Bloomington Parks and Recreation Dept. receives nature grant

The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department recently announced that it has received a $2,294 grant from the Raymond Foundation to hold a series of nature days for local sixth-grade students. \n“Leonard Springs Nature Day is a program for sixth-grade Monroe County Community School Corporation students to learn about multiple environmental topics relative to Indiana,” said Angie Smith, natural resources coordinator for the department. \nKim Williams, coordinator of High Ability Education for the Monroe County Community School Corporation, said the program idea came about through a partnership among the Sycamore Land Trust, Bloomington Parks and Recreation and MCCSC.\n“Leonard Springs Park is a unique setting full of all types of ‘environmental laboratories,’” Williams said. \nSmith said Bloomington Parks and Recreation is facilitating stations on creek monitoring and health, wetland bird habitat and identification, soil composition and forest ecology.\nWilliams added that the students would be studying water quality and soil composition. The history of the area and the natural setting of the park are also integrated into the day’s activities, she said. \nThe grant money from the Raymond Foundation will be used to purchase additional supplies, as Bloomington Parks and Recreation plans to expand the program from last year, Smith said. \n“Some of the supplies we will be purchasing include additional binoculars and two spotting scopes for bird identification, water monitoring test kits and some forestry equipment,” she said. \nWilliams said sixth-grade students from five elementary schools participated in last year’s program. This year, sixth-grade students from nine MCCSC schools will participate.\nWilliams said that next year, students from all the MCCSC elementary schools will participate in the program. \nLeonard Springs Nature Day will be an annual event for local sixth-grade students. \n“In the future, we hope to develop additional educational programs for elementary students in other grades using the resources and uniqueness of the many city parks in Bloomington,” Williams said. \nSmith said they are still seeking volunteers to help out with the program. \nKim Ecenbarger, special services coordinator for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said that at each nature day, there will be stations set up where volunteers can teach instructional pieces about different aspects of the environment and why each are important.\nLast year, students from the IU Department of Biology and School of Public and Environmental Affairs volunteered, Ecenbarger said.\nAny students or community members interested in volunteering to help with the program can contact Ecenbarger at ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov or Angie Smith at smithan@bloomington.in.gov.