From WXXI news.

This is connections.

I'm Julie Philipp, filling in for Evan Dawson.

Our connection this hour was made on July 24th, 2024, exactly two years ago when connections invited four guests to talk about a project they were starting.

Rochester's first urban nature center.

Back then, it was still a dream.

The city had just allocated the funding and put the project out to bid, but a lot has happened since then.

This week, Tuesday, the city celebrated the opening of the Maplewood Nature Center in Maplewood Park.

So we are bringing those same four guests back into the studio to give us an update.

But before I introduce them, WXXI photojournalist Max Schulte stopped by the New Nature Center earlier this week to learn more about it, and he produced this story.

I said, what we know.

Oh.

It's our what are the rights that every child in the city should have as far as access to nature?

How do we create a facility specifically for for city families that is located in the city, accessible to them?

What can I say for better?

And that's really what was sort of, I would say, the foundational piece of this.

This space was probably a blip on people's radar.

So you had this beautiful Olmsted Park with a facility in it that wasn't really being utilized.

So you didn't necessarily even appreciate how beautiful the park was.

This is an infinity trail, so just adding extra pathways within the park space.

We've already seen people here in the morning doing their morning walks, winding through, meandering through these old oak trees.

There's a lot of oaks here in the park, which is kind of funny because it's Maplewood Park, probably 150, maybe 200 years old.

So some of the oldest oaks, probably in the city, this is a bio swale, so it's planted all with native plants.

The idea is the permeable parking lot drains.

Everything drains towards this area comes in through here.

And instead of just being dumped into the pond, it's being filtered and cleaned.

So that is like a teachable element.

The more we understand about how kids learn, the more we understand that they need to be doing things hands on.

That's the space we want to create here is like hands on opportunities, especially with younger children.

They're curious.

They they connect with animals.

Guys.

I was just telling us, well, of course she has a little tiny.

Nose they can have empathy for, for a snake or for a bug.

They they're curious about how those animals live in the world, and that sort of translates into how we treat each other, how we take care of things.

Usually snakes tongues are rather blunt.

If you care more about and you know more about what's going on in your environment, you are more likely to care about how how it's faring, how it's doing in the world.

And, we want this to be a living lab space where learning about the environment and then learning how to improve the environment, and then that knowledge can be spread to everyone that visits.

A little warm up produced by WXXI, Max Schulte, but there's still a whole lot more we can talk about.

So let me introduce our guest this hour.

We have Bill Collins.

He is president of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association.

Thanks for coming back in.

We have Amanda Little, environmental educator for the city of Rochester.

Thank you.

Sara Scott, director of programs and Parks stewardship for the City of Rochester and star of the film that our YouTube viewers just saw.

And Kyra Stephenson, who is director of Helmer Nature Center with the West around Equate School District and the founder of Nature Mind Solutions and previously nature based learning coach for the Rochester City School District.

Thanks for coming back in today.

Thank you.

Thanks for having us.

Welcome to all of you.

So, Sara, you were in the report, but, not everybody saw it because we we are on the radio and streaming as well.

Could you start us off with a recap of how this came into being and what it looks like when you're going through the whole facility?

Definitely.

And as you were noting the the time that we appeared here last, I'm thinking we just opened our doors on Tuesday.

So almost two years to the day that we were last here talking about this vision.

This has been, probably a decade in the making.

So the city had a vision working with community partners involved in this idea of nature everywhere for everyone.

And how can we make sure that all kids in the city have access to nature, experiences and opportunities?

We had a facility in a beautiful Olmstead Park that, through Arpa and other allocations of funding, we were able to transform, completely transform that building into what is now, I would say, one of the most premier assets in the city.

Beautiful open space, access to the park, bringing folks into this beautiful facility and the vision of being a learning lab.

So how can we make bring nature and bring people into nature, bring people, people into the facility?

Families, youth schools, community groups, and have them see all the beauty that's in our natural environment here in Rochester.

So what if you walk in the door, what do you see?

So you walk in the door.

Well, first you come on to the property and you see this beautiful Olmstead space, and then you see a lot of what will eventually be curated gardens.

So pollinator gardens, bio soil, edible gardens, perennial gardens, a lot of native trees.

Being really thoughtful and mindful about having the outdoor space.

Also be teachable and in a beautiful part of the experience.

We have a brand new shade shelter, brand new playground, a lot of upgrades to the site, permeable pavement, as I noted.

And then you come into the site and it's windows.

It's beautiful windows, plants, indoor plants, lots of, things for youth to engage with.

A beautiful, space friendly staff, I hope.

Also, you see, and then people in the community.

So we've had folks who live in the neighborhood who are like, wait, I've seen this building for the last 30 years, and oh my gosh, now it's open.

What what's going on in here?

Families that have played at the playground who are coming up, people who saw about it and wanted to check it out, a lot of curious folks.

So also just community and lots of kids enjoying and hands on things.

So exploring touch tables, looking through binoculars at the birds that are coming were refilling the pond.

So what does that look like and what's happening there.

And items we, some of the staff have found on site, but as well as natural elements that we brought in to kind of have folks say, okay, wow, this is something in the environment.

What is it?

Let me let me explore it.

Let me learn about it.

And then also through a great partnership with the public library, we have a great library of books, too.

Okay.

So when you were here two years ago, all four of you, there was a lot of passion, a lot of excitement, a lot of apprehension, too, because it was such a big project and a pretty tight timeline.

So as we sit here today, I want to go around and and ask you what you're most excited about today.

And we could start with you, Kira.

All right.

Well, I think the thing that I'm most excited about is it's just providing another space to invite our community to connect with nature.

And we are such a community rooted on, building those connections.

And we have a wealth of, nature based learning type assets.

So this is just another way to to build on those connections.

And we're going to get into some of those and a little bit about how about you, Amanda?

Yes.

It's been so wonderful being open to the public.

Like Sara was saying, community members that have been coming, they're bringing their grandkids for the first time, and they were telling stories of how they used to ice skate on the pond that was there.

So I'm I think I'm most excited to become a part of the lives of the young folks that are now coming in to enjoy this, this beautiful piece of property.

Great.

Thanks you, Sara.

What excites you the most?

Hard to pick one thing.

Yeah.

And I think to kind of piggyback on what Kara was saying, we've we've have these well established relationships.

There's a lot of good folks and organizations doing this work.

And, you know, we've mostly, with our environmental programing, been pushing in at rec centers, which is great, and at other sites and activating city parks.

But now we have a home base.

And not only is it I envision it for for the staff that the great staff that we have to program.

But also like with day one, we probably had five different organizations come in that are doing something related to bringing different populations into nature and wanting to think like, how could we partner?

You know, we're going to talk later about Helmers, but like, how can we part with other nature centers?

How can we partner with organizations we know are doing this work?

How can we partner with groups that might not have a building or a property that want to do more of this with their population that they work with?

And that is very exciting, because then.

You.

Start to think like, okay, this could be really cool.

Like, what can we do?

So there's still a lot of passion in this room.

Okay, last but not least, Bill.

So, I would say that the exciting thing for, for me is that to see what was formerly a dead corner of the park be re-energized.

So for a long time this was this was not used for anything.

It was, you know, there was an ice skating rink in the winter, but there was nothing really going on with the building.

It's just like a drab, dark gray building with a huge parking lot.

For a while, the city used that parking lot to dump mulch and to keep huge piles of mulch.

After the fall leaf collection, there is a playground that the neighborhood constructed.

The pressure treated wood, through quite a bit of time and expense.

And then the city told us we had to tear it down because it was pressure treated wood.

So it was replaced with a smaller playground.

So, and this is all like, right in the middle of a Olmstead Design park, which is really supposed to be nature oriented.

So the exciting thing to me is to see this former empty spot in, in, in this park get energized into something that people are using again, that children are using again.

The families will be using again.

And the fact that, you know, it's really much better for the environment than what was there with the permeable pavement, parking, parking lot, etc.

that's just icing on.

The cake, you know.

So this is this is a big win for the neighborhood.

Neighborhood.

Do you think you've been treated kind of like a, you know, a stepchild?

There's no rec centers there.

The park was kind of ignored.

Not a lot of updates.

Even though there's a river running through it.

There's a beautiful gorge in the in that neighborhood.

What do you what are your thoughts on that?

Well, we definitely need a rec center, that's for sure.

But, because there's a lot of youth in the neighborhood that need, you know, they need recreational outlet summer.

I know that there's some efforts to to help use the schools for that.

But I think this will help with that.

Will help, you know, with, with the kids in the neighborhood and some place to go during the day at least.

You know, a lot of the rec centers are also available in the evening, which is important.

But, you know, we've had a lot of positive stuff in Maplewood and just in the last few months.

Right.

Besides, the nature center, the new library, renovated library has opened.

That's a huge win for the neighborhood.

Before that, the, restored section of the Genesee Trail was open.

Genesee River trail is open.

That was the last unpaved section of the entire trail that was paved and made, Ada compliant through the going a new bypass going under the driving Park Bridge.

Is that having to cross driving parking to the non Ada compliant slope.

And then there is a new playground so that even open for fun, the nature center did.

So which is much better than the playground that was there before.

So so that's exciting.

Yeah.

We've got we've had a lot of positive things going on in Maplewood just in the last few months.

The last time you were here, you talked, you had some concerns about the Lake Avenue, 104 kind of being mowed.

Any, any movement on that in the past two years?

We have not seen the movement yet.

So there has been no redesign yet.

We've heard that, the state is being pressured to do a safety study of it.

But that we've heard nothing about, that the state D.O.T.

tends to be extremely opaque about what they intend to do.

You know, we'd like we'd like to see some enhanced crosswalks getting to this nature center, to make things safer, like a section of Maplewood Drive coming up on zero four.

Cars tend to go very fast.

And if kids in the neighborhood are crossing the crosswalk there, I it's a little hazardous.

So even though there is a crosswalk in the signal light, I think it needs to needs to be improved.

A lot of cars too.

So Sara, I know one of the goals behind this park is to have it accessible to kids on their bikes or just walking from the neighborhood, not having to own a car and drive it to there or, you know, find a bus that'll take them there.

Any updates on on how the accessibility of that is being dealt with.

So, yeah, to to Bill's point, I mean, that part of a sister project, you could say, with some upgrades to the Genesee River trail in that area, including through the park.

So more better marking new pavement treatments.

I want to say on that point, I think one, one benefit, an additional benefit, I would say of, of this project is now we're we're seeing more traffic in the sense of people coming to the space, positive use of the space staff on site at the space positive activity.

More.

I've I've been there several times with my kids and just the neighbors I'm meeting that I didn't know lived in different sections of the neighborhood and then people coming from other neighborhoods.

So I think there's more, eyes on the space and, and a sense of, okay, this resource that's here now and stewarding that resource.

And I think that all leads to the ability to sort of advocate for the next set of improvements.

And so one of the things, that actually led to kind of it's all this sort of history of how we came to this nature center site, but the ten minute walk to parks and this look at, okay, every child in the city should live within a ten minute walk to an accessible space, a safe, enjoyable park space.

And so this sort of goes back to that work around how do we make sure that crosswalks, safe crosswalks, speed limits.

And I think that ties into and builds a part of this, the Vision Zero.

And that is a very ambitious initiative.

And it's going to take time.

But I think that when you have a project like this in an area where there's already been attention, I think it it kind of adds a little bit of weight to let's take a look at bridge View.

Let's take a look at, you know, the 104 interchange.

Let's try to, you know, more folks are seeing it, more folks are interacting.

It's on people's radar.

And Vision Zero being zero pedestrian deaths.

Yes.

So the the mayor's initiative around the rock Vision Zero looking at how do we.

Yes.

Exactly how do we make streets safer, trails safer people more aware of pedestrians, cyclists?

You might see the signs.

I've started seeing signs around on bus stops and on busses, and Bill and I are part of that as well, advocating around that.

Okay.

Amanda and Kira, you're the educators in the room.

What does the research say?

Why is it so important to have, outside in nature related opportunities for kids?

Excuse me?

Oh, my gosh, that could be a whole show in itself, right?

How many how many minutes do we have?

Yeah, we've got time to take somebody.

Somebody's time is up.

You know, I think I think the power behind, having these spaces and having kids connect with nature is, you know, we come back to joy.

We come back to love.

We come back to discovery, curiosity, knowledge.

I mean, you can just kind of go on and on.

And when you look at kind of the essence of children and they're, they're naturally curious.

And sometimes when we take those spaces away, we take those opportunities away.

It it creates deficits that are lifelong.

And by creating spaces and time and connection for children to be with nature, they are doing the learning, and nature as the teacher, and they will start to make their own connections and they will, answer their own questions.

And that starts the foundation to be lifelong learners, but also seeing themselves as a part of nature and with nature, instead of kind of this top down mentality that we have created.

And as you start to create those experiences and kids, kids are learning with nature, they change.

And I think that's kind of the beauty that we've seen.

By putting an emphasis on nature based learning in the last several years within the Rochester area is that then it creates holistic wellness.

You know, we like to say that it's good for their brain, their body, their heart, their spirit.

And that then creates growth academically.

By taking risk outside, you know, climbing a tree, jumping rocks.

Then that translates to taking risks in the classroom.

And, that we know too, by creating those connections and learning with community, there's so much learning that comes with language and reading and writing and math and nature is is the ultimate teacher.

You can learn all of our subjects through nature.

It's just a matter of how to do it and what it looks like.

Okay.

Yeah.

Amanda, she was right.

She could go on forever, right?

Right.

Is there anything that you want to add to that?

Yeah.

I can add just a little anecdote about how important the curiosity and the wonder is of this space.

We were outside on a program yesterday, and and a few of the girls just went off and were, you know, playing with the leaves and sticks and making little coming up with stories and running in and out of the of the large branches that were hanging down and was kind of creating a small house type, type look to it.

So it's really just providing the kids with, with an opportunity to get out there and see, see what nature can, can show them and inspire in them.

And we're we're really basing a lot of our programing on the beautiful elements of the site.

So we have programing based around the pond.

We have pollinator gardens.

We've seen goldfinches out amongst amongst the, purple cone flowers and, and other pollinators.

And so it's just giving kids time to, to pause and to observe.

We've been doing a lot of just basic observations this week and having the kids use their senses and, and just bringing them them into dropping them into nature instead of, having it be on the outskirts of, of kind of our, our daily lives.

And I don't think of people when people think of segregation, they don't think of environmental segregation.

And I looked up a pretty good definition of it.

It describes how low income neighborhoods and communities of color face unequal exposure to environmental hazards, while lacking equal access to environmental benefits like green space.

And is this one of the many ways I'm assuming the city's addressing environmental segregation?

Yes, I think that is sort of foundational to the work that we've been doing within the city.

So the city has had a environmental, some sort of environmental programing, environmental education programing for at least the last 20 to 30 years.

And that was a lot around looking at park stewardship, park activation, getting kids out into parks, the Earth Explorers program, that sort of, I would say, like the foundation of our where all of the environmental education started within the city was was the Earth Explorers program.

And that was going indirect.

And Amanda's been very instrumental in that over the last several years, like going into Parks and Kira.

You can speak to this too, just going into a space where maybe it's not necessarily the most wild park in the city.

It's not a wild trail that's, you know, secluded where we think, okay, I'd have to go to this far off place to find nature and finding nature where it is.

But then also offering and providing opportunities and making it accessible, making it free, making it, you know, friendly, making it.

I was just thinking when you were saying that, that we were so nervous about, like, what are we going to do with them?

What are we going?

And it's like they came in and just did their own thing in the space, and it was more like, okay, so back and help facilitate or help be a part of that, but don't try to lead it so much.

And so I think offer it, you know, providing a safe space that's free, accessible, open to the public where anyone is welcome to come.

And, you know, I think having this in the city showing that this can happen in the city, that this can happen in a city park, it doesn't have to be far off in the forest.

Is certainly part of that.

And then, you know, maintaining that relationship with the rec centers, expanding out into other organizations that serve city youth and making sure that they can get to the site and have have opportunities, and talking with teachers that are already doing into their classrooms.

And how can we offer a learning lab and be a resource?

I think as part of addressing what you're talking about.

I think it's interesting, too, that this, nature center really kind of abuts Kodak Business Park, you know, the coyote, know Kodak Park, and you know this, which is the largest industrial sites in the state, you know, so it shows you can have kids exposed to nature and a lot of different places.

It doesn't have to be like a wild forest.

This is the perfect example of of using this.

To be in the shadow of, an industrial park, a parking lot.

Do you have some that Kira.

Yeah.

And that that always has been a big a big push in terms of equity and access to to green safe spaces.

And having that mentality, that nature is nature is everywhere.

You just have to know kind of how to look for it.

And again, giving time and space, a lot of the, the things that I work, work on is looking from an asset mind in terms of here's what you have access to.

So paying attention to what nature is there, keeping in mind that we know that the inequities can be fierce.

Right.

In terms of, when kids are able to walk to certain spaces and they're under a tree canopy and there's biodiversity versus it's it's not even safe to get from one space to another.

And again, all of, all of the work that is happening in this community to break those, those barriers down, and people want to help, and people want to be involved and so that we can get nature, you know, accessible with everyone.

And the research does support that when children and communities are surrounded by nature, physical health, mental health, intellectual stimulation is increased.

And so I think it's got to be a priority for all of our neighborhoods and all of our children to have access to, to safe nature spaces.

Can I just say one thing to you on that point?

So we keep saying nature everywhere, and that is an initiative that we, several of us at the table have been a part of.

And as far as thinking about how do we ensure that every child has access to some kind of environmental programing and environmental experiences, regardless of where they live?

And I think there's lots of great organizations doing that work.

There's lots of great educators doing that work.

And I think one of the things we've talked a lot about is how do we reach into schools and and how do we reach into not, you know, other nonprofit and afterschool programs and childcare programs to make sure that we are offering up resources and opportunities.

And in the facility now, I think that's a big thing we talk about.

We're going to talk, okay, we're.

Going to take a little break and we're going to we're going to spend a lot of time on that.

We have been talking with Bill Collins, president of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association, Amanda Little, environmental educator for the city of Rochester.

Sara Scott, director of programs and parks stewardship for the city of Rochester, and Kyra Stephenson, director of Helmer Nature Center.

With the West around School District and founder of Nature Mind Solutions.

We we will be back to continue our conversation about the new Maplewood Nature Center.

I'm Megan Mack, coming up in our second Our Connection Summer sessions continues this week.

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All the housekeeping out of the way.

I'm going to introduce our guests one more time.

We have Bill Collins, president of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association.

We have Amanda Little, environmental educator for the city of Rochester, Sara Scott, director of programs and parks stewardship for the City of Rochester.

And Kyra Stephenson, director of Helmer Nature Center.

With the West around Equate School District and founder of a consulting business, Nature Mind Solutions.

So we talked a little bit about all of the stuff going on this week.

And this was more, I'm guessing a, an open house sort of event.

But but what's going on?

Other are there to begin with what's planned right now in terms of programing and activities and partnerships.

Yep.

So yeah, you're correct.

This week we said let's just have the space open.

We knew there'd be a lot of curiosity about the building and what was happening there.

So more of a come on in and meet some of the staff.

You know, get to know the site a little bit.

We have some great materials that we've been working on with our communications team to kind of advertise the site and promote the site and, and allow folks to kind of come in for a self-guided experience as well, so that if they wanted to just tool around the site, see what's there.

And then we do we I actually brought you a copy of and it's now on the city's website, as well as on our, our central, which is the portal that we use for registration.

But we have a full suite of programs starting next week.

And then that's our sort of summer offering, and then we'll transition into fall offering when we, get into the later into the September time period where we're imagining, you know, hopefully schools and other groups are coming to the site.

So the, the information we have is we're trying to offer programing to see kind of what appeals to people, what is work for people, what what sort of, experiences and opportunities work.

And then we're sort of seeing it as well or revised.

So each week we kind of touch base.

How did it go?

You know, what are the times that most people are there?

What programs seem to be the most popular?

We have some programs in partnership with the Maplewood Library.

We're doing some stewardship programs for adults.

So we we kind of tried to offer programing from birth really to, to adult.

So we have mindful meditation walks.

We have our Earth Explorers program.

We have, caterpillar and butterflies, which is sort of a well, if Amanda can speak more of that because that's her program.

But, for littles aged three and under.

And then we have Saturdays.

We're looking at Saturdays as, like an open exploration.

We'll have some activities to kind of drop in, have the experience, take the take the scavenger hunt, take the map, go on an adventure.

We also have nature backpack.

So take out a nature backpack.

Go explore the site on your own.

And the cool thing, is the site is what it is now, but it's going to continue to evolve.

So we are re naturalizing the pond where Stephanie, by the way, who does a lot of our horticulture work is going to be adding in additional plants and, you know, curating pollinator gardens and we'll have edible garden.

So things are going to change on the site as we actually have access to the space now.

And, can make, you know, more, more outdoor classroom space.

Okay.

And do you have anything to add to that?

Yeah, I think it's it's a really cool kind of, array of offerings.

Again, our, our toddler program is coming up next week.

So it's going to be more kind of, not as structured, but maybe some nature.

Nature, related books, you know, maybe some story time elements in there, some songs, and just an enjoying nature with, with the little ones and all the way up to your mindful meditation walks and really just, just kind of meeting people where they're at and seeing what they're interested in.

People have just enjoyed coming into this space and a little plug for our for our ambassador animal, or a black pine snake named Sassy.

Sassy is pretty popular already with those kids.

She has been a big hit this week, but it's been so cool to be able to have that, to bring that connection to kids and and maybe they'll go home and say, oh, I saw this cool snake at at the at the Maplewood Nature Center.

So it's kind of just, just creating more of those hands on experiences that that stick with kids.

And Bill, what are you hearing in the neighborhood?

Kind of similar to what I was thinking.

Like, it's so good to have that space finally occupied to some, something positive, and excitement over, you know, something really new in the city.

And we were lucky enough to have a vacant facility in Maplewood that the city could use for it.

So, and by the way, regarding your materials, I just want to mention, I think that logo made out of the, the maple, helicopters is genius.

Whoever came up.

Got mad props to the city communications team and bill swap.

Walker did that?

Yes.

That's that's.

It was a stroke of genius.

Really?

So, I think that, you know, is it it's also a connection with the Genesee Valley Trail going across the Seneca Park, you know, the crossover to and the pedestrian trail.

The Seneca Park is right there.

So I think this is something that's going to be a lot more very visible to the neighborhood and a very positive thing.

And when you were here last time, Kira, you were actually with the city school district, in a school that was doing nature based learning.

And I know that, that the partnership with the school district is really important in this project as well.

Can you I don't know who wants to pick that up, but tell us where that stands and what you're hoping to see.

Yes.

So this is.

You know, and this goes back to kind of where our relationship started.

Not not that long ago, really.

And the growth that has happened.

So, I know that I'm still a part of the, along with Sara and Amanda at the, group that is working with the city school district in getting nature based learning to all of our city.

You know, all the students within the city school district.

There's a task force that Sean Coffey, he's the director of science for the Ccsd is is kind of leading the way with that.

And so that's going to continue.

We're part of nature everywhere.

And, it still looks like school 12 will have their nature based learning program and have a coach there to, to kind of keep those, keep those programs going in those connections.

Yeah.

And then I think the, the connection with nature everywhere, what the district's doing then I, you know, would be remiss not to mention, like, the Rochester Ecology Partners and Chris Meyer and all the work that his organization is doing, to kind of carry that forward as far as making sure that the district at least still has programing.

And I know they're also working with charters and, and some homeschool groups.

I feel like there's several different groups doing this work in the city, and the Nature Everywhere initiative was kind of trying to coordinate that.

And now the district has kind of come into the picture, and they're also leading this task force.

So it's a Herculean task.

But yes, the momentum is moving forward.

And I think we've seen from other cities as well, across the United States, that when you get everybody at the table, and taking part of, you know, where they have their assets that that can come to the table to make all of this happen.

That's where you see the change in not only the health of your community, but then your natural health as well.

And so it's really important that everybody is coming to the table to make these things, happen, not just within the city, but then the surrounding communities as well.

You know, nature doesn't know the boundaries, right?

And we have this river that runs through our community to the Genesee, you know, the Genesee River into Lake Ontario, which is an incredible.

It's the I asset and it's incredible.

And and most people I would say don't know it's even there.

Most most of it.

You see it when you cross over downtown but you don't see the rest of it going right away to the lake.

Right.

And it's going to be even more important as our climate changes and our community is living and living, working, playing, connecting with a fresh body of water that, you know, we the value of that and what it's going to entail down the road, it is crucial that our community kind of paves the way for coming together to do, protection and guardianship and stewardship projects and education and research around how this community is going to continue to thrive with nature and and our people.

Amanda, is that oh, go ahead, sir.

I was just going to say, I think something that's coming up is so important is this relationships and partnerships.

I mean, at this table, there's, you know, a lot of the strength is around the relationships we've built through the nature everywhere, stuff that we've done through the cities, connecting each other to nature, through the children's outdoor, those that's all relationships and partnerships, whether it's with the district and Kira or the Genesee Land Trust or, you know, Rochester Ecology Partners or, earthworks.

It's all about these relationships that with the common goal.

And we keep saying it over and over, but that every child has an opportunity to access nature.

And and I include in that adults as well.

But starting with kids and making sure that they feel like they can connect.

And then just going back to what you were saying, though, about the trail, I mean, that stretch of river and trail to cross over the Genesee River on a pedestrian bridge where you're straddling between two historic parks and you're literally in the middle of the river, I guarantee you, like you were saying, some people don't even know that bridges there.

They don't know where the river goes once it leaves.

And in the fall it is.

And it's absolutely gorgeous.

So getting more people to even know that that is there is a huge win.

Because then you're curious, what's that?

What's down there?

What's living down there?

What kind of birds are down there?

What kind of trees are those?

So sorry.

So I wanted to get back to something that you touched on a little bit.

Is that the goal here isn't just to, you know, make kids healthy and enjoy the environment, but to to shape their futures a little bit to make them become stewards of our environment.

And can you touch on that a little bit?

Yes.

That is one of our, our big goals.

And an example of, of that is actually our partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology.

They have come out and they do their litter trap program and they're plastic pollution.

Study that.

They're actually they have graduate students working on it.

And we actually install litter traps into the storm drains on at at least three of our, our centers.

And we're going to have one at the nature center as well.

And then right, is able to come and, and pull up the plastic and they actually study it and they sort it and determine why that plastic is getting where it is, and to come up with solutions with the kids about how we can prevent that from, from continuing to happen.

And so these different partnerships that that we're going to rely on are going to help kids realize that it's their future, too.

And, and it's, it's their neighborhood.

So we do it.

We do cleanups.

We just had a clean up with the Seneca Park Zoo where we cleaned up, I think it was 300 pounds of garbage just in the surrounding area of of the nature center.

So many of those to to follow and and just getting kids involved with that and teaching them that, this is all our space and it's our shared space and we should take care of it.

And the Hellman Nature Center, where you are now, you're connected somehow with the West around a quite school district.

So it's not just the city.

Do you want to talk about that a little bit?

Sure, sure.

So the West Virginia white school district does kind of own and manage the home.

Our nature center, which is about 45 acres, along a creek, actually a wetland that then leads into Lake Ontario.

And we have a center and a kind of a community space.

It's under construction right now, so I'm learning from them as well.

You know, we're going to have a steam room and some, pre-K, classes coming on to site as well.

And it's been established since 1973.

So, and I'm only 24 days in, but I was.

Congratulations.

In the community.

My, my own children graduated and we're, you know, got to visit the nature center.

So, but again, it is not it is with the, the West, the white school district.

And I think every child at some point between, kindergarten in about sixth grade gets to visit Helmer Nature Center, a bunch of different times.

And so part of it for me is continuing the growth of that and getting middle school and high schoolers there, but then also making sure that it is an asset for our greater community.

Amanda and I have already been talking.

Sara and I are brainstorming and and there's ways we've talked about even biking from Maplewood to Helmer and, and making those connections and one side of the river to the other.

We're a little bit further north.

It's a different ecosystem in terms of wetland.

We've got some, woodland and, and, the maple trees as well.

So, and then Amanda and I are going to be doing an event for a teacher retreat back to school, teacher retreat where they're going to be at Helmer in the morning and Maplewood in the afternoon.

You want to talk about that a little?

Yeah, I think it's a great opportunity for.

It's for teachers and educators alike to to see the resources that we have in Rochester and how how we're, we're kind of doing nature based learning in an urban setting.

And so they're going to get a look at both our sites and, and take some tours and just learn about, how we're programing here.

And I think it's a great point that you have different ecosystems so that you can do both of them without really repeating things.

You talked at the beginning of the show of possibly, other nature centers in the area, too.

Any, anything concrete yet, or is it.

Of establishing other nature centers.

Starting other partnerships and.

Oh, other one of your shops.

Yeah.

Well, so two different things.

So one, so I know as far as the other nature centers, we're still getting our feet under ourselves with this one.

But I know that there is, a vision for some sort of nature, nature space at the new state park downtown.

I don't know all the ins and outs of that specific project.

That would be another show in the future about that.

But okay, as far as partnerships, certainly so foundational to this whole thing happening, I mean, this would not have happened without all the great partnerships.

But but we were blessed to have so many different groups within the first week come in to the site.

And I'm not sure if you've experienced this too with your 24 days at Helmers, but, just curious and wanting to say, hey, we're doing this program at the Y or, the county.

There was a gentleman who came who does, nature based work with veterans, of Monroe County, Rochester Regional Health, like different groups coming in and they're already doing this work.

They're looking for other opportunities.

There.

This I want this to be a resource for the community.

So if there's a way that we can coordinate with them, have programing at our site, you know, provide some of the education piece or support them in the work they're already doing, that would be a dream.

And I think the Karen, Amanda talking about this educator workshop, that's something that we've talked a lot about is, the most important thing is getting kids engaged in the environment.

You don't have to be an expert.

It's great to have someone who can tell you what kind of bird that is or describe this process, but just getting kids outside.

So getting nontraditional educators, school based educators, Elementary's teachers who might not have the science background, every adult or young person who wants to provide some kind of education, providing them with some training, some equipment, some tools, some ideas about how to do that would be if that if we're able to do that, that I feel it could be a mark of huge success for me with the Nature Center.

I remember years ago, I volunteered and we took, students from the city out to Victor to mountain bike, and most of the time they were not biking.

They were excited about a rabbit.

You know, like in the room.

And they'd all gather around and the rabbit would be, so it it you just put them there and they figure out what, what they want to do.

But, I am going to put you on the spot a little bit because you jumped the gun.

I didn't even ask the question.

I know there's, some nature programing going on in other our centers, but it's a vision.

You mentioned High Falls is a possibility.

Is our vision to have, nature centers all over the place at it.

So that's really funny that you said that.

I mean, in a dream world, we we have said that, each of these organizations and all these groups that are doing this work could be busy every day, all day, full time doing this work.

If we were truly providing the youth in this city equitable access and and quality programing, because it's not just a one off experience, it should be an ongoing opportunity to engage.

So if money and other things were no issue.

Absolutely.

I think, you know, the nature center right now is, is the is the site the city is focused on as far as focusing our, our, attention is as far as a home base and a brick and mortar.

But I think we've talked a lot about ways to develop this in schools, ways to develop this, an after school programs, you know, there's other groups that are doing this without without a brick and mortar.

It'd be great, you know, if they wanted to spoke, to have a hub.

You know, we've talked a lot about this idea of hubs, like, could there be hubs in each quadrant?

Libraries are doing this work through the Nature Backpack program.

So there's different ways this is happening.

And I think it's really interesting now with Kyra transitioning into her role because it does sort of expand the constellation of of of these connections.

So go ahead and do so.

I'm I'm a big believer in improving infrastructure.

So whether that's roads or water or sewer, I think when you improve infrastructure the whole community benefits.

But nature has infrastructure too.

And so like the city has planted over 10,000 new trees in the city, in the past few years.

And a lot of them are in neighborhoods that haven't had a lot of trees in the past.

So ideally, when the kids go to the nature center, you want them to be able to go out and see the same birds and insects and animals that they saw at a nature center in their own neighborhoods.

And to do that, you've got to build up the nature infrastructure in the neighborhoods, too, right?

So the it's not just planting trees along the street.

You've also wanted to try to focus on some vacant lots to see how they can be improved into being more nature oriented, to get the kids to be able to go in there and see the bugs in there, see the animals in there, etc.. So that's all part of part of the nature.

Education is not just the formal nature centers, it's actually in the neighborhoods themselves.

Yeah.

And as I'm sitting here listening, you know, we we talk about relationships.

And I think from what I have seen over the last several years, even pre-pandemic to now, is that people are yearning for something that is different in terms of our relationship with nature and whether it whether it's getting back to, you know, the way we were with nature 100 years ago, or it's just that sense of the way the world is can feel overwhelming.

It can feel lonely, can feel, you know, anxiety producing.

And so we don't necessarily have to have so much structure around this, and you don't need to go into nature and have to be to identify everything kind of used to be that way, you know, you should be able to identify birds and trees, but instead now it is, helping people either remember, you know, a really good friend of mine, Lori Brooke.

Hello.

Keep saying enjoying second childhood, which I just experienced that with my mom, you know, and taking her to look at caterpillars.

And we didn't go very far at all.

And she was like, this is incredible.

And it's just, bringing all of this, these resources together from people, relationships, places from Palmer Nature Center to Maplewood Nature Center, but then also being the voice of this is about a reciprocal relationship with other living beings that are on this planet, you know, and we're we're not this superior.

We definitely think we are.

We definitely have a huge impact when we when we are around with nature.

But I think it's really about that message of, look at what happens when we are in reciprocity with other living beings.

And it is it's changing the community.

We know that it will change for the good as well.

From, from, you know, concrete and steel mortar, you know, all that kind of infrastructure to that bio infrastructure as well.

So after all this work over two years, your work, it sounds like it's really just going to keep on rolling, right?

Absolutely.

I think the work is it's exciting though.

It's I mean, we just keep pinching ourselves to say, you know, and and I think the other piece that's feels important is we have such great relationships with, with our cities, rec centers and, and Amanda, you know, and other educators over time have formed really strong relationships.

And there's a lot of great educators and those rec centers doing work.

And we've seen more and more nature work happening and, you know, bike clubs and hiking clubs.

And we have a great relationship where we're taking kids kayaking and canoeing and rock climbing.

And so I think there's just endless opportunities to continue to expand.

And so I think the the exciting challenge is how do you do it all?

How do you sustain it?

How do you grow more folks who feel confident to do this, how do you make sure you're reaching into all the different spaces and providing something to to folks who are requesting it, whether it be a one off opportunity or an ongoing mentorship or development or and also, I want to say, you know, learning because I think we're all we're all still learning.

So none of us I wouldn't call myself an expert.

I have lots to learn.

I think we all could say that.

And, I say it all the time with the team.

You know, I'm not about reinvent.

Like, we don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Let's let's find the people that do this really well.

Let's partner with them.

Let's do the things we can do really well, really well, and then look into the community to find those leaders or those other folks.

And that might be some of the kids we work with that can teach us how to do the things that we need to do.

And I just want to say that I really love what you said about making sure that the same things they can experience and see at the nature center, the things that we're creating, you know, parks and green spaces in the city that they can also find those things there.

We've talked a lot about kids.

The video showed kids, communing with snakes and all of that.

But this is for the grownups to right?

Yeah, definitely.

Yeah.

I we have teachers that are reaching out saying, you know, this is something I want to bring to my practice.

How do we do it?

That's one of the reasons why we have the Nature Based Learning Symposium, August 25th at Durand.

Amanda and I are working with the Association for Nature Based Education on the teacher retreat event.

And yes, Sara, if you want.

Yeah.

Well, I mean, we've, you know, been in conversation with several of the different libraries and some of the library leadership in the city to talk about, like bringing, bringing librarians and bringing educators in the libraries.

You know, we just Bill and I were just talking about getting the neighborhood association to come to the site.

As far as the nature center is concerned, I truly do believe we want it to be programed as much as possible.

And it doesn't always have to be us.

If if there's organizations that we can help facilitate programing.

So like I mentioned, the veterans groups, or older adults that want to be part of it, that we can engage, I mean, because we we also have a stewardship program.

So we're going to be, Stephanie Benton is going to be leading some of our horticulture work.

You know, I'm thinking like master Gardeners or folks that are interested in gardening in their yards or how can I, like Bill mentioned, transform this urban lot, like all of those things, and reciprocity.

So we have things to share with you.

But we also know we have plenty of things to learn.

Yeah.

I mean, it's perfect for older adults to be there, too.

It's all Ada compliant.

So it's a very safe and accessible way for older adults that may not be as maybe uncomfortable being outside, because of frailty or whatever.

It's a great place for them to be able to experience, nature.

And I know two years ago there was a little bit of concern that, oh will they come if you build it.

Is that a concern anymore.

I don't, I don't think so.

I think I think from what we've seen this week, people are just, are just excited to have to have this resource available to them.

So we've seen I think we saw about 90 to 100 people come through the doors just in opening day alone.

And it's been it's been pretty steady ever since.

And, and you know, the funny thing about, kind of reaching all ages is that nature has the ability to create all in everybody from a baby to somebody that's 100 years old.

So I think we have that going for us as well.

Well, I want to congratulate you.

Where should people go if they want to look for information on the programs and just the center itself?

So to to learn more about what's going on at the Nature Center, you can check out the city's website.

So City of rochester.gov/mnc.

There's a whole bunch of information.

Our our summer guide is there and a bunch of information about our programing.

Okay.

Well let me thank all of you for coming in again.

We'll have you back in two years and see what you're up to.

And yep, we've had Bill Collins, president of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association, Amanda Little, environmental educator for the city of Rochester.

Sara Scott, director of programs and parks stewardship for the city of Rochester.

And Kira Stephenson, director of Helmer Nature Center with the West around the Coyote School District.

Thank you all so much for coming in.

It's been a really fun time.

And also thanks to our production team and to you, our listeners.

Evan will be back on Monday, I think.

And in the meantime, go play with snakes or something.

Take care.

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