Yorkregion.com - Vaughan - Bateman lessons help city kids to know nature
Bateman lessons help city kids to know nature
Toronto students got a chance to get up close and personal with nature Monday at the Kortright Conservation Centre in Woodbridge. They were taking part in the Get To Know program with city kids learning much-needed information about nature.
Leisure
Mar 06, 2008 08:50 AM
Get To Know program launched in Woodbridge
By: Jessica Young
School-aged children may have a disorder that can alter how they see the world for years to come, but Robert Bateman is helping make a cure possible.
Nature Deficit Disorder is a term being used to describe the disconnect between children and the environment. The term was invented by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.
“They come straight home from school and hit the video games,” Natalie Zalkind said, a Kortight Centre for Conservation education supervisor.
On Monday, 70 Grade 5 students from Yorkview Public School became the first students to fight back from being susceptible to this disorder. They and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority members met at Kortright in Woodbridge this week to launch Mr. Bateman’s Get to Know program.
Through the Canadian artist and environmentalist’s program, students learned about local owl species from conservation experts and got their hands dirty dissecting an owl pellet, walking through an owl habitat and even tried their hand at owl calling.
At the Canadian Peregrine Barn, students were awed by live owls and other birds of prey.
“They make a connection with the natural environment,” Ms Zalkind said. “We’re really excited about the program. The whole basis for this is the philosophy of getting to know the names of your neighbours, not just the ones in the houses, but the plants and animals.”
Get to Know allows teachers and students to learn about nature through experiencing it first hand by getting outdoors. Mr. Bateman has an interactive CD and online resources for teachers and students on his website.
He created the program to help children understand the importance of the environment almost 10 years ago. He found that children could identify 1,200 corporate logos, but when it came to wildlife only 12 species could be recognized.
His program, that runs nationwide, also involves a writing and drawing contest launched today. Visit gettoknow.ca for contest details.
Children under the age of 19 can participate in the contest until April 22. Winners have their work published in the 2009 contest calendar to be available at Loblaws and The Real Canadian Superstore.