Brokered Learning Pathways: Young Naturalists

Staff mentors from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy keep in touch with the students after the program to support them in applying to additional opportunities to work, learn, and explore in the outdoors. Throughout their college careers, several of the Young Naturalists have returned to work with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in a variety of capacities:Nyjah (Young Naturalist, 2016) is now studying Theater with a minor in Environmental Science at Ohio Wesleyan University. She returned to the program as a co-leader and educator in the summer of 2018, with plans to return in 2019.Geneva (Young Naturalist, 2014) is now studying Marketing & Communications at the University of Pittsburgh, and interned as a part-time Communications Associate in the fall and winter of 2018.Jaxon (Young Naturalist, 2014) is now a Liberal Studies major at Carlow University and returned to work as a summer camp counselor in 2018.Michael (Young Naturalist, 2014) is now studying Biology at Robert Morris University and returned to work as a summer camp counselor in 2017.

Adult mentors and role models serve an important role by providing support and guidance to help students follow their interests. The Young Naturalists met and worked with experts representing various fields that directly or indirectly involve conservation including artists, educators, ecologists, computer programmers, a chef and a woodworker. This diversity recognized that people connect with nature in different and unique ways. ECOLOGIST - PETE WOODS As part of their team building retreat, the Young Naturalists worked alongside ecologist Pete Woods from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to survey moth populations in the Laurel Highlands. Their sampling methods involved identifying moths on a sheet lit with ultraviolet light, as well as using a no-kill  funnel bucket trap. CHEF – CLAUDY PIERRE Together with students in Grow Pittsburgh’s Urban Farmers in Training program, the Young Naturalists hosted local chef, Claudy Pierre, for a day of cooking, eating and exploring cultural identity as it relates to food. Vegetables and herbs from the From Slavery to Freedom Garden were harvested and used in the recipes. EDUCATOR – PATTY HIMES After honing their own aquatic macroinvertebrate identification and classification skills, the participants led a series of stream exploration hikes for 4th graders enrolled in the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s summer camp programs. The Young Naturalists shared their knowledge and enthusiasm and directed the campers in collecting and identifying the organisms found in the stream. Students also worked with developers at Carnegie Mellon University to assist with the development of an opensource online macroinvertebrate reference collection - www.macroinvertebrates.org. VIDEOGRAPHER – DI-AY BATTAD A series of short documentaries were planned and produced by the Young Naturalists, with guidance from videographer Di-ay Battad. The students experimented with interview techniques, storytelling, using DSLR cameras, shot styles, and pre-production planning during a series of sessions throughout the program. The interviews explore the Young Naturalists’ relationship with nature as young people growing up in Pittsburgh. All footage was planned and shot by the Young Naturalists. MUSICIAN – RYAN MCMASTERS As part of his residency at the Frick Environmental Center, sound artist Ryan McMasters collaborated with the Young Naturalists to create an art installation piece. The students were presented with a design challenge: build a structure using natural materials that allows cymbals to create sound when it rains. The structures were placed in the rain veil where the cymbals weathered in the rain. Those cymbals were used in a performance piece later in the summer. WOODWORKER – MIRIAM DEVLIN The students worked with a local woodworker, Miriam Devlin, to cut, drill, sand and stain the wooden base of these smartphone magnifiers. Next, they assembled the stage and lens housing which uses a variety of hardware, plexiglass, epoxy and the lens of a laser pointer. When a smartphone camera is placed over the lens, the object is magnified on the device’s screen. Students used the magnifiers to observe organisms and record information in the form of photos and videos. These students organized their observations using the iNaturalist app.

Providing teenagers with meaningful paid work gives them an opportunity to learn while being active and to explore their own identity by making a difference in the community. It also flexes their social skills through teamwork, communication and leadership. Research projects this summer included a survey amphibians and macroinvertebrate indicator species to assess the health of urban watersheds. Restoration projects included managing and monitoring invasive species, installing erosion control features on hillsides and in gullies, and caring for recently planted trees.

Youth who have participated in Young Naturalists report that the positive impact of the program extends beyond the summer of their internships. The social support of both peers and mentors continues to buoy teens’ interest and commitment in continuing to learn and grow in their own interests and identities. In post-interviews, 100% of participants reported increased interest in learning about science, nature, and the outdoors, as well as increased connection to place and community as a result of participating in the program. 100% of participants also reported developing a sense of self-efficacy, as well as strengthening 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership through the program.“It was really nice to learn about nature and all this cool stuff when you don’t really have the place to do it otherwise. A lot of my friends like nature and like being outside - they’re all science nerds, too - but they wouldn’t do something like this. It’s hard to find someone who will be that person… who will go out on a hike to look at cool stuff and figure out what things are. It’s really cool that I’ve found a place for that.”  “One thing I got form this program was meeting and bonding with people who have the same passions as me – that are passionate about nature. I like it because around my neighborhood there’s not a lot of people that love nature as much as we do. I don’t go out outside as much and link up with friends, because they don’t like the same things I do. [...] It was cool coming out here and meeting new friends that have the same interests as me.” “Usually, I’m not the type of guy who would go up to someone and try to be friends. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to, but you know, it’s just not easy. But having the chance to interact with everyone mixed things up and made it better. It’s different from a school where they just throw you in there and say, ‘here are all these hundreds of people – do what you do’. This was different from that and made it enjoyable.” “It was really cool meeting everyone, but especially the people my age who share this common interest of nature because I didn’t really encounter that anywhere else. I always thought I wasn’t the only one, but I didn’t have anyone to spout out to or talk about this stuff with. It was really cool meeting people who connect to nature in different ways and in their different professions.” “I never realized there are some many kids in Pittsburgh who love nature! Obviously, there are more of us. We need to find them and help them out. Show them the opportunities. I feel like I found more people like me where I live. I mean, my friends obviously appreciate nature and they recycle and stuff, but they also say, ‘you’re a little nature weirdo’ and ‘you hug trees,’ and I’m like ‘yeah’. I found my people and it makes me really happy.” “Your interview process and the way you present yourself at the beginning really gave us an excitement that other educators and mentors don’t have. Your energy, and the way you picked us, and the way you represent this program and this place as a family made everyone excited. That really makes this different from other programs. And the people who come out of it different from other programs.” “I feel like you [the crew leaders] are both learning with us, which is really cool. Even when we’re doing our walks and stuff like that, you could tell you’re interested in what you’re doing and you want to learn more. You’re not just there teaching us. You’re also working on your own knowledge.” “Some programs are a whole bunch of kids who really don’t care. That was something I was really afraid of coming into this program. […] I was going to come in excited and that the other people wouldn’t care as much. This was way different from what I’ve seen. It made me think of teenagers as different now, because what I’m used to seeing is kids who don’t really care about anything.”

This map shows how the intentional partnerships we form with teachers, schools, community organizations, and partner programs allow us to reach students from across the city.