“e” inc. Receives First-Ever Award in Boston from the U.S. Forest Service to Create Summer Immersion Nature Program for Low-Income Urban Youth

“e” inc.’s Explorations in an Urban Wild program is free for all Boston urban day camp children

Environment science non-profit “e” inc. has just received an award from the U.S. Forest Service to bring Explorations in an Urban Wild, an innovative field experience program, to urban youth from low-income and underserved Boston communities.  This forest investigation program will take place daily at the Allendale Woods in Jamaica Plain, where young people will use nature investigations to learn about the out-of-doors.  The Forest Service More Kids in the Woods Award is the very first to be received by an organization in the Boston area. “e” inc. is an award-winning science and civics organization providing in-depth science and community involvement to 2,500 youth in Metro Boston.

“e” inc.’s Explorations in an Urban Wild is a unique field program specially crafted for children who rarely have the opportunity to experience, explore, or examine the natural world around them.  The program’s three-tiered, progressive approach is designed to engage youth through exposure, hands-on education, and action. Longtime “e” inc. supporter and Allendale Woods abutter, the Springhouse Assisted Living Center, will serve as the program’s staging area, hosting the children daily and providing an indoor classroom and outdoor study space. 

These US Forest Service projects include activities and programs designed to spark curiosity about nature and promote learning through applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics principles.  “The “e” inc. Explorations in an Urban Wild program is a perfect fit with these goals and will help combat summer learning loss within these communities,” said Forest Service Boston Urban Connections Program Manager Jessie Scott.

According to Dr. Ricky S. Stern, Executive Director of "e" inc., Explorations in an Urban Wild is a demonstration of the power of experience-based learning, which has its own special rewards and brings about excellent retention of new science ideas in these young participants. From log rolling to scavenger hunts and wild edibles to pond viewers, this day of exploration is so enticing that urban children gain a confidence in the wild that they never had. Our goal is that the participants not only understand science but gain a greater curiosity about and emotional concern for the importance of protecting natural spaces in the city. We are grateful for the support of the Forest Service and the Springhouse Assisted Living Center. We certainly could not do the Explorations program without them.”

In a May 9, 2013 press release about its support of nature-based programs, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said, “Forest Service conservation education programs inspire young people to start exploring the natural world around them, which develops a life-long appreciation for the environment. Our partnerships help ensure that we bring the great outdoors to children, whether in an urban or rural setting.”

About Explorations in an Urban Wild

During the six-week program which begins on July 8^th, “e” inc. will organize 30 one-day field trips for more than 450 children.  “e” inc. will create a pre-visit Explorations info package to get participating youth excited for their visit to Allendale Woods, and will work with the Forest Service to involve up to 30 teams from community summer camps.  The program will hire and train two high school students to assist the “e” inc. educator during the field trips.  Each team’s visit includes hands-on explorations of a large pond and several miles of hiking trails that comprise the 90-acre Allendale Wild in Jamaica Plain.  Throughout the session, students perform experiments and observations of this ecosystem, enabling them to gain an understanding of the interconnected systems of the forest.  “e” inc. will show each team how to use the knowledge they gained from this experience to protect the forest’s interwoven beings and biome by making a difference for the trees/forest spaces in their own community.

Finally, each team will choose an action component that will be initiated back at the community center.  They are: 1) The Hunter-Gatherer Project, where students plant native tree saplings (white pine, hemlock, maple) at their camp and make a small, outdoor friendly pamphlet explaining how it might have been used by previous generations; 2) Farmer Project, where children grow a small salsa garden at camp that can be used as a teaching tool by other community center members; 3) Recreation Project, where campers initiate an anti-litter campaign around their community center to protect the area; or 4) Participants create “adopt a tree” posters and signs and place near trees in the neighborhood that they wish to protect.

About “e” inc.

“e” inc. is an award-winning environment science learning and action center that provides in-depth science and community involvement to 2,500 urban youth in Metro Boston. Its mission is to create a new generation of conservation citizens committed to understanding and protecting the environment. Through educational science programs and actual civic involvements, “e” inc. provides children, teens, and adults with a scientific understanding of the Earth’s natural resources, biomes, and beings along with the skills needed to protect the planet and live sustainably.  For more information, please visit www.e-action.us.