Make Earth Day a Daily Event

Earth Day is an annual celebration of things in nature. Many communities offer festivals in April where participants can learn about their local natural resources, and how to live sustainably. My favorite booths have marine animal petting tanks, alternative energy displays (such as solar and wind power), and pot your own succulent arrangements. These activities are not only fun and educational, but they can also be a springboard for launching children’s interests about different science topics.

But what about the rest of the year? How can parents and teachers stimulate children’s interests in different topics affecting our planet, and potentially influence their future career choices?

The Model STEAM Town Initiative was created to build easily replicable model programs that leverage local resources to spur interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) topics.

For example, in the town of Thousand Oaks, California, the city library has a wonderful fish tank. It’s soothing to sit and watch large tropical fish swimming, hiding among the coral, or exhibiting other behaviors. If a child was interested in learning more about these fish, or more broadly about sea life, where can they turn?

The MST Initiative has developed a list of resources where parents can take their children and explore more about the ocean and sea life. Since Thousand Oaks is a short 15 minute drive from Malibu Beach, they list a training guide for docents (from nearby Laguna Beach) that describes and has pictures of the wide variety of sea life found in local tide pools.

If you’re more adventurous, you can take a ride on a boat to go whale watching, where you are likely to see dolphins in their natural habitat as well. Other local resources include a large aquarium in Long Beach, and the Science Museum in Downtown Los Angeles which has extensive and massive exhibits about life in the local oceans. Additional resources include SeaWatch, affiliated with the world class Monterey Bay Aquarium, which speaks to overfishing and making wise decisions as consumers about what we eat. Links to these resources can be found on a Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/SoCalMarineBiology/

The MST Initiative intends to spotlight similar programs in other areas that seek to make local STEAM learning opportunities accessible for both parents (who are probably learning as well) and their children. It is currently working on an entry level program to make early attempts at Bird Watching easy and enjoyable. Online resources (such as an app to identify birds by their songs) are incredibly helpful, and local Audubon Society chapters have informative speakers and outings to participate in. But there’s a gap in entry level learning ideas to stoke children’s initial curiosity. Some of the initial plans include a focus on larger birds (which are easier to identify and observe), feeding birds in your backyard, and observing birds that frequent ponds and bird sanctuaries.