Educating Children and Youth through Nature Exploration

A Program Overview of the Audubon Society of Greater Denver

Abstract

The Audubon Society of Greater Denver (ASGD) is a non-profit organization devoted to conservation and environmental education in Littleton, Colorado and the surrounding area. This field report focuses on the child and youth educational programs developed and implemented by ASGD. ASGD teaches their staff, volunteers, and naturalists who work with children and youth the three core strategies of environmental education: interpretive, interactive, and exploratory teaching. These teaching styles, over time, have been profoundly effective in teaching children introductory nature lessons as well as more complex environmental connections. The field report concludes with observations about the necessity of alternative environmental education styles and the essential role of community members in volunteer run organizations.