Nature Nearby Program launches this weekend (UTRCA weekly, October 22, 2021)
Community Education staff from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) are launching a new Nature Nearby program! This free program creates opportunities for families to spend time in and with nature, in their local communities.
Staff will lead Nature Nearby programming in various watershed locations on one Saturday per month throughout the fall season. The first sessions are this Saturday, October 23 in Mitchell, St. Marys, and Stratford. Click on the links below for details and to register:
The UTRCA is able to offer the program to participants free of charge, by partnering with community groups including the Rotary Club of St. Marys, Rotary Club of Mitchell, and Rotary Club of Festival City.
Vanni Azzano, UTRCA Community Education Supervisor, shared that staff developed Nature Nearby with an awareness of the mental health and environmental benefits that come from children spending time in nature.
According to Conservation Ontario, “Stepping into nature has been proven to provide health benefits such as: increased energy and immunity, increased weight loss and fitness, increased Vitamin D production, and reduced risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer. A daily walk in nature can be as effective in treating mild cases of depression as taking an antidepressant.”
Time spent in nature also helps create a better understanding and appreciation of the outdoors, which can lead to a desire to protect and care for the environment. Author and educator, David Sobel, is quoted as saying, “If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it. What’s important is that children have an opportunity to bond with the natural world, to learn to love it and feel comfortable in it, before being asked to heal its wounds.”