Nature Strollers

The mission of the Nature Strollers is to support parents and grandparents in their role as primary interpreters of nature for their families; to provide opportunities for families to enjoy unstructured time outdoors; to familiarize families with local trails, refuges, sanctuaries and preserves; and to develop networks among families with a common interest in nature.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Bringing Children Back into the Woods




Orange County, New York: Two Orange County mothers, Laurel Dodge, an environmental educator, and Kathleen Diamond, a Teacher of the Deaf, became acquainted through the Orange County Audubon Society. They love taking their children outdoors. They found it surprising, however, that on trail after trail their families hiked alone. Speculating that many parents longed for an easy-going stroll with their young children they decided to offer a nature strollers group under the wing of Orange County Audubon. The mission of the Nature Strollers is to support parents and grandparents in their role as primary interpreters of nature for their families; to provide opportunities for families to enjoy unstructured time outdoors; to familiarize families with local trails, refuges, sanctuaries and preserves; and to develop networks among families with a common interest in nature.

Flexibility is the hallmark of Nature Strollers. Weekly walks are planned to accommodate the schedules of the greatest number of group members. Trail difficulty is dependent on the ages and skills of the children, with toddler and stroller-friendly trails being the norm. The Nature Strollers have regular stroller outings in addition to jogging/all-terrain stroller days. Outing lengths are often under a mile and last about an hour. Kathleen and Laurel bring along various field guides, butterfly and pond nets, binoculars and cameras so participants can truly experience and learn about their natural surroundings. The walks provide the excitement of discovery and enjoyment of nature study to families that may not do so on their own.

Though Nature Strollers is in its infancy, it has generated excitement and interest in the communities of the Orange County Audubon Society. This fledgling group now boasts more than 50 member families. Please feel free to visit the Nature Strollers blog to read about and see pictures of Nature Strollers outings and email Laurel and Kathleen if you are interested in starting one of these in your own community. If you would like to join us on our outings, sign up here to join our Yahoo Groups distribution list and receive email about when and where we are planning to go.
info@naturestrollers.org
http://www.naturestrollers.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturestrollers/
http://www.orangecountynyaudubon.com/
http://www.audubon.org


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