Environmental Education for Everyone
Life is better outside! And healthier.
Enjoying the sycamore “jungle gym"
A growing amount of research shows that playing, hiking and learning outside in the natural world produce positive physical, mental and emotional benefits in both adults and children.
- Outdoor environmental education leads to improved testing scores (studies show a 27% increase in science scores)
- Outdoor environmental education increases parent and teacher assessments of behavior, motivation, conflict resolution, problem-solving, self-esteem and peer cooperation
- Children and adults who are frequently exposed to nature are more likely to visit, appreciate and take care of the land
- Frequent contact with nature reduces the impact of attention deficit disorder (ADD)
- Taking a walk outside reduces stress and improves a person’s ability to think creatively
- Spending time among trees, flowers and wildlife can restore waning attention spans, especially after several hours of focusing on office tasks
- Trees improve local air quality. More exposure to locations of high-density trees can help reduce childhood asthma in urban areas
- The onset of short-sightedness (myopia) in children is linked to the amount of time children spend inside watching television and playing video games. The more opportunities that children are given to play outside, the less likely that short-sighted vision will develop.
Families learn together on
guided preserve walks
The benefits of these findings are at odds with the reality of how much time both children and adults spend outside nowadays. Access to nature and outdoor play has fallen dramatically, particularly among our youth. Today, children spend less than half the amount of time playing outdoors than their parents did at the same age, and most of that time is restricted to confined play areas. This means that a whole generation of children is being denied the developmental benefits provided by outdoor exploration. As a community, we need to work together to make sure that ready access to the joys and health benefits of the outdoors are available to our children, as well as our parents, neighbors and co-workers.
- Please consider becoming a naturalist for Sequoia Riverlands Trust’s California environmental education program
- Volunteer at our nature preserves and participate in our habitat restoration projects
- Encourage your children’s school to take a curriculum-based tour of Kaweah Oaks Preserve
- Go out and take a stroll along one or all of the four trails at Kaweah Oaks Preserve. See how many species you can identify. Listen to the birds. Daydream about the Tulare County land’s rich history.
- Participate in our outdoor environmental education program by joining us for a nature walk or event. See the events calendar for details.
To learn more about SRT's educational programs take a look at our online brochure!