If you have school-age children, you may have noticed that something new is infusing science education in California classrooms. Curricula that explores environmental literacy is being introduced– an explicit acknowledgement of the deep bond between humans and our natural environment.

Strengthening this relationship and fortifying awareness of its importance to our current (and future) health and well-being are goals of the Next Generation Science Standards, California's Environmental Principles and Concepts, and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative. All of these new directives are intended to be fundamental components of K-12 science education. The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County share these goals. To encourage you to go out and explore nature with your children, we will occasionally be proposing activities and projects focusing on our local natural environment, beginning today with an activity for this time of year as the seasons change.

First, here is some brief background information. I spoke with Master Gardener Joyce Hill, a professional educator involved in local efforts to bring environmental curricula to regional classrooms. Our conversation centered on the critical need to know and experience the natural world, and how one can only do that by actually spending meaningful time outdoors. Our natural environment is a wonderland lying just beyond wooden doors and electronic screens, ripe for exploration and appreciation. The importance of interacting with nature was the subject of Richard Louv's The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (2006) which concludes that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) advocate that American science education explore and reveal the interconnected nature of science, technology, and engineering, and encourage kids to experience those connections in the real world. These standards promote learning about and interacting with nature so that students can be prepared “to address major world challenges such as generating sufficient clean energy, preventing and treating diseases, maintaining supplies of food and clean water, and solving the problems of global environmental change that confront society today.”

The five basic tenets of California's Environmental Principles and Concepts highlight the profound relationship between humans and the natural world. These tenets are the following (the full text can be found at www.californiaeei.org/abouteei/epc):

1. People Depend on Natural Systems: The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services.

2. People Influence Natural Systems: The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

3. Natural Systems Change in Ways that People Benefit From and Can Influence: Natural systems proceed through cycles that humans depend upon, benefit from, and can alter.

4. There are no Permanent or Impermeable Boundaries that Prevent Matter from Flowing Between Systems: The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affects the long-term functioning of both.

5. Decisions Affecting Resources and Natural Systems are Complex and Involve Many Factors: Decisions affecting resources and natural systems are based on a wide range of considerations and decision-making processes.

The goal of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative is to educate every California student in, about, and for the environment. Hand in hand with the tenets of NGSS, the Initiative states that “it is our responsibility to empower our students with the knowledge, support, and skills they need now to face their future. As educators, we must work alongside students to ensure access to clean air and water, healthy food, and safe schools in every community.”

It's no secret that people learn best when the subject is one that is relevant to their lives, so it is critical that the connection between individuals, their communities, and the natural world be made clear. As Stanford professor Dr. Nicole Ardoin writes, “Environmental education imparts more than knowledge,” it has “helped produce effective problem solvers, lifelong learners, and thoughtful community leaders and participants.”

And here is where our own local challenge comes into play. Families (whatever form they take and however you define them) can be vital partners in helping our Next Generation build a deep connection to, and appreciation of, the natural environment. Over the following year, the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County will offer periodic suggestions, exercises, and activities to help you and your young ones engage with what's outside, beyond the doors and screens.

Here's your first one: What happens to trees in the fall? Take your child, grandchild, friend's child, niece or nephew outside to observe, predict, and explain what is happening to our local trees as we head in to the latter part of autumn. Which trees have lost their leaves? Which trees have not? Which trees are experiencing changes in leaf color? What might cause that to happen? What happens to the leaves once they fall? Why do some trees lose their leaves and others do not? Collect examples of leaves – different shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. Look at what else grows on trees besides leaves: cones, berries, seed pods or balls. What can this tell us about the role these trees might play in the environment? For example, are they providing food for squirrels or other creatures? Do they create habitat for insects or animals? See what you and your families can find and discover in this big, beautiful world of ours!

Here are some helpful websites on nature exploration:        

Children & Nature Network

The Beetles Project (Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning & Expertise Sharing)

Natural Start Alliance (A project of the North American Association for Environmental Education)

To learn more about the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. The Master Gardeners have produced a Garden Guide and Three-Year Garden Journal full of useful information specific to Butte County. It is currently available in Chico at Magnolia Gift & Garden, the Patrick Ranch gift shop, the UC Cooperative Extension office in Oroville and all Master Gardener workshops.

If you have a gardening question or problem, call our Hotline at (530) 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.