The Wild Ride

Right now, we are in a global pandemic that has caused a drastic shift in how we live our lives. Probably the most impactful of these changes has been the move from in-person learning to a virtual environment. While there is a laundry list of negatives (rightfully so) that comes with virtual learning, I generally am not as pessimistic about it as some. However, this temporary paradigm shift in education has gotten me to think about what it means to learn. What I am starting to appreciate the fact that understanding stems from experience. I'll explain what I mean with an analogy: 

Let's say I have never been on a roller coaster before (Disclaimer: of course I have, this is a hypothetical!). Being curious about roller coasters, I may want to pick up some information about them. I may grab a book or do a quick web search. Maybe I find a description of a particular roller coaster that goes like this:

Leaving the station, the train makes a nearly 180 degree right turn. The train then ascends the lift hill, reaching a height of 235 ft (72 m). Ascent slows toward the top of the hill, a safety feature that reduces stress on the chain; it is also an attempt to reduce positive g-forces and increases rider anticipation. The train begins accelerating down the initial 255 ft (78 m) drop, into an underground tunnel, reaching a speed of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h). Upon exiting the tunnel, the train heads upwards into a banked right turn that towers above Twisted Colossus. After completing the turn, the train heads down another drop, flattening out to pass by the onride camera. An airtime hill and banked left turn (rather than a helix on "Titan") follows into the mid-course brake run. The train is decelerated quickly and makes a hard left turn out of the brake section. Another 180 degree banked turn directs the train into a 585 degree, descending helix. Then, the track turns upwards and banks left. After an ascending right turn, the train reaches the final brake run.

                                                                                         -Wikipedia "Goliath (Six Flags Great America)

In my mind, I have begun to picture what it might be like to ride this roller coaster. I imagine it must be pretty intense as both the elevation gain/loss and top speeds are both high numbers. In my mind, I can kind of picture the ups and downs, the twists and turns. However, these thoughts are not terribly concrete. At this point, I can't be sure if what I'm imagining is even accurate. I may turn to a picture to help get a better mental image:

Oooookay did not see that one coming. That looks even more intense than I imagined. Is that nearly straight down, vertical drop? Is that even safe? Suddenly the description of the ride, the 85 mph speed is starting to make sense. This picture has given me more information to build my mental image. Is it as intense as I believe it is? Curious, I may try to find a video to see what the ride is really like:

So that looks like a ton of fun! At this point, the next option for me at this point is to Six Flag Great America to try out Goliath in person. Standing in line, I can feel the anticipation begin to build as I get closer and closer to the start. Buckling in, my nerves start to rev up as the train leaves the station. As we climb higher and higher towards the drop, the 235 feet of elevation feels very, very real. The G-force felt from the 85 mph speeds gives a thrill that is impossible to recreate through any book or video. In riding this ride, the abstract has become concrete. What I'm left with is an experience I'll never forget.

What does this mean for environmental education? The abstract can only get us so far. We can read to our students about stream ecology, teaching them about the food web, or explain how rocks form. However, it's another thing to go out and do experience those things with them. A student's reaction to sticking their toes in a running brook may be infinitely more valuable than the hours spent behind a book. I'm not sure how to calculate that value. Is there an ideal balance between teaching the abstract and the concrete? Although I have been an environmental educator for nearly a decade, I am beginning to realize that I still have decades more to learn. If you want to take this journey with me, strap in. It's going to be a wild ride! 

The Gatekeeping of the Outdoors

There is a worrying trend that I have noticed lately. Since relocating to Seattle, I have had the phenomenal opportunity to explore the Pacific Northwest. It has been spectacular beyond belief and I have been able to see some natural beauty that was beyond my wildest imagination. Check out this picture from a hike that was relatively close to Seattle:

                                                                    Snow Lake, September 2019

As you can see, this is an area that is ripe with adventure. Access to hikes in the Cascades is one of the biggest draws to this region. However, one thing I have noticed is that more and more, it seems that there is an invisible gatekeeping that has started to surround pursuing outdoor adventures. The growth of outdoor companies such as The North Face, REI, and L.L. Bean has led to an increase in awareness for the greatness that is spending time outdoors. However, I have a concern that the rise of these companies may also be excluding those who are less fortunate from outdoor pursuits. Let’s look at the price of what my hike would cost if I bought my supplies from one of these outdoor companies:

Item	Picture	Price
Northwest Forest Pass		$30.00
Jacket		$69.73
Hiking Boots		$94.73
Pants		$55.73
Socks		$8.73
Hat		$25.00
Hiking Day Pack		$55.93
Yak Tracks		$19.95
Water Bottle		$6.75
Hiking Sticks		$49.73
Trail Food/Snacks		$7.00
	Total:	$416.28

This list does not even account for the costs of transportation (gas is >$3!) and other essentials that I may have forgotten. As you can see, if you were to deck out to go hiking in the gear these companies suggest, the cost would be astronomical. By the way, this list was created using gear that was on sale, most of which was offered at outlet prices. There were many options out there for which you could easily pay much, much more.

I want to acknowledge that you do not need to buy all these things to go hiking. When I go on hikes though, I tend to see a lot of hikers using this kind of gear. I worry that if everyone’s image of hiking is that they need a cool outfit to get the most out of their hike, it will keep people who can’t afford that gear from trying it out. What is starting to get perpetuated is a myth that enjoying the outdoors is only for those with money. Social media, such as Instagram, is only helping further this divide.

Speaking of Instagram, did you know this blog has an Instagram account? Follow @allthingsnaturalist on Instagram to follow along on some of the cool outdoor adventures I have been having. And don’t worry, I promise I won’t be perpetuating any myths that you need nice stuff to enjoy the outdoors. Awesome nature photos only! [/end shameless plug]

What I hope people take from this post is that you don’t need expensive gear to get outdoors. While marketing teams for outdoor companies may want you to believe that that the opposite is true, a lot of the gear I listed can be swapped for more affordable options. I hope you enjoy the fall weather and remember: If you want to make a difference, get outside!

Transitions

My journey as an environmental educator has included extensive work in the summer camp realm. Having spent ten summers working at various camps, I have grown to love pretty much every aspect of the summer. However, one in particular stands out as my favorite: campfires. I have hosted my fair share of campfires and without fail, I find that segues are the key to a successful program. Often some quick thinking from the emcee is needed to keep things going smoothly. Sometimes it goes brilliantly and sometimes things can be a bit corny, like this:

[Finish up a skit about a Wacky Candy Shop Owner]

"That skit was CRAAAZY! If only there was someone that could have REELed that guy in..."

[Cue Fishing Song] (groan...)

You get the idea.

What does this have to do with environmental education? Transitions can allow an educator successfully utilize their flexibility to deliver a meaningful lesson. By not including transitions in your lessons, you are essentially a putting yourself into a figurative traffic jam: one continual stop and go. Educators should strive to interweave each activity of a lesson together to create a cohesive entity. Smooth transitions between each activity can allow the lesson to feel seamless to your students. This, in turn, will help immerse the students in learning. The better you get at this, the better you will find that the students engage and enjoy their experience in nature.

Running in the Dark

It's been a while but I am back at it again. A lot has happened since I last posted but more on that later. For now, it's time for another Quick Hit:

I recently started running again. As I have gotten back into a routine I am finding that there are only certain times during my busy schedule that allows me to run. If I am lucky, I can run during the day, sometimes after work. If I am unlucky, it will be at a much more inconvenient time. The other day, I had the unfortunate luck to have a day where I had an unfortunate time to run... at 9 o'clock at night. Pitch black, the overcast clouds most of the time I had no clue running. Even though I was running the same path that I had run just the previous day, things felt different. Spookier. I was more unsure of my surroundings, cautiously taking each step. Almost afraid of an area that I thought I knew quite well. I would see a light that I thought was nearby, run to it only to find it was miles in the distance. The dark is not a friendly place for a runner.

When you are an environmental educator, a lot of the time you may find yourself "running in the dark". The unknown can be intimidating and at times it is easy to be unsure of yourself. How do we get back to "running in the light"? The answer is simple: STOP! Slow down, think, observe, and then plan. Take time to get feeling for your surroundings and understand the moving world around you. Know where you are and what is happening around you so that each step you take forward can be taken with confidence.

Coming back to the run, I have a question for you: Which run did you think I had a better time on, the one during the day or the run at night? If you guessed during the day you were correct. I was half a minute slower running at night then I had the day before. It goes to show, the going is easier when you have a sense of place.

It's good to back.

Introducing The State of EE

So I've been hinting at a big project that I've been working on and I am pleased to announce that it is finally ready to be released for your listening pleasure! I've been busy working on a new podcast series, The State of EE, which will feature some of the cool environmental education that is happening across the nation. There is so many great environmental education things going on and this is a chance for me to highlight some of the cool things that I've found. Each episode will consist of a few segments highlighting things such as a nature center, residential nature center, a state park, and much much more. There is a lot to explore so the best way is to dive right in!

Still working on a bit more original cover...

The first episode features Delaware and is already posted for your listening pleasure. I will be making a post about this specific episode soon which will include timestamps, sources and some extra cool bonuses that I may have stumbled upon. These state posts will also be sporadically updated with other opportunities and information that I find regarding that particular state. It's going to be a blast and hopefully turn into a great future resource as well!

The eventual goal is to get the series up on iTunes though it will take me some time to figure out RSS. Any tips on that would be really appreciated! For now the series will continue to be posted on Soundcloud until a solution appears. Also, bear with me as I figure out how podcasting works. I am still figuring out the best setup and format so I expect that there will be a bit of variance in the first few episodes as I sort that out. The good news is that I am planning on getting a better microphone soon which I am really excited about!

If you or your nature center would like to be highlighted in an upcoming episode, let me know. So far Twitter and comments below are the best ways to let me know. I'm always looking for ideas or help so contact me and we can work something out.

Episode 1-Delaware: https://soundcloud.com/eenatureguy/the-state-of-ee-delaware

The hero you've been looking for...

"I hear everything. You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior but every day I hear people crying for one." -Superman

I deserve a medal. I have undertaking a treacherous journey for you readers so you will not have to suffer the same hardships I have had to. In that spirit, I have volunteered myself as tribute to wade through the murky land of: 

Yep, Pinterest...

Actually, I haven't had too much trouble with Pinterest so far, especially when compared to trying to find crafts from other sources. That being said, there are a lot of crafts that are out of that just don't work at a nature center. Whether the craft is too expensive to make on a large-scale or too complicated to do with young learners, it can be really difficult to find good ideas to use in programs. Therefore, I have decided to create a Pinterest page for the greater good to help create a resource to help find affordable, doable crafts for naturalists such as myself. It is a tough, possibly thankless job, but I will take it upon myself to carry the yoke for young naturalists everywhere.

As an added bonus, if you have a request for a craft, I will find it for you. I will take requests for the boards I should pin to such as age-based or specific animals. It's really up to you guys what direction this board takes. I will do my best to update my page as often as I can, as well as add new categories. So friend me up on Pinterest and hopefully I can be some help!

My Pinterest Page: Here

QH: New Year's Resolution

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." -Abraham Lincoln 

As we start off 2015 I want to challenge each and every one of you to make a New Year's Resolution that will help you become a better naturalist. Whether it is a goal to improve an aspect of your teaching, become an expert in a topic, or just get outside more during the winter time I believe that it's important to set the bar early. Too often it can be easy to fall into a rut that is created by following the same routine day in and day out. By making a New Year's Resolution, you can use it to serve as motivation to push past the norm. Make the goal achievable and set smaller goals that will help you reach your goal. Stick with it and you be surprised by the results when the end of the year comes around.

One of the best ways to follow through with a goal is to tell someone what your resolution is so they can be supportive and help keep you accountable. Let me know what your New Year's Resolution is going to either in the comment section below or on Twitter. I will do my best to help keep you on track!