What’s in your naturehood?

by Christina N. Moresi, M.Ed. (She/They), Environmental Education Planner, Pennypack Environmental Center

The oldest rose garden (1821) in its original design in the country. Germantown, Philadelphia.

Spring is officially here!  At Pennypack Environmental Center, nature is awakening and our educational enrichment is once again immersed in its transformation. Nature is all around us yet many do not recognize it in their neighborhood, but rather thinking of it only as a place to visit.  

In addition to Philly’s expansive park system, we also have a growing tree canopy, orchards, food forests, farms, arboretums, and/or gardens in every neighborhood. Looking beyond these destinations, however, is the single street tree on the block, or the clump of flowers planted in pots, or even the dirt filled cracks in the sidewalk where ant hills appear. Nature is everywhere.  

The more you look the more you see. And the more you see, nature’s diversity becomes more apparent, as does the connections that cycle right back to humans, parks, and recreation.  

Connecting neighbors and neighborhoods with nature has proven benefits. Some with an obvious connection, such as cleaner streets, improved air quality, fresher food options and lower temperatures. Also connected, and somewhat surprising, is the correlation between green spaces and lower crime rates and mental health. (And perhaps to be discussed in another article, the correlation and inequity of the locations of these green spaces, trees, and the socio-economic status of a neighborhood.)  

The importance of environmental education in Parks and Recreation is for every neighborhood to reap the benefits of nature, and understand that the consequences of our actions, good or bad, directly impact our drinking water and ultimately our quality of life.  

Programming and operations at recreation and environmental centers are vital to nurturing neighborhood nature. These centers are positioned to already have adults, children, and families visiting regularly. By adding features such as native bee houses, bird houses and feeders, native plants, rain barrels, gardens, and informative signs, visitors will become engaged and begin seeing nature as a part of their neighborhood.  These self-guided opportunities to learn will open people up to learn more through direct programming.  

Anytime myself or my niblings are playing sports at a recreation center, as an environmental educator, I immediately notice the wealth of opportunities for nature experiences, formal and informal. For example, while playing outfield, I looked up to notice bats eating the moths that fluttered around the lights. This prompted me to create ballfield specific lessons such as Ballfield Bugs, and Bats in the Outfield. These and other outreach lessons help visitors to see past pigeons and squirrels and into seeing their familiar surroundings as a larger habitat for diverse plants and animals.  

Margaret Rohde, Conservation Manager at Wissahickon Trails helps the PA Game Commission and PPR Staff to free a hawk that found its way into Dorothy Emanuel Recreation Center.

What are the bugs that are being skimmed out of the pool, or the trees that leave seeds and leaves all over the fields? Why do Ginkgo tree nuts stink when they are crushed under our spikes? What animal left their tracks in the baseball sand? Why do some areas of the field flood and others don’t? What species of hawk flew into the recreation center? (True story.) 

Partnerships are also invaluable, especially if nature education is not a skill that teachers or recreation leaders can offer on their own. By utilizing environmental centers, water departments, nonprofits, and local experts new, quality programming can be brought to the community. If that isn’t an option, apps like iNaturalist enables even the newest person to nature to identify and learn all about the species in an area. Apps are a great way to inspire visitors to want to learn more.   

Nature is already present at our centers and on our blocks in exponential numbers, we just need to show each other where to look, and how to see its value.

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Play is happier in the mud

March is a muddy month. A wonderfully squishy, mushy, wet muddy month.

Have you ever noticed that when you hike through the forest or dig in the garden with your hands, something magical happens to your mind, body, and general well-being? You may feel happier, breathe easier, have greater focus, or get a spurt of creative energy. But is it magic or is there a scientific explanation for what happens when you connect with soil?   

Mud (soil) is part of our everyday lives. We hike on it, grow our food in it, and touch it in some way every day. It contains living organisms, rock particles, minerals, decayed organic materials, air, and water.  

In Philadelphia, our soil has an extra sparkle thanks to the flaky, glassy mineral called mica. The development of soil takes thousands of years. It is the base of all life and billions of organisms are in it. Soil is a water purifier, media for plants, habitat, organic recycler, and is a material for man-made structures.   

There is a growing amount of research on the physical and physiological benefits of touching soil or mud for both children and adults. The science is complex, but while sorting through the research, I discovered that exposure to soil-based organisms, such as bacteria, strengthens the immune system. An initial study conducted in 2010 by Dorothy Matthews and Susan Jenks at the Sage Colleges in Troy, New York, found one bacterium in particular, Mycobacterium vaccae, which is in most backyard soil, increases the serotonin levels, also known as the “happy chemical”.  

Although adults benefit from exposure to soil bacteria and outdoor play, it is most effective when exposure begins in early childhood and continues through adulthood. Although we are raising our children in more sterile environments than previous generations, the rate of allergies, asthma, and other inflammatory and auto-immune diseases are rising. Without exposure to “germs”, including bacteria in soil, the immune system cannot properly build itself. When babies instinctively put items in their mouths, it is introducing bacteria into their systems. As a child grows and has access to the soil through play, they are consistently building new immunities for a stronger, more complex system. This, along with all the other benefits of outdoor play, builds the body and mind in a more complete form. But whatever your stage of life, getting outside and getting dirty is as important as regular exercise. Luckily you can get everything you need at any of Philadelphia’s and Pennsylvania’s environmental centers and park systems.   

We foster exploration of nature with the senses, taking risks, and of course, getting dirty. If you are not a mud loving person or are unsure how you can incorporate dirt into your and/or children’s play, just ask any educator from your local environmental center! For more research-based information about the benefits of soil, play and nature for children, visit childrenandnature.org.  

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Photos by Christina Moresi from International Mud Day celebrations, and every day, all-weather play at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s environmental centers.

Building Confident Campers

Summer was one of the most memorable times of childhood. As an environmental educator for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, I have the privilege of supporting these lifetime memories with the children and families who attend our summer camps.

At the Wissahickon Environmental Center (Tree House) specifically, we focus our camp on  youth-led experiences that allow for the whole child to grow based on their interest and abilities.

Camp is my favorite time for these experiences because we have them for at least a week, which enables them to build each day on the prior days’ successes. 

One of the most recognizable points of growth in our campers is of their confidence through opportunities for risky play in nature.

We learned the depth of this pattern by asking the following questions at the end of the week:

What was your favorite part of the week?

What was your biggest challenge?

What are you most proud of? 

The last two often correlate as they state they are most proud of overcoming their biggest challenge. This is where the true value of summer camp lies.

Although the Tree House has 100+ acres of nature surrounding it, nearby or neighborhood nature should never be overlooked. There is a wealth of nature and opportunities for risky play available at any playground. Have you ever witnessed the ants on spilled ice cream, butterflies on the ball field, or squirrels never far from picnic tables? How about climbing the backstop and seeing birds just as high, or digging in the extra mound of baseball sand and wondering where all the worms are? Asking questions like these is one way to help youth see that nature really is everywhere!

It is vital to a child’s success for these experiences to be supported by a trusted adult, so for us, this means that we become “hummingbird” teachers. (Are you picturing yourself as a hummingbird? I always do.) Basically, we stand back and allow our campers to work out their challenges, only swooping in when it is absolutely necessary. Of course this does not mean that they go unsupported, but when they are given the tools and autonomy to choose how they will navigate their world, the outcome is increased confidence. 

For example, before we climb rocks (or anything), I tell them to recognize what shoes they have on. What they may have been able to do on another day in a different pair of  shoes on the same set of rocks does not matter at that moment. Nor does what they see others doing. I encourage them to do what they can do, with what they have, listen to their body, and act on what’s best for them right then. When they are stuck, we demonstrate a few solutions, identify the risks, and they decide what’s best. Sometimes they move forward, and sometimes they return to flat ground with a plan to try again later. In either scenario, however, the camper never leaves the situation disappointed, which is key. 

In addition to building confidence, allowing kids to engage in risky play like climbing also results in more learning! They connect with different  rock formations and see plants and animals they may not have otherwise seen.

Injury is always a concern, and knock on wood, we have yet to have risky play injuries that needed more than a Band-Aid. We’ve needed to do more advanced first-aid for yellow jacket swarms, stinging nettle, and tick bites (all stories for another time), but the confidence risky play builds actually makes their play safer. We discuss First Aid at the beginning of camp which is another great example of how nature-based learning furthers independence.

Why all this talk about summer camp in January? Because that’s when camp planning begins. The thought of summer is never far from mind when programming in parks and recreation. 

Regardless of your site or camp structure, there is an opportunity for us all to incorporate risky-play and other opportunities that build confidence, independence and empowerment, and now is the time to dream big.  

Alexa, youth educator with Philadelphia Youth Network, supports campers as they climb an outcrop of Wissahickon Schist seen on their hike.