Environmental Nature Center

TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH NATURE.

DURING THE 20-21- PROGRAM YEAR 7,271 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE CENTER (ENC) PROGRAMS. ENC STAFF NATURALISTS PRESENTED OVER 34,000 HOURS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.THE ENC NATURE PRESCHOOL REMAINED OPEN THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, SERVING CHILDREN OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS. 50% SCHOLARSHIPS WERE PROVIDED TO FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. THE SCHOOL IS BACK AT CAPACITY, SERVING A DIVERSE POPULATION OF 72 CHILDREN DAILY.OUR FIELD TRIP PROGRAM SUFFERED THE MOST IN 2020-21, WITH ONLY 36 PROGRAMS OFFERED REACHING 639 STUDENTS. WE ONLY PRESENTED 27 NATURALIST PROGRAMS REACHING 805 STUDENTS. PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, 24,500+ STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN ON-SITE FIELD TRIPS AND TRAVELING NATURALIST PROGRAMS ANNUALLY. THE SHCOOL CLOSURES PRESENTED US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OUR MISSION IN A NEW WAY. OUR NATURALISTS DESIGNED INNOVATIVE DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN CREATIVE WAYS. ENRICHING SCIENCE EDUCATION OCCURS ON A VIRTUAL HIKE, AND STUDENTS ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY OBSERVE IN REAL TIME. IN SPRING OF 2021 WE OFFERED AN AVERAGE OF TWO DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS PER DAY TO LOCAL SCHOOLS. IN ALL OF 2020-21, 101 PROGARMS WERE PROVIDED TO 2,712 STUDENTS, MORE THAN DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS FROM THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.OUR NEW AFTER SCHOOL NATURE CAMPS (ASNC), DEVELOPED IN 2020 OUT OF CONCERN FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S KIDS, SAW A GREAT DEAL OF GROWTH IN 2020-21. 381 CAMPERS ENROLLED IN AFTER SCHOOL NATURE CAMPS BETWEEN SEPT 2020 & MAY 2021. ASNC GIVES CAMPERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAFELY GET OUTSIDE FOR FRESH AIR, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, HANG OUT WITH PEERS, AND CONNECT WITH NATURE. STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH CRITICAL PROGRAMMING TO RE-ENGAGE, RE-CONNECT, AND THRIVE.IN PERSON ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS RESUMED IN 2021, STARTING WITH A SUCCESSFUL WINTER CAMP AT THE END OF DECEMBER 2020. THERE WAS AN OUTPOURING OF INTEREST DUE TO COVID, ESPECIALLY IN OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION "PARENTS & ME" STYLE CLASSES. WE WENT FROM TEACHING TWO LITTLE NATURALIST CLASSES (FOR 3-5 YEAR OLDS) A MONTH TO FOUR PER WEEK! MINI NATURALIST CLASSES (FOR 1-3 YEAR OLDS) WERE EVEN MORE POPULAR. PREPANDEMIC THIS CLASS WAS TAUGHT TWICE A MONTH. IN WINTER AND SPRING, WE WERE UP TO 10 MINI NATURALIST CLASSES A WEEK! 72 LITTLE NATURALIST CLASSES WERE TAUGHT TO 126 KIDS AND 126 ADULTS. 180 MINI NATURALIST CLASSES WERE TAUGHT TO 321 KIDS AND 321 ADULTS.2021'S SUMMER NATURE CAMP REGISTRATION FILLED TO CAPACITY WITH 752 CAMPERS (480 IN NATURE ADVENTURE CAMP, 192 IN LITTLE NATURALIST CAMP, AND 80 IN SCIENCE EXPLORER CAMP). WE OPENED REGISTRATION ON MARCH 1ST, WITH AN APPROXIMATE 40% INCREASE IN CAPACITY FROM LAST SUMMER. WE WERE SHOCKED WHEN NATURE ADVENTURE CAMP (AGE 5-8) COMPLETELY SOLD OUT WITHIN 2 WEEKS AND THE WAIT LIST STARTED ACCCUMULATING QUICKLY (SOME SESSION WAITLISTS HAVE OVER 100 PEOPLE!). LITTLE NATURALIST CAMP (AGE 4) SOLD OUT SOON AFTER THAT. SCIENCE EXPLORERS CAMP (AGE 9-13) FILLED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER AND HAS A WAIT LIST AS WELL.831 COMMUNITY MEMBERS VISITED THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN 2020-21 YEAR, NEARLY TRIPLE THE YEAR BEFORE AND MORE THAN ANY YEAR RECORDED. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES TO SAFELY VISIT. OUR ARRAY OF ENRICHMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FACILITATES AN INTRODUCTION TO AN AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE, SO THAT PEOPLE LEARN TO NOTICE, CARE FOR AND RESPECT THE NATURAL WORLD, AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS INTEGRAL TO OUR HEALTH AND ECONOMIC STABILITY AS WELL AS OUR GREATEST RESOURCE FOR REJUVENATION, DELIGHT, RESEARCH AND INGENUITY.