Nature Education in the Urban Environment. Proceedings of the Forum (New York, New York, May 1991).

N

42

New York Times Foundation, NY.

Community Resources; Elementary Secondary Education; Environmental Education; Nature Centers; Outdoor Education; Parks; Program Descriptions; Teaching Methods; Urban Areas; Urban Education; Urban Environment

This document reports on a conference about the use of existing resources to teach nature education to urban children. The conference was organized around the question of how to encourage more positive use of parklands for outdoor nature education. The conference was held in New York City's Central Park and over 80 leaders representing city schools and nature resources participated. The report includes the keynote addresses by New York City's Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Albert Appleton, who chose "cities as part of our natural environment" as his theme, and renowned naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson, who in discussing the role of nature study in environmental education, described how his lifetime devotion to the study and interpretation of nature originated in a fascination with birds fostered by his seventh grade teacher in Jamestown, New York. The document also presents a paper by educator Maritza MacDonald who spoke about different perspectives on urban nature education and nature education resources. Small group discussions between conference participants resulted in the following recommendations: (1) to improve teacher training with respect to nature education; (2) to develop school-community partnerships; (3) to encourage families to use parks; and (4) to acknowledge the importance of camping, outdoor experiences, and individualized curriculum in nature education. A summary of the conference, a list of the names and addresses of participants, and a brief list of urban nature education resources are included. (LP)

1992

ED347029