By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent LEXINGTON, Ky. – Last week, people across the country celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in an effort to bring attention to the environment and the importance of taking care of the planet.
Educating the public, especially children, is an important part of that recognition and Kentucky has initiatives in place to teach students across the state everything from the value of growing a garden to what a watershed is and how what we do affects them.
One such program is known as Green and Health Schools (GHS.) The program is a state-wide, web-based, and student-centered initiative that empowers students and staff to move their school toward becoming safer, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable, according to information from the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) which administers the program.
Jane Eller, KEEC executive director said health is a key component of the program.
“Our Green and Healthy Schools Program contains the word ‘healthy’ because the health of our children is inextricably linked to the environments in which they live and learn,” she said. “Therefore kids engaged in the program learn about indoor air quality, hazardous materials and green spaces as well as how exercise and good nutrition can improve their health.”
Eller added that there is actually an inventory in the program in which kids interview cafeteria managers about how their food is chosen and prepared.
School gardens are just one of the components of the program in which children can discover more about healthy foods.
The “Green Team” at Williams Wells Brown Elementary School in Lexington, recently planted a garden in hopes of seeing fresh greens and other vegetables soon.
Leslie Calk, the school’s family resource director and Green Team leader said the students there can learn a lot through this program.
“I think anytime children have the opportunity to learn where their food comes from, have the opportunity to see a plant emerge from the ground and turn into something they can actually put on their plate and eat, it teaches them a great deal,” she said. “We know when you engage all the senses in learning, children learn faster and retain more, So it’s just an opportunity for them to get out, get their hands dirty, get in the soil, watch plants grow and hopefully reap the harvest and enjoy a salad.”
Carolyn Gilles with the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and Environment in the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture is the grant coordinator for Fayette and surrounding counties. She said the garden project is just one thing schools can do related to the GHS program.
“One very unique aspect to the program is that the projects are custom to the school,” she said. “Some schools may not have the space to grow a garden, so they’ll do another project that’s more relevant for them.”
Scavenger hunt
Another initiative, in which the KEEC has been involved, got a kickoff last week at the Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky in Lexington. The Kentucky Questing Program (KQP) involves a mapped out “scavenger hunt” of sorts that can be created practically anywhere by anyone for everybody.
Instead of collecting items, hunters collect clues that involve facts about the local area including environmental and historic clues that will ultimately answer their quest.
Students from Sayre School participated in the inaugural event at the arboretum. Eller said the program is designed to get students as well as their families out into nature.
“There is a large body of research that says when people, especially children go outside, they experience real improvement in their physical and mental health,” she said.
“So we were looking for a way to get kids and all people in Kentucky outside really learning how wonderful Kentucky is.”
KEEC has many partners in this project including the UK Extension Service, Kentucky State Parks and Bluegrass PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment), which is a non-profit organization which provides environmental resources and information to schools, community groups, local governments and citizens in central Kentucky, just to name a few.
Doug McLaren, of UK Extension’s forestry division said KQP is an inexpensive way to get whole families out in the environment.
“You don’t have to invest any money in this. With questing all you have to do is arrive at the location, where they will usually have the information as to what the clues are for that particular quest at that particular location,” he said.
Ashley Osborne, a UK Extension associate for environmental issues said a training session for Extension agents actually created its own quest.
“Doug, Jane and I did a training last August where we invited cooperative Extension agents and other educators and taught them what a quest is and also told them how to go about creating their own quest. We actually created a quest with the participants at General Butler State Park,” she said.
Pattie Stivender an environmental educator with Bluegrass PRIDE said a project that group worked on involving a local pond will hopefully teach children to notice the environment in own neighborhoods.
“It is our hope it will change some behaviors. It’s very important for the younger generation to be educated about their environment,” she said.
Carey Tichenor, the state naturalist with Kentucky State Parks said that the agency hopes to ultimately have quests at all the state parks.
“We have 50 parks throughout the state and it is our goal to have a quest at every one. It is a great activity at no cost to anyone. It is a fun family activity and not only do you get to go out and see great places, you get to learn about our rich natural and cultural history across the state,” he said.
Eller added that she hopes to eventually have a quest in all 120 counties in Kentucky. Currently there are 14 with 20 more expected next month. They can be found, along with more information about the program online at www.kentuckyquesting.ky.gov
For more information about the GHS program, go to www.greenschools.ky.
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