The Junior Naturalist Program

1. The Junior Naturalist Program Promoting Environmental Stewardship while Empowering Students Presented by: Cara Rieckenberg, Environmental Education Coordinator, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

2. What are the goals of the Junior Naturalist program? • To provide environmental stewardship opportunities for students • To expose students to more environmental education experiences • To promote environmental stewardship through leadership and service opportunities • To empower students • To have fun

3. How are the goals of the Junior Naturalist program met? • Monthly meetings • Service learning/stewardship projects • Environmental education activities • Modeling/teaching opportunities in classrooms and all-school meetings • Outreach to other schools/organizations

4. Why is a Junior Naturalist program important? • “It’s important that children know they don’t have to wait until they are adults to make a difference in the environment. The behaviors and attitudes that children develop continue into adulthood.” ~ Robert Wilke, Ph.D. University of WI – Stevens Point • Contact with nature has a positive effect in reducing the impact of attention deficit disorder in children (Taylor, Kuo, & Sullivan, 2001) Julie Ernst, PhD, University of MN-Duluth, Research Supporting School-Based EE

5. Why is a Junior Naturalist program important? • Enhances: • Awareness – developing an awareness and sensitivity to the environment • Knowledge – acquiring a basic understanding of the environment and its problems • Attitudes – acquiring a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and motivation for participating in improving and protecting it • Skills – acquiring skills for identifying and solving environmental problems • Participation – encouraging active involvement in resolving and preventing environmental problems Julie Ernst, PhD, University of MN-Duluth, Research Supporting School-Based EE

6. Why is a Junior Naturalist program important? • WA middle school students participating in EE programs consistently outperformed peers not involved in EE programs on the state assessment test (Bartosh, Tudor & Ferguson, 2005) • MN elementary students in integrated EE programs scored significantly higher on MCAs in reading (Workman, 2005) Julie Ernst, PhD, University of MN-Duluth, Research Supporting School-Based EE

7. Why is a Junior Naturalist program important? • Hawaiian elementary students in an issue investigation EE program scored higher on a critical thinking test than peers (Cheak, Hungerford, & Volk, 2002) • Outdoor adventure programs tend to show positive impact on self-esteem (American Institute for Research, 2005; Cross, 2002) • Little Falls students (MN) in the environment-based program comprised just 28% of reported discipline problems but represented 46% of the student body (Lieberman & Hoody, 2002). Julie Ernst, PhD, University of MN-Duluth, Research Supporting School-Based EE

8. Why is a Junior Naturalist program important? • Natural interest in the environment • Increased motivation and effort when students are involved in real-life issues with real-world connections/application • Offers opportunities to see connections – among subject areas and between school and ‘real life’ • Multiple senses are engaged Julie Ernst, PhD, University of MN-Duluth, Research Supporting School-Based EE

9. Why is a Junior Naturalist program important? • Ties into effective educational practices: • Inquiry-based projects • Service learning/real-world problem solving/ issue investigation/projects • Student-centered learning • Hands-on learning • Integrated approaches • Involvement of community partners • Tangible/concrete projects or products Julie Ernst, PhD, University of MN-Duluth, Research Supporting School-Based EE

10. How does a Junior Naturalist program get started? • A champion is needed…who will lead? • Share proposal with administration • Share proposal with staff • Generate interest with students • Obtain commitment from students, teachers, and parents

11. Who is the Junior Naturalist Advisor? • Teacher • Parent • Community member • Most important characteristic is that this person has a commitment to empowering students through environmental stewardship

12. What are the responsibilities of the Junior Naturalist Advisor? • Attend beginning of year meeting with EE Coordinator, Naturalist and other district Junior Naturalist Advisors • Organize Junior Naturalist program at site • Organize and provide information to classroom teachers on what the Junior Naturalist program is and how to choose Junior Naturalists as class representatives • Schedule a minimum of 10 meetings with Junior Naturalists throughout the school year • Schedule introduction meeting by the second week of October • Provide communication to Junior Naturalist families with dates for all meetings and what the Junior Naturalist program is • Organize meetings by following provided format and in such a way that Junior Naturalists do an activity or service learning project at each meeting

13. What are the responsibilities of the Junior Naturalist Advisor? • Monitor Junior Naturalist progress on activity check list • Monitor need for Junior Naturalists to assist with recycling, food waste or litter monitoring and teaching • Provide leadership through the Junior Naturalists for work on the Naturalist Bulletin Board and Touch Table • Provide all-school announcements before scheduled Junior Naturalist meetings as reminders • Assist at all-school meetings and Earth Day with providing leadership opportunities for Junior Naturalists • Ensure that all Junior Naturalists are following Junior Naturalist criteria: • Schedule final meeting before the last week of May • Create award for recognition at end of school year • Attend end of year reflection meeting with EE Coordinator, Naturalist and other district Junior Naturalist advisors

14. What are the responsibilities of other adults? • Teachers • Flexibility • Support • Some knowledge • Parents • Transportation • Support • Volunteer • Administration • Support

15. Who can be a Junior Naturalist? Anyone!!!

16. What are the roles and responsibilities of a Junior Naturalist? • Be a positive role model • Communicate information by teaching or reporting to own classroom and buddy classroom • Monitor and collect recycling • Monitor food waste program • Design and create bulletin board or display case • Clean, fill, monitor bird feeders • Clean, monitor wood duck and bluebird houses • Take daily readings at GLOBE weather station; report data • Attend all scheduled meetings • Assist with easy maintenance of outdoor learning areas • Be trained and train others on all EE related equipment

17. What are some Junior Naturalist activities? • Planting trees and/or flowers on school grounds • Maintaining outdoor learning areas (weeding, watering, cleaning out, etc…) • Create bulletin board displays with themes (recycling, snow, animal habitat, etc…) • Learn EE related games and teach to other classrooms • Install, monitor, fill and clean bird feeders • Build, install, monitor and clean bluebird and woodduck houses • Storm water labeling • Work with EE related professionals assisting with community projects • Create and distribute pamphlets to neighbors about OLC • Organize all-school clean up • Monitor recycling and food waste • Study local animals/plants and provide awareness to school community with mini-lessons, displays or photo murals • Create podcasts and videos for school