise the entire house moans, groansand creaks in distress, telling me that the effortis having its intended effect. The end result iswe’re giving the house new life one crank at atime. And, while this transformation is slowlyoccurring over numerous days, there are alreadyperceptible signs of progress if you know whereto look.

As I do this work all I can think of is how ourefforts inside the house mirror nature’s actionsoutdoors. Each day brings small imperceptible

changes to the countryside that makes up RedHill. Rarely does anything “big” occur here.Rather it’s the slow seasonal transformation ofthe area that shows us the progress of the year.From day to day the landscape’s appearanceis the same but, over time, everything changes.Nature realigns our locale into its rightful stageand place one small turn at a time; just like myefforts with our home.

Until next time, may all your rambles lead you tonew and exciting places.




Natural ly Poetic

Hidden from viewthe mountain

except for oneblue ank in the distanceshowing through one windowin the trees from thiswe can infer the white cliff

steep conglomerate earth’s spinearching shedding massive talusboulders vertebrae piled upa world of sunless spaceswoodrats’ dens

while from aboveperegrine falcons stoop to plummetearthbound rockets strike and shattersoft doves all this and moreescapes attention so much is hiddenyet the neighbor walking her small

white dog slowly in and outof view doesn’t seeI see as from the tangleof shrubbery an unseen foxobserves me.

-Richard Parisio

The view from here

This winter, if you’re teaching about states of matter, snow-crystal formation or weather, consider a citizen scienceproject to enhance your unit.

Through NASA, the Global Snowake Network collectsdata about snowakes from people around the world fora better understanding of snow formation, weather, and

climate. This type of research, in which groups of volun-teers collect data and make observations, is called citizenscience.

Through the Global Snowake Network students areoutside studying snow crystals. They are asked to recordinformation such as the time of day, their latitude and longi-tude, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity andthe type of snow crystal(s) present. Once the informationis recorded, students can return to their warm classroomswhere they enter the information they recorded into anonline database.

What is the purpose of all this? According to the GlobalSnowake Network, NASA has formed “a partnership thatsymbolizes the International Polar Year (IPY) by linkingindigenous traditional knowledge and observation withscientic data for improved observations and understand-ing of snow changes. Serial collection and identication ofsnowake shapes and “riming” details coupled with satelliteimages during the life of a snowstorm.”

After students make their hypothesis about what they willnd you can share the Global Snowake Network’s ndings:

•Snowake shapes depend on the temperature andmoisture content of the atmosphere where they form andgrow.•The shapes of snowakes vary over the winter season,with the source of the weather system, and during theprogress of a given snowfall.•Snowake shapes are a proxy for conditions in theweather systems responsible for the snowfall.•A Global Snowake Network can consequently be adynamic education experience and of value to those whodeal with polar and winter meteorology.

By increasing the number of people around the world who

take part in the Global Snowake Network, students areadding to scientists’ understanding about snow formation,weather, and climate. What a better way for students tomake real world connections then by getting outside andparticipating in a project where what they do really matters.

Citizen Science in the Snow!By Nichole Gatherer

For more information on theGlobal Snowake Network, or for a list ma-

terials and procedures, please visit: http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/how/




Honeybees are amazing, gentle creatures. They live in col-onies which function as a single organism, each Honeybeeworking for the good of the whole. They nurture the beautyand fecundity of the earth with their gift of pollination, andthrough that pollination mankind gains strength, and naturegains diversity. Honeybees are also in dangerous decline,

and we all need to take notice.

Modern society, with its suburban sprawl, genetically modi-ed vegetation, and insecticides, as well as a plague of var-roa mites, threatens the health of the Honeybee, and in turnour own survival on this planet. Backyard beekeepers, witha conscience towards respecting the needs of the Honey-bee, can effect positive change in this balance. Farmers

and the general public can also have a positive impactthrough simple choices about when to spray or mow, aswell as planting trees and owers that provide valuablefood for both domestic and feral bees.

The organization, HoneybeeLives is working to strengthenthe Honeybee population, and heighten the awareness oftheir incredibly valuable role in the earth’s health. Honey-beeLives teaches classes for adults and children through-out the year, organizes potluck dinners for beekeepers toexchange experiences and build a beekeeping network,and offers apiary services in the Hudson Valley and theNew York City area.

HoneybeeLives takes a natural, organic approach tobeekeeping. We encourage beekeeping that respects theinstincts of the Honeybees and a gentle approach in theircare. Beekeeping is not as simple as it once was, but therewards are many. We can all learn from contem-plating their cooperation, and nurturingtheir wellbeing. If you’re looking forsomething to keep you busy thiswinter, consider taking a beekeep-ing class.

by Chris Harp & Grai St. Clair Rice

Looking for an Earth-Friendly Hobbythis Winter? Take a Beekeeping Class.

Visit www.HoneybeeLives.org for moreinfo and registration requirements, or email

[email protected].

Also check out NYSOEA’s website for more info.

The HoneybeeLives Organic Beekeeping classes are tak-ing place on four separate weekends this winter, in twodifferent locations. This natural approach to beekeepinghelps beginning beekeepers understand the responsibili-ties of the beekeeper, and develops an understanding ofthe instincts and community of the bees. A philosophy of

gentle care is imparted, as well as practical knowledge inpreparation for starting hives in the spring. This class isalso helpful for current beekeepers who are looking for aculture of nurturing.




After 34 years of teaching I was more than ready to retire. Ilooked forward to pursuing the outdoor activities that I lovedand which provided me with quality of life. I was excitedabout the future, but little did I know that fate had otherplans for me. In February 1999, while on vacation in theCaribbean, I was struck by a wave which drove me into thehard-packed bottom, breaking four vertebrae in my neck

and leaving me with quadriplegia. The accident took fromme not only many normal functions, but also most of theskills I had developed which depended on them. One of thebiggest concerns I had adjusting to my new life was the be-lief that with these limitations I would not be able to returnto my outdoor pursuits. I resolved to approach this new lifewith Christopher Reeve’s philosophy. Reeve said, “I refuseto allow a disability to determine how I will live my life.”

My most enjoyable outdoor experience was hunting. Ienjoyed using my skills to pursue wild game, primarily deerand turkeys. The woods were beautiful in the early springand fall. Being able to rapidly cover large areas of land toget to where the turkeys were was enjoyable. To be able toconceal myself to avoid detection by these highly intelligentanimals was a challenge. To pursue game this way after myaccident was no longer possible. The challenges seemedalmost insurmountable.

Refusing to give in to my disability, I was determined to

hunt. But it quickly became evident that my old skills werenot going to work, and that I would have to develop newones if I had any chance at all of succeeding. Two thingsI had working for me were my attitude and determination.Using the Internet, I found an apparatus which would al-low me to fasten a gun to my wheelchair. However, I soonrealized my ngers would be unable to pull the trigger.After a lot of trial and error, I created an inexpensive trig-ger adapter that would allow me to re my shotgun usingmy mouth. My arm movement was also limited, so usingmy mouth freed both hands to help steady the shotgun. Afriend suggested covering snow fence with camouage to

create a blind that would cover my wheelchair. Finally, Ihad to nd a place where the turkeys would be. Almostevery day turkeys will visit a spot where they can “dust”themselves to remove mites and tiny pests from under theirfeathers. Friends constructed a blind in an area leading toa nearby dusting site. My efforts nally bore fruit this pastMay when I harvested my rst post-accident gobbler. I

love hunting because the game does not care that I am ina wheelchair, or that I re the gun with my teeth and theydo not feel sorry for me. To them I am just another preda-tor. This seems like such a poignant story: man becomesdisabled, man refuses to let his disability stop him fromdoing what he loves, and, after some effort, man harvestsa wild turkey. What the reader needs to understand is thatthe time from man becomes disabled to man harvests wildturkey was 11 years.

Instead of allowing limitations to dictate what you can andcannot do and looking at obstacles as problems to be dealtwith, consider them challenges to be solved. Look at failurenot as a reason to give up, but rather as an opportunity forgrowth. I was determined that nothing was going to keepme from returning to the activities I loved so much. In theend, my real joy is just spending time outdoors.

Finding A Way Back by Richard F. Fabend

Editor’s Note: Richard F. Fabend is an Adaptive Equipmen

Inventor and has served as Webmaster for Handicap Helpwebsite. His extensive career as an educator includes 7

Years as supervisor of South Jefferson Central School’sProject Adventure Site, 10 Years on staff of SUNY Cortland

Outdoor Education Practicum, 2 Years as Education Coor- dinator NYS Division for Youth, 32 Years as a Public Schoo

Teacher, and 23 Years as a Licensed NYS Guide.

Promote NYSOEA at your next event! The NYSOEA

display provides a dynamic snapshot of what we doand who we are, and will certainly attract foot trafcand promote interactions with prospective membersand future conference attendees. The NYSOEA dis-

play is an attractive and welcome addition to events,festivals, and fairs. If you are interested in having theNYSOEA display board at an upcoming event, please

contact your regional representative.




We undoubtedly live and work in challenging times: moneyfor supplies is limited, and there is hardly enough time toteach all of the subjects in the curriculum. So then how dowe get our students to rise to the greatest challenge of ourtime: global climate change? Think Green, Take Action:Books and Activities for Kids by Daniel A. Kriesberg laysout a blueprint for this journey, which can be readily imple-mented into numerous curricular areas using inexpensive,readily available materials you may already have.

In the rst chapter, Kriesberg demysties the process oftransforming students into environmental stewards, break-ing it down into three stages: Stage One: Empathy andConnections (ages 6-10); Stage Two: Understanding (ages

10-13); Stage Three: Action (ages 13 and up). He alsobreaks down a lot of barriers to cultivating environmentalstewardship, emphasizing the importance of local, place-based activities, teaching without “ecophobia” while high-lighting hope, heroes, and ecological success stories, andpresenting various points of view when they are based onhonest scientic disagreement.

The second chapter, “Understanding the Ecology of YourHome Place,” shows Kreisberg’s depth and breadth ofexperience in the environmental education eld. Kriesberg,who has been teaching about the environment long before“going green” was even a part of our regular vocabulary,

previously published A Sense of Place: Teaching ChildrenAbout the Environment with Picture Books (Libraries Unlim-ited, 1999) and, borrowing from that extensive experience,begins this and each subsequent chapter with a currentbibliography and synopsis of entertaining and informa-tive picture books that complement the array of activitiespresented in the chapter, which are designed to cultivate “a basic knowledge of ecology and sense of place” in orderto “begin developing the connection and understandingneeded to solve environmental problems.” Descriptionsfor the activities, such as “Nature Journals” and “Maps” areformatted similar to the scientic method, including ma-

terials and procedures. Activities such as “String Tubes”(speculating on what the shoelaces on the inside of a toiletpaper roll) help promote scientic thinking, involve very fewmaterials, and would be fun and appropriate for a summercamp, afterschool program, or nature center, as well as fora classroom or homeschool group.

Chapters Three through Five: “Endangered Species,” “Re-source Depletion,” and “Pollution” offer an array of activitieswith clear, easy-to-follow instructions. As an environmen-tal educator for the better part of this past decade, I amfamiliar with activities such as “Mining Chocolate Chips”and the “Bioaccumulation Game” from previous NYSOEAconference workshops and other EE trainings, but am very

happy to be able to nd this information all in one relativelyslim volume, instead of scouring old notebooks, folders,bulky resource guides, and various websites in the hopesof nding them. I am sure other experienced educatorswill be pleased with the convenience of having familiaractivities right at their ngertips, along with plenty of freshnew activities using the same basic materials [i.e., dice,clipboards, markers, etc.] and new educators and thosepreviously unfamiliar with environmental education will ndthese activities enjoyable and readily applicable into theirteaching setting. Kriesberg makes a lot of clever connec-tions between resources. Activities such as “How ManyTrees Does it Take to Build a House?” “Guess the Amount

of Water,” and “How Much Do We Take” provide a fresh ap-proach to viewing the resources we use every day.

The nal chapter offers options for action ranging fromstarting a container garden to making non-toxic clean-ing products. There is an extensive index in the back ofthe book to facilitate referencing resources and activities.Kriesberg dedicated this book to his sons, saying “I hopeyour generation does a better job than mine as stewardsof the Earth.” Thanks to this book, and the thousands ofcurrent and future teachers who will use it, I am certain theywill.

$30 from ABC-CLIO, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.comAlso available as eBook

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A Book in Review




If you’re a science teacher, looking for a way to wake upyour students, try Robert Frost (1874–1963). Frost—apoet, a teacher, and, for many years, a farmer—had a deepinterest in science and nature, and both appear frequentlyin his poems. For students in science class, poetry itselfis a memorable surprise. The rhythm and rhymes helpstudents remember what they’ve learned. Some teachershave reported that when they saw students years later, theonly thing they remembered was the day the teacher useda poem as an introduction in class.

Throughout his life, Frost was drawn to science. He in-herited this interest from his mother, a follower of EmanuelSwedenborg (1688–1772), a Swedish scientist who laterdevoted himself to religion—and the free spirit of inquiry.As a boy, he sold magazine subscriptions to earn a tele-

scope. He subscribed to Scientic American. When hetaught at Amherst, he knew Nobelist Niels Bohr and wrotea poem (“For Once, Then Something”) about his atomicwave and particle theories. His profound interested inatomic structure inspired some minor poems (“The SecretSits” and “Version”). He found Darwin’s writing on evolutionfascinating—scholar Robert Faggen wrote a book abouthis interest in it (Robert Frost and the Challenge of Darwin,University of Michigan Press, 2001).

It is possible the scientists he knew inuenced some of hismost famous poems, including “Fire and Ice.” Harlow Shap-ley, a well-known Harvard astronomer, reported that Frost

had asked him the most likely ways in which the worldcould end. Shapley told him of two possibilities: the suncould grow into a giant red star and incinerate the Earth, orthe Earth could veer away from the sun, triggering a perma-nent ice age. Some time later, Frost wrote this poem:

“Fire and Ice”Some say the world will end in re,Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desireI hold with those who favor re.But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction iceIs also greatAnd would sufce.

Of course, the poem is about considerably more thandestruction. Still, in a time when the Earth is threatened bythe two specters of nuclear annihilation and global warming—which, ironically, might trigger an ice age if the polar icecaps melt and put the Gulf Stream out of business—“Fireand Ice” is an interesting place to start off the subject inscience class.

As a farmer, Frost was also close to the land, and he knewthe facts of botany and biology. They often appear in hispoems. One good example is “Goodbye, and Keep Cold.”In this, he admonishes an apple orchard to stay safe overthe winter. He acknowledges the pests that could harm it:

I don’t want it girdled by rabbit and mouse,

I don’t want it dreamily nibbled for browseBy deer, and I don’t want it budded by grouse.

More importantly, he writes:

But one thing about it, it mustn’t get warm.“How often already you’ve had to be told,Keep cold, young orchard. Good-bye and keep cold.Dread fty above more than fty below.”

He acknowledges fact, such as the natural enemies oftrees. But again, he takes into account the mysteries ofthe universe, the things that people simply can’t control.

He humanizes both the science of trees and the science ofhumans.

Like science itself, Frost’s nature poetry is lled with dis-coveries. Like the best research, Frost’s poems take usbeyond facts to look at their implications.

Editor’s Note: The original article “Robert Frost in the Petri

Dish” by Karen Glenn, Poetry Foundation, 11/2/06 can befound in its entirety at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/

learning/article.html?id=178794

A Recipe For a Lively Science Class:Simply Add Frost Article reprinted and abridged with permission from the

Poetry Foundation




Exploring the outdoors? – how do I really do that with children between diapers and day care or soccer games and com-puters? Much has been written in the past few years about the value of outdoor experiences for children particularly inlight of the epidemic of childhood obesity and complacency. Most reading this can articulate the benets of nature activi-ties and many plan them for others. However, it is helpful to have hints to guide families who are seeking ways to takeadvantage of everyday opportunities.

1) Set appropriate expectations – start slowly.For a newborn, ve minutes outside to feel the breezewhile you talk about the wind is a great start. Bundlingup a four-month old to take him out to feel, see, and tastehis rst snowakes may take more time than you actuallyspend outside, but the experience sets the stage for en-

joying a lifetime of New York winters. Park the car downthe street from the school: kick up leaves before youwalk in with your ve year old. Look up and then down.The clouds may be gathering together before a storm;the ants may be marching down from an anthill next tothe sidewalk.For older children, ban the iPod, cell phone, or GameBoy. Spend a half hour jogging with them around theblock or up the road. Take a drive without the DVD play-er or CD music. Listen to the sounds. City cacophony orrural bird calls can all be outdoor music.

2) Slow down

Expect to stop and smell the roses. Pick up a stone andexamine its underside. Find a wooly bear and repeat thelegend. Allow the extra ve or ten minutes in the dailyschedule to stroll with your child occasionally lumbering

like a bear or leaping like a frog. Plan ahead for the littlemoments so the spontaneous unpredictability of naturecan be noticed and appreciated.

3) Bring the basics

The latest greatest fancy perfect gear isn’t necessary,but comfortable weather appropriate attire is. A pair ofrubber barn boots and a hooded jacket can take youmany places. Swap with other families or check outthe local thrift store for play clothes. Bill them as specialexploring outts. A simple umbrella stroller is helpful fortired kids. Their stamina is helped with many shorterexcursions building up as you go, but even four or veyear olds need the rest time occasionally. For youngerchildren a front and/or backpack make it more fun foreveryone. With snacks and drinks, extra clothing, and

a diaper or two at the ready, even infants and toddlerscan be included. For older children, unload that schoolbackpack and ll it with a magnifying glass (Grandma’sreaders work), water bottle, pretzels, cheese sticks, anda collecting container and set out walking.

4) Discover other places and activities

A trip to the local planetarium or observatory can launcha lifelong fascination with constellations. Many smallparks and recreation departments offer programs to ex-pand your knowledge and interests. Family eld trips to a

farm, hiking trail, or park can be seen as a mini vacation.Think small, expand out slowly, and savor each moment.Enjoy sharing the outdoors with children. Relax and havefun.

Baby Steps for Getting Your Babies Outdoors (even if they’re tweens or teens)

by Kathy Grube, Bugbee Children’s Center at SUNY Oneonta preschool teacher and Marie Petta, Director, Bugbee Children’s Center for more than twenty years.

In a study done by the Department of Zoology at the Uni-

versity of Cambridge, researchers surveyed school chil-dren on their knowledge of natural and unnatural history.Children were asked to identify 10 types of wildlife and 10“species” of Pokémon. The results showed that childrencould name far more Pokémon “species”. They have aloss of knowledge of the natural world that is thought to befrom isolation from it. The question is how we reestablishchildren’s links with nature. Will reintroducing children withthe outdoors simply peak their interest in a pure nature ordo naturalists have to draw them in using their 21st centuryinterests such as Pokémon, videogames and technology?

WILL CHILDREN EVER TRULY RECONNECT WITH NATURE? WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TOMAKE THAT CONNECTION?Why conservationists Should Heed Pokémon

Essay by Andrew Balmford, Lizzie Clegg, Tim Coulson and Jennie Taylor

To read the Science Magazine, September 03, 2002 articlein full and give your opinion on the author’s ideas whichwe may edit and print, please visit www.nysoea.org. Clickon the http://bioteach.ubc.ca/TeachingResources/Gener-alScience/PokemonWildlife.pdf link. We are trying to initiatereader discussion on environmental issues so please alsoconsider submitting debatable issues that you would enjoyseeing discussed. Research done by Andrew Balmford, Lizzie Clegg, TimCoulson and Jennie Taylor through the Department of Zool-ogy at the University of Cambridge.




“I made a snowman today,” my rst grader squeals as Ipick him up from school on a fresh, snowy January after-noon. It’s hard to contain my surprise and delight. “Hoo-ray!” I think. “They allowed them to play in the snow duringrecess.” I say, “That must have been so much fun. Did youmanage your snow pants all right?”

My son stares at me. Obviously, I have it all wrong. Slowlyand condescendingly, he corrects me: “We made a snow-man on the computer, not outside!” Silly me. They made adigital snowman.

Think Outside the Classroom

For most families in our Long Island community, keepingkids indoors for recess on a snowy day isn’t a shock; it’sexpected. Our fam-ily relocated to theUnited States fouryears ago, after liv-ing in Zurich, Swit-zerland. Returninghas brought manycultural adjust-ments, but perhapsmost striking hasbeen the pervasive,fearful attitudeabout childrenand outdoor play,particularly in less-than-ideal weather.

In Zurich, my sonattended a Wald-kindergarten, whichliterally means “for-est kindergarten,”although it actuallyserves kids ages 2-6. As the name implies, forest kinder-garten takes place outside -- not most of the time, but (withthe exception of inclement weather) all the time, from 8:30a.m. to 2:30 p.m., ve days a week. Wet or warm, sun orsnow, the students in waldkindergarten learn through explo-ration in an unconventional classroom: the woods.

Forest kindergartens are spreading in Europe, with a par-ticularly large concentration in Germany, where there areapproximately 700 programs. They are beginning to inspiresome programs in the United States, too. These unusualschools offer educators an opportunity to think outside thebox -- or, literally, outside the classroom -- and envision adramatically different style of education that emphasizesdirect experience, self-directed inquiry, teamwork, and self-reliance.

At my son’s school, children arrived in the morning outt-

ted with backpacks and waterproof hiking boots. They wereexpected to dress sensibly in rain gear, snowsuits, or sunhats, as appropriate.

I grew to love a wise expression the teachers used: “Thereis no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” Despite

parental fear that exposure to inclement weather sickenschildren, our experience was that children -- including ourson -- who regularly spent time in the open air (properlyouttted) stayed healthier than those kept indoors, despitewinter temperatures that average around freezing.

Forest kindergartens have little or no need for commercialplaythings or the typical teaching materials. Sticks, acorns,leaves, and other natural treasures become props for

dramatic play, toolsfor science experi-ments, and mathmanipulatives.

I watched childrenin my son’s class,for example, collectpine cones andspontaneously sortthem into catego-ries by size -- apremath exercisewithout the needfor any fancy sort-ing toys or teacher

instructions.Teachers keepdirect teaching to aminimum, believingthat children whoexplore nature’sresources freely

will develop the skills needed in the higher grades.

Research so far bears out their belief. A 2003 study atSwitzerland’s University of Fribourg compared the skills ofchildren in conventional kindergartens with those in a fullwaldkindergarten program. The forest kindergartners per-

formed as well as conventional peers on ne motor skillsand signicantly better on tests of gross motor skills andcreativity. The forest kindergartners were also able to offermore solutions to problems.

Kids in Waldkindergarten, also known as forest kindergarten, are build-ing fires and braving the snow. And they’re all the better for it.

By Andrea Mills

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Non-Prot

U.S. PostageP A I DCortland, NY

Permit No. 14

New York State Outdoor Education Association

c/o Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure StudiesP.O. Box 2000

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York 13045

N Y S O E A i s a p r o f e s s i o n a l o r g a n i z a t i o n t h a t p r o m o t e s i n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y l i f e - l o n g l e a r n i n g i n , f o r , a n d a b o u t t h e o u t d o o r s a n d s e e k s t o i n s p i r e a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e e n v i r o n m e n t b y a l l p e o p l e .

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