In Depth

BY CHARLOTTE BEARD Encouraging outdoor ADVENTURES

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Volunteers with the Missouri Environmental Education Association assemble outdoor learning kits to be distributed along with meals with the distribution services of Operations Food Search and St. Louis County Libraries.

BY CHARLOTTE BEARD

The Missouri Environmental Education Association is adding to the food distribution services of Operations Food Search by providing families 6,300 outdoor learning kits

The Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA) along with community partners, have developed an additional opportunity for families to venture outdoors. Previously scheduled to begin July 13, MEEA is adding to the food distribution services of Operations Food Search (OFS) and St. Louis County Libraries by providing 6,300 outdoor learning kits, on a first come first serve basis, at 10 libraries this summer.

Traci Jansen, a teacher at W. W. Keysor Elementary in the Kirkwood School District states that the pilot program originated due to OFS’ increased involvement with families due to COVID-19. There are three separate themes for the kits. The first kit that was scheduled for distribution July 13, was the Food and Pollinators kit. Jansen who has also used various components of the kits with her students this past school semester, stated the kit provides education of healthy food options to pair with what families receive from Operation Food Search. The kit will also help participants identify the food that comes from pollinators and the variety of pollinators in the St. Louis region, such as honeybees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

“In the kits are informational pamphlets that talk about the perks, benefits and how awesome are our insects and pollinators,” stated Jansen.

She went on to explain that recipients of the food and pollinator kit will include activities to make headbands and masks, read a book, and participate in search and observation for the pollinators.

The next kit scheduled for July distribution is the Observing and Nature journaling kit which will educate participants by way of observing the greenspace they explore and how the things connected to it are associated with that space. Participants will record what changes within that space over time.

Jansen stated that the Outdoor Play kit, set for distribution in August, will include activities for search-and-find – hiking and scavenger hunts – incorporating components of the two previous kits.

“We tried to design kits that would incorporate family involvement as well as education for pre-K through 12th grade,” stated Jansen.

Jansen stressed that the goal is for families to get out to explore the outdoors where there is greenery and not be con fined to home.

“You can go into any greenspace. It can be between your road and your sidewalk – just looking at that green area. (Participation) can be just looking at a container plant or taking a day trip to the zoo and looking at (the plants). It does not need to be in (a) backyard; there is greenery and landscapes all around in urban and suburban environments.”

According to Jansen, all kits have recipe-like cards that include resources for each kit’s theme and a pencil, pencil sharpener along with a journal.

“I’m blown away by the enthusiastic response of so many partners so quickly,” stated Lesli Moylan, MEEA Executive Di rector. “We’re all so happy to have a tangible way to make a positive difference for kids who are going through so much right now. This collaborative project will help bring the joy of nature to many families this summer, and I’m very grateful to Operation Food Search and St. Louis County Libraries for providing our distribution pathway.”

The additional partners involved in this pilot include Missouri Foundation for Health, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri 4-H, Missouri Coalition for the Environment, St. Louis Community Foundation, Gateway Greening, Earthways Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Way 2 Fresh Eats, Urban Harvest STL, Greenscape Gardens, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, O.K. Hatchery, and the North American Association for Environmental Education. Moylan states that they have worked together in various ways to make the initiative happen.

“Some (partners) provided activity guidelines,” stated Moylan, “some donated materials, and some have provided volunteer hours for kit assembly/transporting. (In addition), some (partners) have (supported all efforts). It is really neat to see organizations from across the state come together for this project!”

Jansen states, “We’re proud of what we’ve started. We’re eager to see how the deployment goes.”

Jansen shared that each kit includes website information for family feedback via an online survey to help the initiative in determining needs for extending the pilot to rural communi ties. In addition, each kit’s activity guide and suggested materials will be available online, free-of-charge, at www.meea. org this fall. The 10 libraries that are receiving the current pilot (visit https://www.slcl.org/drive-thru-meals) were determined based on community needs.

Moylan shared, “Missouri Foundation for Health, along with partners St. Louis County Library, Operation Food Search, St. Louis Area Food Bank, and EdPlus, developed a plan for sum mer food distribution in St. Louis County using an equity lens as described below. Our limited capacity meant we couldn’t supply kits to all the distribution sites, but our available re sources lined up with the library distribution pathways – they provide 2,100 meals each day they distribute and we were able to pool enough resources to provide three kits through them this summer.”

The equity lens Moylan provided states the following: “Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on low income com munities and communities of color, specifically African-American communities, an equitable approach to food distributions is recommended. School, library and additional community mobile sites were selected with an equitable lens to ensure the most vulnerable communities are centered in this response. Sites were identified based on locations in the county where incomes fall below the federal poverty level: 1) school districts where the percent of students on free or reduced lunch is high, 2) zip codes where COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact, and 3) zip codes where African Americans make up a significant proportion of the population.”

Various sources were used to make the assessment not lim ited to data from the St. Louis County Department of Health, Census Bureau, and American Community Survey.