Natural Education Programs for Personalization of Environment : - Cases of Michigan 4-H Children's Garden, Binder Park Zoo, and Natural Education Programs of National Parks in the United States

Responsible environmental behavior of Youths who will live in the 21C: needs the 'Personalization of Environment', which means the process or the result of awareness to the non-personal environment as the personal environment to show the responsible environmental behaviors through the intended physical and psychological contacts to environment. This study intended to analyze various programs of national parks, zoo, children's garden and Project Learning Tree in the United States and to discuss the possibility of 'personalization of environment' and implication for environmental education of Korea. Literature review, field tips, personal interviews and internet searches were used to collect information and data. Programs of North Cascade National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park and 4-H Chiltlren's Garden in Michigan State University showed the cases of direct personalization of environment focusing on the direct contact with nature. The programs of Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek and Project Learning Tree showed the possibilities of iridirect personalization of environment forming meaningful relationships with nature through various indirect activities. It is suggest~d that various natural education programs in Unites States make nature and places meaningful for the people and it needs to be applied for the environmental education programs in Korea