The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History is going to the frogs Saturday -- or more accurately, to an organization that has expanded its conservation footprint from frogs and toads to "all living things."
Green Team Activity Day will give youngsters in second through sixth grades -- and their adult friends -- a chance to learn how to protect the world they live in. It's hosted by Saving Nature Now, whose spokesman Tom Krohn answered these questions for 'SUP.
FAQ
Green Team Activity Day
WHEN — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
WHERE — Shiloh Museum in Springdale
COST — Free
INFO — Register at 750-8165
Q. When did Saving Nature Now come into existence?
A. Our nonprofit was originally Arkansas Frogs and Toads, and we conducted training around the state in support of the citizen science program FrogWatch USA since 2013. And after several years, it occurred to us that it is not only frogs and toads that are important, in trouble, and in need of help. So in 2018 we broadened our approach and changed our name more accurately reflect our mission.
Q. Were young people always the target audience?
A. If people don't grow up with an appreciation and responsibility to protect nature, then it is hard to add that to their plates in adulthood. Many children today have very little interactions with nature. Our Green Team mission is to empower our youth to take actions that directly help nature and encourage sustainable living. We do that with activity booklets that they can complete to earn the Green Team patch. And as children complete the activities they will bring their parents along with them.
Q. What will the program at the Shiloh Museum be like?
A. There are nine activities in the Green Team booklet. At Shiloh, we will help them create a nature journal, make a leaf rubbing, and study insects. There is no cost for the booklet or materials at the event. When they mail or email their completion certificate to us, we'll send the Green Team patch, also at no cost.
Q. What have you found that resonates most with kids?
A. The front page in the nature journal they create says, "Don't forget to look up, look down, and look all around!" It is a revelation to most children to see how much is there to be discovered.
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 06/28/2019