Human impacts
The Greenspace program impresses on students the importance of the relationships among all the plants and ani- mals, large and microscopic, which support forest ecology and foster a healthy ecosystem. Students then make connections to how consuming and dispos- ing of so many materials in our society and using so much plastic is harmful for the envi- ronment. They are able to be specific in citing examples, and they make suggestions to reduce plastic in their lives, such as buying items that will last so they don’t have to throw them away; choosing to buy items that have less plastic, including the packaging; reusing items; and buying items that are reus- able, such as refillable water bottles. They work on an upcycling project, a creative reuse of
turning seemingly useless or unwanted waste products into new materials, products of better quality, or items with better environmental value. Students aren’t allowed to spend any money or buy anything in the process, and they need to turn their item into a different type of item. “Hopefully, it will be something that they actually use,” Ms. Narzisi says. One student attaches an old remote-control car to the
bottom of an old trash can. The result looks like R2D2 from Star Wars, and it allows him to control the trash can remotely. Another student makes a phone case that incorporates pock-
ets for his house key and money out of cardboard and old maps. Students have also built succulent planters out of dis- carded materials, a desk organizer, and piggy banks. “They usually say in their reflection portion that they
never thought of doing this kind of thing, but they will in the future,” says Ms. Narzisi.
Christine Heinrichs is the Vice-President of Greenspace’s Board of Directors. The Greenspace Environmental Educa- tion Field Program now includes two school districts, Coast Union and Cayucos.
Community support and expansion
Greenspace Environmental Education Field Program is the result of a partnership between Greenspace and the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust, which supported the education program with a generous grant. Projects to protect the environment are among its six program focus areas along with projects involving environmental science, green technology, promoting open spaces, sustainable agriculture, and land preservation. “Greenspace plans to continue to expand our education outreach in the North Coast of SLO County,” says Mary Webb, Presi-
dent of the Greenspace Board of Directors. “We very much look forward to our continued partnership with the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust.” In Spring 2018, the Greenspace Environmental Education Field Program expanded to Cayucos Elementary seventh-grade
students. The Santa Lucia students who were sixth-graders when they first enjoyed the program returned as seventh-graders for
more advanced studies, such as research on the pine and oak populations as well as the dominance of Dwarf Mistletoe. They collected data in three transects in the forest to compare how the trees are faring. In Fall 2018, Greenspace Environmental Education Field Program reached out to Cambria Grammar School’s fifth-grade
classes. Those students are working on a seed research project to test the viability of Greenspace’s seed bank, archived seeds that have been collected for 18 years. Videos showing the kids and the forest are posted on the Greenspace website,
https://greenspacecambria.org/ and on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR-o_PIEGPXdnDh1vuKSxeQ?view_as=subscriber.
Green Teacher 119 Page 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
