200 kids participate in
Facing Urban Nature project
UrbaNature Education provides hands-on outdoor science education to children from Côte-des-Neiges and NDG
July 10, 2024
This summer, UrbaNature Education, in collaboration with TD Friends of the Environment, Comité Jeunesse NDG, and Concordia University, is providing hands-on outdoor science education to campers from Côte-des-Neiges and Notre-Dame de Grace. This initiative enriches the childrens’ learning journeys and simultaneously encourages them towards environmental stewardship.
UrbaNature and Concordia University have collaborated since 2020, hiring students via Canada Summer Jobs to conduct biological surveys in city green spaces. Over time, this initiative has evolved into the Facing Urban Nature (F.U.N) project, which has a dual role in green space research and science outreach. Partnering with Comité Jeunesse NDG, F.U.N got more than 200 kids aged 6 to 12 outdoors and interacting with nature last summer.
If you would like to contribute to F.U.N this summer, the team is actively seeking volunteers to help with day camp activities and citizen science.
This summer, UrbaNature is ramping up F.U.N programming again! Weekly outdoor science education days will start in July for kids at CDN and NDG borough day camps. Throughout the summer, day campers will learn hands-on about biodiversity, solar systems, waterways, gardening, electricity, and much more. As with last year, F.U.N days offer a rare chance for many of these kids – often from economically vulnerable and new immigrant communities – to connect with nature, delving into science in a higher education setting.
F.U.N relies on support from various Concordia University departments and initiatives, as well as the broader community; UrbaNature particularly thanks TD Friends of the Environment, Member of National Assembly Desiree McGraw, and the Borough of CDN-NDG. Lisa Mintz, Executive Director of UrbaNature Education, draws attention to the significance of their contributions: “This funding is crucial for the children we work with. Many of them come from low-income families [and] rarely have the opportunity to connect with nature.”
If you would like to contribute to F.U.N this summer, the team is actively seeking volunteers to help with day camp activities and citizen science.
You can also show your support and stay updated by following @urbanatureeducation and @funmtl2024 on Instagram and UrbaNature on Facebook, and by joining the iNaturalist project F.U.NMontreal.
Feature image: Lisa Mintz with campers in Falaise St-Jacques, courtesy of UrbaNature Education
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We teach environmental education in urban and suburban settings. We facilitate the human connection with Nature, wherever it is found, ensuring our programs are available to all, especially vulnerable populations. Our vision is for nature-based learning to be a normal part of education throughout life; for everybody to experience and recognize the benefits of connecting with Nature daily for their minds, bodies and souls. urbanature.org
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