Kids and Nature

We have an active Youth Education Committee. We believe that children who learn about birds and the environment at an early age are more likely to become adult stewards of the environment. Our volunteer committee members are dedicated to fostering an appreciation of fauna and flora in all students.

We give presentations and classes at schools, camps, science fairs and for youth groups. We have a variety of workshops on a variety of bird-related subjects, for a range of ages. Read more in our Letter to Educators.

 Annually Eastside Audubon offers:

• teacher grants
• scholarships for low-income middle-school students to attend environmental camps
• college scholarship to high school seniors

In Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder, Richard Louv examines the ever-widening gulf between children and nature in our society. Louv issues a wake-up call to parents, educators and all those concerned about children’s well-being to reestablish the critical link between children and nature. Who will be the future stewards of our environment if this link is not forged? Louv suggests that “birding could be an especially wonderful way to experience nature.”  

In the last chapter of Cornell University’s Handbook of Bird Biology, John W. Fitzpatrick challenges us to develop in youth a sense of stewardship of the earth: “One of the best ways to help tomorrow’s generation accept responsible land stewardship is to share one’s own knowledge and passion with the children of today. Kids have an enormous capacity to enjoy nature in the company of adults or other kids who love it. Lifelong sympathy and curiosity often can be sparked by the smallest events, and among the most memorable is the singular thrill of seeing a beautiful bird through binoculars or a telescope for the first time. Seeing birds well, in real life, and being able to look back and forth between the bird and the pictures in a field guide, can open a child’s mind to a lifelong appreciation of diversity and beauty in nature. This is the first and most important step that any individual can take toward recognizing the need to conserve such wonderful things.” 

We have accepted this challenge. Our volunteers believe that children who learn about birds and the environment at an early age are more likely to become adult stewards of the environment and are dedicated to fostering an appreciation of fauna and flora in all students. 

Throughout the year we give workshops in a variety of locations—schools, camps, science fairs, parks and nature centers. We take children and families on walks to see and identify birds. During the summer, we partner with the Kirkland Parks Department and sponsor workshops and field trips for their campers. In addition, the committee also provides scholarships for low-income students to attend camps with an environmental focus. 

For more information, contact: education@eastsideaudubon.com.