The Wild Adventure Bus - BRINGING NATURE TO URBAN KIDS

“Children’s alienation from nature is a growing trend worldwide and could be the most serious threat to conservation for future generations.” Research strongly shows the importance of unstructured free play in the outdoors for children, yet the opportunities are for many kids non-existent. Research shows (1) Children must develop a sense of respect and caring for the natural environment before the age of eleven, or be at risk of never developing such attitudes (2) Positive interactions with the natural environment are an important part of healthy child development, and enhance learning and quality of life (3) The most effective way to shape environmental attitudes and behaviors in adulthood is through wild nature activities such as camping, playing in the woods, hiking, walking, fishing and hunting. Domesticated nature activities, like caring for plants and gardens also have a positive relationship to adult environment attitudes, but their effects aren’t as strong. Participation in scouts or other forms of environmental education that does not allow for free play in nature did not have an effect on adult attitudes toward the environment. The Wild Adventure Bus (preliminary name) provide school kids pre-K to 8th grade with recurring wilderness adventures through an after-school program. The Wild Adventure Bus takes kids to rich natural environments. Age-appropriate activities are incorporated and co-created with the kids, however the focus is on free unstructured play, where kids are encouraged and stimulated to have fun and create self-directed play. The youth-leaders are always at hand, able to assist in problem solving, providing gears and tools, teach skills and building a caring community. Fishing, building a camp, cooking over a fire, role-plays, tree-, and rock-climbing, kayaking, creating a natural obstacle course, observing animals, listening to the sounds of nature are activities that will naturally flow from the environment. The bus also visits farms and local parks. ►ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: CREATING FUTURE GUARDIANS OF OUR PLANET ►SOCIAL IMPACT: HEALTHY, WELL-ROUNDED COMPASSIONATE KIDS (Added a silly picture so the vault would to let me upload this summary!