breonagreen
Registered: May 2016
City/Town/Province: Jacksonville
Posts: 1
View this Member's Photo Gallery
|
In January 2016, I was sent to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to participate in a new initiative to bring urban groups who have never been to our national parks to the parks. This was a part of both the Centennial anniversary of the National Parks and the Find Your Park initiative. In Wyoming, I and 29 other participants went through leadership development workshops to help us create programs to get these groups out to our local national parks.
I focused on urban youth of ages ranging from 13 to 18 who had little-to-no knowledge about Fort Caroline National Park. Through community outreach with local after school programs, and with the help of teens associated with the Groundwork Organization, eight of us went out to a national event held at Fort Caroline.
On May 21, 2016, the Jacksonville, Florida branch of Groundwork USA and seven volunteers attended an event at Fort Caroline National Park called a BioBlitz. While there, the teens and I walked a mile long trail, and on that trail were various stations to attend to learn about the many different insects and bugs that roamed our local national park. We were also involved in cataloging insects as we walked along the trail using an app that sends all of the data to Washington, D.C. for species inventory in our area. While we hiked, a ranger discussed the importance of the creatures and plants in our park and how they have played a huge part in the city’s history.
Overall, the project was great and a major success! The leadership skills that I’ve developed will only push me to go forward to try and build up more projects like this in hopes of connecting other people with nature. I love sharing my adoration for the environment with anyone that’s willing to listen and participate.
|
