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Walk Leader Training |
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When
is the next training session? |
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I
work during the week, do you offer a weekend training session? |
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Is
it possible to miss training sessions and still become a Docent? |
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I
can't take the training right now, but I still want to volunteer. What can I do? |
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Once
I take the training, do I have to lead right away? |
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CNI Family Nature Walks |
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What
time do family walks begin? |
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How
long do they last? |
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What
happens on a CNI Nature Walk? |
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Are
walks appropriate for babies? |
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May
I take a stroller? |
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May
I bring children over 8? |
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What
should I bring? |
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Where
do I find directions to the walk site? |
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May
I bring my pet? |
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May
I collect? |
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How
do I make a reservation? |
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How
soon should I make reservations? |
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May
I show up without a reservation? |
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Should
I cancel a reservation if I cannot attend? |
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How
can I sign up to receive a current walk schedule? |
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What
else do I need to know about attending a CNI Nature Walk? |
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Do
you offer walks for private groups such as Mommy and Me and preschool classes? |
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How
can I or my child become a CNI Docent? |
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| Outreach Discovery |
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What
is Outreach Discovery & what does it do? |
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Who
qualifies for an Outreach field trip? |
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What
is Title I? |
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What
is SRLDP? |
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What
do we get with an Outreach walk? |
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Who
may attend and how many people can CNI accommodate? |
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Where
do the Outreach walks take place and may we go somewhere nearby our facility? |
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What
time are the walks scheduled and when can we expect to be back at our facility? |
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Do
the buses you provide supply seatbelts? |
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What
should our outreach group wear? |
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What
do we need to bring for our excursion? |
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How
do I sign-up our school/group for an Outreach walk? |
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| Miscellaneous |
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I
have more questions about The Children's Nature Institute, where do I go from
here? |
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What
browsers do you support? |
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Q: When
is the next training session? |
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A: Please see the Walk
Leader Training page for more information. |
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Q: I
work during the week, do you offer a weekend training session? |
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A: Yes! If you don't see any upcoming weekend training sessions, check back later. We schedule them at least once a year. Please click here
for more information. |
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Q: Is
it possible to miss training sessions and still become a Docent? |
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A: Yes, as long as you learn the material that was missed by attending a future training or enrichment. |
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Q: I
can't take the training right now, but I still want to volunteer. What can I do?
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A: One option is to become a CNI Docent Assistant (DA).
CNI DAs assist CNI Docents weekdays and/or weekends on family and/or outreach
nature walks. DAs do not need to be trained, but we encourage you to eventually
take the Docent Training
in the spring, summer or fall. Visit our volunteers
page for more information or call (310) 860-9484 to receive an application
and more information about volunteering. |
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Q: Once
I take the training do I have to lead right away? |
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A: No! In fact, we ask that you act as a Docent Assistant
for three walks before you lead. You may, of course, DA on more walks until
you feel comfortable with leading. |
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Q: What
time do family walks begin? |
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A: All walks begin at 10 a.m. unless otherwise
noted on the schedule. |
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Q: How
long do they last? |
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A: Walks last 2-hours at a leisurely pace
with many activity stops. |
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Q: What
happens on a CNI Nature Walk? |
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A: Children look for animal homes and hideaways,
search for clues of animal activity, mimic the sounds of nature, sing songs, smell
and touch plants, learn about colors, shapes and sizes in nature, learn how to
treat plants and animals respectfully and so much more! The activities vary from
site to site and from docent to docent, so every Family
Nature Walk is a unique experience. |
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Q: Are
walks appropriate for babies? |
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A: Many of the activities involve touching,
smelling, observing and listening. Exposing your child to the sensory experiences
of nature at an early age is a great way to get them on track for a lifelong love
affair with nature! |
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Q: May
I take a stroller? |
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A: Please check the stroller code next
to the walks of your choice or visit our Site
Directions page for stroller codes on specific sites. |
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Q: May
I bring children over 8? |
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A: CNI activities are appropriate for kids
under 8, but older siblings may enjoy learning about the local plants and animals
and how to teach their younger brother/sister about nature. |
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Q: What
should I bring? |
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A: Snack, water or juice, sun protection,
long pants/long sleeved shirt, closed shoes, backpack or stroller, sweater or
jacket; $7 donation (checks are OK), $5 with membership card or donation amount
of your choice. |
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Q: Where
do I find directions to the walk site? |
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A: Please visit our directions
page. |
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Q: May
I bring my pet? |
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A: Sorry, pets are not allowed. |
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Q: May
I collect? |
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A: Collecting whole or parts of plants,
animals or rocks is not permitted. |
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Q: How
do I make a reservation? |
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A: To reserve your spot on a Family
Nature Walk, please click
here. |
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Q: How
soon should I make reservations? |
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A: We recommend making a reservation at
least 24-48 hours prior to the walk. It may be possible to reserve your spot right
up to the morning of the walk by calling the Docent directly. The Docent's telephone
number will be available on our automated walk line, (310) 860-9484, three days
prior to the walk. |
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Q: May
I show up without a reservation? |
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A: It's best to make a reservation because...
- Docents tailor activities for the age of your children.
- Walks are subject to cancellation. |
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Q: Should
I cancel a reservation if I cannot attend? |
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A: Yes. Please call us at (310) 860-9484
or call the Walk Leader if you cannot attend. Please note that all of our Walk
Leaders are volunteers so please do not call before 8am or after 9pm. |
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Q: How
can I sign up to receive a current walk
schedule? |
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A: You can sign up online by clicking
here.
Click here to browse all
upcoming nature walks. |
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Q: What
else do I need to know about attending a CNI Nature Walk? |
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• Each parent is responsible for his/her
child - 1 adult for every mobile child under 3, and a second adult for every 2
children 3-10 years
• The group must stay together on the trail
• Littering is not permitted
• Smoking is not permitted
• You will need to sign a release form at the beginning of the walk and will
be asked to sign out at the end |
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Q: Do
you offer walks for private groups such as Mommy and Me and preschool classes?
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A: Each month we offer a limited number
of nature walks for private groups. Please call (310)
860-9484 for more information. |
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Q: How
can I or my child become a CNI Docent? |
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A: Please visit our volunteer
page. |
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Q: What is Outreach Discovery
and what does it do? |
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A: Our Outreach
Discovery Division provides a unique outdoor classroom experience for
a wide variety of children with special needs including those attending low performing
schools and children who are physically or mentally challenged. Our exciting educational
field trips are provided free of charge to more than 100 disadvantaged
groups each year. Parents, teachers, and children participate in exploring the
wonders of their natural environment. |
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Q: Who qualifies for an
Outreach field trip? |
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All of CNI’s programs are generally for
children 0-8 years old.
Exceptions are listed below.
• Groups of pre-K through 3rd grade at-risk children from low performing,
economically disadvantaged schools. At least 50% of the children must be on
the federal school lunch program and/or Title 1, and/or SRLDP.
• Children from shelters: At least ten of the children must be under
5 years of age - siblings are welcome.
• Children from children’s centers, daycare, etc. (Must be economically
disadvantaged or limited by funding).
• Physically challenged children. Children must be 8 years or under.
• Mentally challenged children (mental age must be 8 years or younger). |
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Q: What is Title I? |
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A: Definition of Title I from the Department
of Education’s web site:
"Title I is designed to target students who are not only living in low-income
communities, but also those students who are at a disadvantage in becoming successful
learners. At its inception, Title I was designed to aid those school-aged children
who were in areas of high poverty compared to their school district. However,
the new Title I also includes children who are not classified as poor, by allocating
funds to schools that project a rate of 60 percent poverty. These programs are
not required to identify particular eligible children. Instead, they must meet
the needs of the whole school and bolster those students who do not meet the state's
standards." |
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Q: What is SRLDP? |
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A: Definition taken from literature
provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District:
"The School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) was implemented
in the spring of 1979 as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s
(LAUSD) plan, Integrated Educational Excellence Through Choice, to address the
harms of segregation in Racially Isolated Minority Schools (RIMS) which were redesignated
in 1981 as Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian and Other Non-Anglo (PHBAO) schools". |
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Q: What do we get with
an Outreach walk? |
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A: CNI offers free field trips led by a
trained docent, free bus transportation and free copies of our award-winning book,
Trails, Tails and Tidepools in Pails.
In many cases, we are also able to provide the CNI
Wonder Mobile, which travels to your group’s site, free of charge.
(See CNI Wonder Mobile
for more information. CNI Wonder
Mobile visits are generally during the week.) |
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Q: Who may attend and how many people can
CNI accommodate? |
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Participating children, their teachers, siblings, and parents.
• Weekday School Groups: buses can hold no more than 60 children and 10 adults.
Extra adults are encouraged to meet the group at the site via their own transportation.
• Saturday & Sunday shelter and center Outreach Groups: 25 total. (At
least 10 children aged 0-5 must attend). |
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Q: Where do the Outreach walks take place
and may we go somewhere nearby our facility? |
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A: We try to accommodate our Outreach
groups as much as possible, but it is most likely that CNI will choose the site
best suited for your group. CNI tries to ensure that your walk will be no further
than an hour drive away from your location. Outreach
walks take place in a variety of areas from the Santa Monica Mountains to Griffith
Park and from the South Bay to the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. |
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Q: What time are the walks
scheduled and when can we expect to be back at our facility? |
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A: Outreach
walks are usually scheduled as follows:
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9am: |
Bus pickup |
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10am-12pm: |
Outreach walk |
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12pm: |
Stay on site for lunch (optional) |
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2pm: |
Bus drop-off |
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Please know that we can fund your bus for five
hours only. Bus drop-off must be on time. |
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Q: Do the buses you provide
supply seatbelts? |
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A: It is the responsibility of your organization
to supply lap restraints if the bus is not equipped. CNI will request seatbelts
but cannot guarantee that the bus company will supply them. The exception is LAUSD
buses (available only weekdays) which will come with lap restraints. |
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Q: What should our outreach
group wear? |
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A: Long pants, long sleeved shirts (even
in hot weather) and closed toe shoes are very important. Hats and sunscreen are
strongly recommended. |
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Q: What do we need to bring
for our excursion? |
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A: Signed release forms, juice or water
for the trail, & lunches for after the walk. |
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Q: How do I sign-up our
school/group for an Outreach walk? |
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A: Please call the Program Coordinator
at (310) 860-9484 for available dates. Fieldtrips
are scheduled year round and fill quickly. We have limited space for small groups
of 25 or less on weekends. Make your reservation today! |
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Q: I
have more questions about The Children's Nature Institute, where do I go from
here? |
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A: Please browse through the links on our
site. If you still have questions, we will be happy to answer them for you. Please
e-mail us at info@childrensnatureinstitute.org
or call (310) 860-9484. |
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Q: What
browsers do you support? |
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A: Ordering from our site
requires that you are using an SSL-compliant browser. SSL means Secure Socket
Layer. Basically, you are shopping on a secure site. Unfortunately, Web TV and
some browsers behind company firewalls cannot support secure ordering.
We recommend the following browsers for best compatibility with our system: Netscape
Navigator 3.02 or later, or Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.02 or later. We recommend
that AOL users ensure an AOL browser of 4.0 for PCs and Macs. |
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