A new backyard: Children's outreach program of Sierra Club seeks to expose children to South Florida's backyard
(Below is an article by Meredith Clements that appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Society Scene Palm Beach, Green issue, celebrating Earth Day on April 20, 2011, reprinted with permission. For more information about our program and to volunteer for a rewarding time introducing youngsters to nature, contact Sheila Calderon shecal@bellsouth.net )
Sierra Club ICO is a community outreach program that provides opportunities for urban youth and adults to explore, enjoy and protect local natural areas.
Through these outings, ICO promotes interpersonal skills and self-esteem by involving participants in teamwork, teaching them self-reliance outside an urban setting, and encouraging them to take an active role in protecting the environment. The program relies on opportunities for personal growth and development by linking participants from different cultures, fostering respect of self and others, and providing participants with outdoor skills training and leadership opportunities.
Volunteers are certified leaders who must take a one-day Sierra Club training session and pass a first aid course, or who provide support for the leaders. Volunteers are required to have a love of outdoors and nature and a desire to share this with children, providing children with hands-on learning experience in the natural world.
ICO programs range from nature walks to canoeing, hiking and camping expeditions, and are all funded by grants and other funds raised so that the opportunity is provided at no cost to children.
Trips produced by the West Palm Beach ICO branch have introduced students to local parks and wetlands, as well as Manatee Education Center in Fort Pierce and snorkeling at Peanut Island. Other explorations have included trips to Everglades National Park, Myakka State Park, Big Cypress and Shark Valley, where they completed a 15-mile bike ride around the property.
Other opportunities include tree planting, beach cleanups, cypress seed harvesting at Arthur R. Marshal Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge, and turtle walks where loggerheads have been spotted laying eggs. Another group stayed overnight at the FAU RiverWoods facility and lodge, where they spent time on a pontoon boat in the Kissimmee River, learning about the ongoing river restoration.
The Sierra Club has 50 volunteer-run ICO groups throughout the United States. Every year, these groups conduct more than 800 outings that serve about 14,000 youths. With educational experiences such as these, children have the opportunity to learn beyond what is offered in a classroom. And for students who may have never been outside of the city they were born, it's an opportunity of a lifetime. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org/ico.
Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Letter From a Parent
I wish to thank you, the ICO, and all the supporters for having this group, the Red Shouldered Hawks, as an opportunity for my daughter, Xenia Galarza, to learn, explore, and appreciate many of nature's wonders. Without your help, I don't believe Xenia would have had the chance to learn more about nature and enjoy things she normally would not have experienced as I am a single mother of two and do not have the financial resources to take my children on the types of trips, excursions, and great camping trips she has truly enjoyed.
My daughter is very shy, especially around strangers, and it's nice to see that she has made new friends with this organization. I really appreciate all you and the group leaders do for Xenia and all the other children in the group.
Thank you so much!!!
Have a wonderful day!
Milagritos Ortiz
Letter of Support from Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Environmental Studies
As Director of the Riverwoods Field Lab, I work with many student groups from all over
central and southern Florida. We offer a Student Field Studies Program that focuses on
Exploring the Kissimmee River and Restoration Project. Riverwoods is managed by
The Florida Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Florida Atlantic University in
partnership with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).Our Field Studies program targets secondary students and provides a field experience
via pontoon boat. Students cruise the Kissimmee to explore its three habitats – the
historic river, the channelized C-38 canal, and the newly restored river. Students learn
all about the restoration and wetlands while conducting diversity and abundance bird
surveys, testing water quality, and sampling native and exotic wetland plants. They
record their field observations and data and learn basic analysis techniques.This year, we hosted the Sierra Club’s ICO students for the first time. My
educational team found the students to be extremely well-versed in environmental
habitats and issues, well-behaved and eager to learn. It is a pleasure to offer these
urban, under-served children an opportunity to stay over night in the country and
explore Florida’s wonderful wetlands. We look forward to working with Sheila Calderon,
Chairperson, WPB ICO and her students again this year. Please feel free
to contact me with any questions.Sincerely Yours,
Loisa Kerwin, Director, Riverwoods Field Lab
Florida Atlantic University's Center for Environmental Studies