/F5-Field%20Trips%20and%20Outdoor%20Opportunities_0

Field Trips and Outdoor Opportunities Introduction Countless studies document the importance of spending time in nature to the physical, mental, and emotional development of youth. The seminal work by Richard Louv, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder” brought to national attention the negative impacts to young people when experiences in nature are limited during adolescent years, a term which he coined as “Nature Deficit Disorder”. Louv suggests that there are numerous benefits to youth when provided with many varied experiences in nature.

Another nationally recognized expert, Dr. Stephen Kellert, suggests in his text “Children and Nature,” that the natural world provides opportunities for children to develop intellectually through their experiences with the outside world. He suggests that although the support of family, teachers, and community are important to the development of children another critical component is the contact with the natural world.

EnvironMentors seeks to prepare our students for college degree programs and careers in the environmental fields, and raise the interest level of our students in nature and the environment.

Therefore, planning field trips and other opportunities to maximize the time our students spend in nature are fundamental to the EnvironMentors mission. This is particularly important given that the EnvironMentors target population are students from underrepresented backgrounds, many of whom have had limited opportunities in nature.

EnvironMentors Field Trip Tips Plan in advance for field trips to occur early in your program season and throughout the year.

Schedule one or more tours of your university and/or college and departments.

Guide the development of your students’ projects towards those that will entail fieldbased experimental research.

Schedule fun outdoor events just following major assignment due dates as incentives for students to complete these assignments. These could include hiking, an outdoor challenge course, or other fun outdoor activity.

Routinely encourage your mentors to accompany their student in any or all field research data collection trials he or she may undertake.

Coordinate a chapter photo contest to encourage students to get out with their cameras to take pictures of elements of your local environment that interest them or start a “Get Students Outdoors” campaign and challenge mentors to participate in one outdoor activity a week to win cool prizes.