Nearby Nature

DEDICATED TO FOSTERING APPRECIATION OF NATURE NEARBY AND PROVIDING TOOLS FOR ECOLOGICAL LIVING OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS LEAD NATURE WALKS SCHOOL AND YOUTH PROGRAMS DAYCAMPS EVENTS AND RESTORATION WORK PRIMARILY IN EUGENE'S ALTON BAKER PARK. WE ALSO TEACH CLASSES FOR THE NETWORK CHARTER SCHOOL MAINTAIN A LEARNSCAPE GARDEN AND OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AND SERVE AS ALTON BAKER PARK'S OFFICIAL HOST.

NETWORK CHARTER SCHOOL: NEARBY NATURE OFFERED CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR FOR NCS AN ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL SERVING STUDENTS IN GRADES 7-12. THESE CLASSES SERVED THE SCHOOL'S UP TO 120+ STUDENTS AND INCLUDED EVERYTHING FROM NATURE LITERATURE TO FIELD BIOLOGY TO OUTDOOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION. CLASSES WERE REMOTE DUE TO COVID-19 THROUGH SPRING OF 2021. CLASSES RETURNED TO IN PERSON IN FALL OF 2021. LIKE 2020 THIS WAS AN ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING YEAR FOR ALL THANKS TO COVID-19.

SUMMER DAYCAMPS: WE HAD 577 ENROLLMENTS IN 44 CAMPS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021 OUR LARGEST ENROLLMENT EVER! OUR CAMPS PROVIDED KIDS FROM 3-11 YEARS OLD WITH HANDS-ON COVID-SAFE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES FOCUSED ON A VARIETY OF NATURE AND CONSERVATION-THEMED TOPICS -- FROM BUGS TO BIKES RIVERS TO ROCKS. ALL CAMPS TOOK PLACE OUTDOORS IN LOCAL PARKS INCLUDING ALTON BAKER PARK AND OUR LEARNSCAPE AS WELL AS MOUNT PISGAH ARBORETUM AND HENDRICKS PARK. THIS YEAR AS IN THE PAST WE HOSTED MULTIPLE BILINGUAL SPANISH-ENGLISH CAMPS INCLUDING A FULL IMMERSION SPANISH CAMP. 33 FAMILIES 41 CHILDREN THAT REQUESTED SCHOLARSHIPS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 87 SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH OUR YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND RENAMED THE EVERY CHILD OUTSIDE FUND COMMUNITY PARTNER SUPPORT 4J SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPPORT AND GRANTS TOTAL $12,336. NOTE THAT THESE FUND RELEASES WHICH ARE NOT REFLECTED IN INCOME HERE SUPPORTED THIS PROGRAM. ALSO NOTE SUPPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED OVER $53,000 IN FEE INCOME THAT WAS PAID BY THE 4J SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH A SUMMER LEARNING GRANT AND IS PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT GRANT INCOME. 15 VOLUNTEERS INCLUDING 10 TEEN OUTDOOR LEADERS HELPED SUPPORT THESE PROGRAMS FOR A TOTAL OF 2100 HOURS. THE VALUE OF THIS TIME AT THE 2021 RATE OF $29.95 HOUR IS $62,895! KEEPING COVID SAFE WAS A CHALLENGE AGAIN THIS YEAR BUT ONE THAT WE MET SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT ANY CAMP SHUT-DOWNS REQUIRED. FAMILIES WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE A COVID SAFE OUTDOOR PLACE TO SEND THEIR KIDS FOR PROGRAMS!

NATURE SCHOOLING: BECAUSE WE COULD STILL NOT HOST ALL OF OUR NORMAL SCHOOL OR FAMILY PROGRAMS THIS YEAR DUE TO COVID-19 WE CONTINUED OUR NEW INITIATED IN 2020 IN-PERSON NATURE SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN -- NATURAL NEIGHBORS FOR 6-10 YEAR OLDS IN ALTON BAKER PARK WILD OUTSIDE FOR 6-10 YEAR OLDS IN HENDRICKS PARK AND WONDER KEEPERS FOR 4-5 YEAR OLDS IN ALTON BAKER PARK THROUGH SPRING 2021. THESE MONTH-LONG ONCE A WEEK PROGRAMS FOR GROUPS OF UP TO 10 CHILDREN WERE ALL OUTDOORS NATURE-SCIENCE BASED AND COVID-SAFE. WHEN IN PERSON SCHOOL RESUMED IN FALL 2021 WE CONTINUED OUR PRESCHOOL WONDER KEEPERS PROGRAM AND CONVERTED OUR SCHOOL-AGED PROGRAM TO AFTER SCHOOL HOURS. VOLUNTEERS DONATED 252+ HOURS TO THIS PROGRAM IN 2021. THE VALUE OF THIS TIME AT THE 2021 RATE OF $29.95 HOUR IS $7,547+. AS PART OF NATURE SCHOOLING WE ALSO EMAILED INTERESTED MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WEEKLY SCIENCE-NATURE EXPLORE ACTIVITIES.