Wildlife Explorers: Connecting Kids to Nature

March 2, 2017, Department, by National Recreation and Park Association

2017 March NRPA Update Wildlife Explorers 410

In November 2016, we launched Wildlife Explorers, NRPA’s turnkey initiative that connects kids to nature. To date, the online Wildlife Explorers curriculum has been accessed by more than 1,000 agencies and community partners who plan to implement the program within parks to reach more than 23,000 children, nationally. To supplement the provided online resources, we conducted a live training webinar focused on best practices for creating environmental likeability through park and recreation programming. Presenters included the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the New Bedford Parks Recreation and Beaches, which received a grant from NRPA to implement the program this past fall. We held a drawing for a chance to win a Wildlife Explorers program pack, which includes printed copies of the curriculum and Wildlife Explorers supplies. New Orleans Recreation Development Commission was the winner of the drawing and will be implementing the program in its out-of-school-time program. We are also pleased to announce the following four agencies as recipients of our spring Wildlife Explorers grant: Omaha Parks and Recreation (Omaha, Nebraska), City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation (Tukwila, Washington), Mooresville Parks & Recreation Department (Mooresville, North Carolina) and Augusta Recreation and Parks (Augusta, Georgia). These agencies were chosen from almost 90 applications and will implement the Wildlife Explorers program during spring and summer out-of-school-time programming.