Alachua Conservation Trust’s Creekside Environmental Ed for Kids Program Awarded 2023 Every Kid Outdoors Grant

The CrEEK Program brings 1,000 students to the Little Orange Creek Nature Park’s outdoor classroom annually

February 7, 2023

Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT)’s Creekside Environmental Ed for Kids (CrEEK) Program was one of 33 awardees for the National Park Trust’s 2023 Every Kid Outdoors grant. In partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Trust developed the Every Kid Outdoors grant to support schools and organizations focused on connecting elementary school-aged youth to public parks, lands, and waters. The Every Kid Outdoors grant through the National Park Trust will provide $4,500 to the CrEEK Program for transportation of students from underserved schools in Gainesville and Putnam Counties to Little Orange Creek Nature Park.

The CrEEK Program serves approximately 800-1,000 fourth graders from underserved schools annually. As part of their participation in the CrEEK program, students engage in activities such as catching bugs with a sweep net in the grass fields, dipnetting for invertebrates in the creek, working within nature to identify and learn about decomposition and the carbon cycle, going on nature hikes where they identify different species of plants and animals, and cataloging their discoveries in their science journal. These activities are paired with guidance and discussion with ecologists and environmental educators so students can make lasting connections with the knowledge gained and the surrounding environment.

The CrEEK program offers students, who may not have the chance to explore nature in their everyday lives, an opportunity to gain knowledge about science concepts, feel empowered to ask questions and explore, and most importantly, have fun in the process. Through the program, ACT hopes to inspire a passion for nature and empower the next generation of conservation stewards.

“The CrEEK program is truly something special,” said CrEEK Program Coordinator Keara Clancy. “The outdoor classroom doesn’t just teach students about science, it allows them to have a transformative experience in how they see and experience the world around them. They feel empowered to continue exploring and employing the new skills they have learned, even after the field trip is over – and that’s what it’s all about.”

For over a decade, the National Park Trust has been a leader in youth outdoor programming and has been actively addressing the lack of transportation to outdoor spaces – one of the most significant barriers to kids getting outside and experiencing nature. This grant supports the Every Kid Outdoors program, a federal youth initiative designed to provide every 4th grader in the United States the opportunity to visit public lands and waters for free with their families. The great outdoors is an excellent classroom, and the Park Trust and the USDA Forest Service are partnering to provide the experiences that will help kids establish lifelong connections with nature and become the next generation of park stewards.

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with the USDA Forest Service by providing numerous nonprofits and schools across the country with Every Kid Outdoors Transportation Grants,” said Grace Lee, executive director of National Park Trust. “These critical resources will allow thousands of children from under-served communities to discover our public lands and waters. For many of these students, it will be their first opportunity to explore the great outdoors.”

To learn more about the CrEEK Program and how you can support it, please contact ACT at info@AlachuaConservationTrust.org ATTN: CrEEK Program Coordinator, or (352) 373-1078.

ABOUT ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST

Since 1988, the mission of Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) is to protect the natural, historic, scenic and recreational resources in and around North Central Florida. ACT protects land through purchase, donation, and conservation easements primarily in 16 counties. As Florida’s natural leader in conservation, ACT has conserved over 56,000 acres.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

 Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 51 national park sites. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison Programs and National Kids to Parks Day, serve 300 Title I schools annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe that our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed by, and preserved by all for current and future generations.

Find out more at parktrust.org.

 MEDIA CONTACT:

Ivan Levin at (540) 818-5818 or ivan@parktrust.org.