I wanted to share an overview of my experience running the Urban Ecology series remotely. I held three one-hour virtual workshops live via Zoom and then recorded shorter, distilled versions for YouTube. I prepared thirty Urban Ecology Kits that cost approximately $10 each with funds from a private donor, which could be picked up at the library via curbside pickup the week before. Each kit contained the materials listed in the workshop guides for all three activities, so they only had to be picked up once. The kits were a fun way to engage kids and make sure they had all the tools with them for the workshop.
Live Programs: We advertised for grades 3-8, but attendees were ages 3-9, so I simplified language and concepts on the fly. The best aspect of these programs was interacting with the children, who loved sharing their observations and experiences with nature.
1. Sensory Nature Walk: 8 attendees. We talked about how to do a Sensory Nature Walk, focusing on senses and what they can tell you about the environment, and how to record that information in the Field Journal. I then asked them to find 8-10 specimens for the second week’s activity, Tangible Ecosystem. The concepts were simple enough for everyone to be engaged and everyone left with a clear understanding of how to conduct a sensory nature walk and be prepared for next week’s activity.
2. Tangible Ecosystem: We had 11 attendees, ages 3-10, including everyone from the week before. I had uploaded the overview video for Sensory Nature Walk the week before, so anyone who couldn’t join us live was able to catch up and be prepared for Tangible Ecosystem. For this activity, we talked about touch and texture, learned how to describe and record texture via description, picking, mapping (including Google Earth), photographing, pressing, interviewing, and rubbing. I also showed them how to do a soil shake in anticipation of week three: Understanding Urban Soils. This was a lot to cover, and if I do it again, I might do a separate workshop for Google Earth.
3. Understanding Urban Soils: We had four children, ages 3-9, for this activity. I wonder if I burned them out after the week before. Children had their soil samples, but despite my repeated reminder not to disturb the samples, all of them had, so it was a little more difficult to talk about each person’s sample. The concepts were also the most complex for this activity and I had a harder time engaging everyone. We covered observing the environment surrounding the location of the soil sample, the role of soil, techniques to analyze soil samples (soil rubbings, clump test, & soil shake), how to read a soil jar, types of soils, and the importance of soil. Given the age of attendees, reading a soil jar in great detail was too difficult, but the soil rubbings and clump test were approachable enough.
Virtual Programs on our YouTube Channel
1. Sensory Nature Walk: 35 views. I provided an overview of the activity, which was helpful for patrons, but I think I might do experiential videos next time (i.e. “Miss Jean goes on a Sensory Nature Walk”) which inform while being more personal and tangible to the viewer.
2. Tangible Ecosystem: 15 views. I provided an overview, but next time I might include short videos of how to do each activity, rather than just photographs and steps written out.
3. Understanding Urban Soils: 14 views. I provided an overview, but next time I might include short videos of how to do each activity, rather than just photographs and steps written out. This activity is an opportunity to get a little messy playing in the dirt!
These were great activities during good weather while everyone has been cooped up in their homes. Parents were grateful for a new activity and many of the children came from families with a scientist and/or a strong interest in gardening.
