KAEE’s 48th Annual Conference | Forging Paths for Environmental Education: Community, Conversations, and Creativity
Title Sponsor: Morehead State University | Drs. Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education
Land Acknowledgement Morehead State University and the surrounding area are located on the traditional lands of the Yuchee, Shawnee, and Eastern Band of Cherokee. Indigenous peoples have lived on the land we now call Kentucky for over 12,000 years. We want to acknowledge the deep history of this land and the people who still live here today. To learn more about this land and the land you call home, visit native-land.ca.
Having access to nature matters. Rowland-Shea et al. write, “Simply having more tree cover in a neighborhood could account for as much as 13 percent of the variance in student outcomes; the study found the positive effect to be strongest in schools that faced the most external socio-economic challenges”. Just having trees in a neighborhood can change children’s outcomes. With the prevalence of technology in today's society, it is increasingly crucial to prioritize opportunities for children to engage with the natural world. However, not all children have equal access to green spaces in Central Kentucky. With this poster I investigate what are the factors that contribute to children's access to nature in Shepherdsville and Elizabethtown? I investigated this question through a qualitative study that utilized observations in local parks using the LEAF Inventory, analyzing data such as KAEE Landscape Analysis, Census Data. After examining the data, I hypothesize that young families are moving into Shepherdsville. Elizabethtown, an urban trail city, has many green spaces. Still, the park is more traditional and limits creative play. According to the Landscape Analysis, Elizabethtown also has no official environmental education opportunities. Both cities have high poverty rates, with Shepherdsville double the state average. Both Elizabethtown and Shepherdsville have parks for children to enjoy. Although they are very different in design, they have much to offer children and educators looking to utilize the spaces. .To support the growing population, especially in Shepherdsville, the area must implement environmental education opportunities or continue to develop new parks and green spaces that are accessible in the location. Environmental education opportunities should be provided in these areas to ensure young children can connect with nature and be the environmental stewards we need to protect our green spaces. Due to the high percentage of poverty, it is also recommended that these opportunities be low or no cost. Forest or Nature-Based Schools that focus on sustainability are also recommended.
