Greensboro Plan2Play Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2019

104 - FEBRUARY 2019

#3 ENHANCE Bring Nature into our Backyards Protected lands, floodways, and natural resources contribute greatly to Greensboro’s high quality of life and support important ecosystem services. Given the national program trends and local gaps, there is a tremendous opportunity to offer residents and visitors the opportunity to connect more closely with nature in their own neighborhoods, building long-term stewards of the natural environment. Recommendations to Bring nature into our backyards identify opportunities for collective and individual efforts to celebrate and enhance the natural environment within the city limits to provide clean water, protect wildlife populations, and improve biodiversity. Action 3a. Encourage external efforts to enhance environmental stewardship beyond park boundaries through collaborative environmental education and STEAM programs. Environmental education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs are gaining traction in educational programs on a national scale. Environmental education is commonly defined as a process that allows individuals

to explore and engage in environmental issues, and take action to improve the environment. Access to STEAM programs has been shown to aid in the development of cognitive and social skills, increase motivation in school and community involvement, and is associated with higher scores on standardized test in schools. • Expand and diversify environmental education programming within neighborhood parks and recreation centers - Greensboro is already taking advantage of many of its natural resources to provide environmental education programming at the city’s lakes, gardens, and other select locations through the mobile Ecobus programs. Increasingly, environmental education programs are addressing urban issues, including stormwater runoff, urban heat island impacts, and climate change. The Department should increase and diversify environmental education programming - both in content and locations served. Upgraded recreation centers are ideal locations for additional environmental education programming, such as NRPA’s Wildlife Explorers Program. The recreation

centers are proximate to real-life urban ecological issues and serve residents that may face barriers to accessing lakes and garden programming. To help broaden environmental education programs the Department should consider additional staffing and partnering opportunities with service providers. • Create more flexible and dynamic “maker spaces” within recreation centers - The city should consider setting aside space for people to learn STEAM skills in informal learning settings, or “Maker spaces.” Maker spaces are typically flexible spaces that serve as informal classrooms and places to prototype or experiment. Department facilities such as recreation centers would be ideal locations for the creation of maker spaces that encourage STEAM exploration. • Create climate resilient parks - The Department should recognize and foster the important role that parks and drainageways play towards creating resiliency in Greensboro. While some parks, such a Price Park, are managed for unique ecological