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Santa Monica Bay Week, May
18, 2000
"Kid's Festival Teaches Love of Nature", by Brenda
Baker
Bat Wings, Butterflies and Dinosaurs
What's got winged kids, live goats, rabbits, bearded
dragons, hedgehogs and music? The 11th Annual Children's Nature Institute Kid's
Festival, held last Saturday in Temescal Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades.
With over 30 free interactive nature booths, mazes, face painting and an opportunity
to buy elegant hand made bat wing, butterfly and other costumes, the fair offered
a day of fun and education enjoyed by kids and adults alike. It may be the
only festival in the country geared to kids from one to eight years old.
The Children's Nature Institute(CNI) endeavors to teach children at a very
young age to respect, appreciate and love nature. The non-profit organization
was founded in 1985 to provide environmental experiences and science education
for young children and their families. CNI offers programs that enable children
to appreciate nature in a comfortable outdoor setting and many programs serve
underprivileged kids from Los Angeles inner city.
This year The Discovery Channel Store became the Festival's lead sponsor, and
with them came a big "Walking with Dinosaurs" booth full of giant
models of the prehistoric beasties, beautifully crafted and ready for play.
Kids were singing and dancing to the music of The Happy Crowd" a band
with delightful sounds and lyrics about love and friendship, and positive messages.
During all of this, a lot of parental wheeling and dealing was afoot at the
silent auction. Generous businesses and individuals had donated clothing, services,
toys, restaurant meals, homeopathic pharmaceutical, gifts, gift certificates,
baskets - just an amazing array of desirable items. Festival volunteers were
prepared for excitement. They claimed that last year people got really involved
in the bidding, and that they weren't so silent.
Executive Director Judy Burns stated that the booths are designed by people
with child development experience. Fun and amusing, they also offer kids and
opportunity to think like the animals, to gain compassion for all life forms.
For example the Mole Maze (which is a long two foot thick tube not unlike the
vent on your clothes dryer), allows a child to crawl through and imagine being
this small animal. A giant spider web, continually being woven allows the child
to experience thinking like the arachnid. Burns wants kids to became excited
and informed about nature, and gain respect for all animals. She felt that
the fair could offer something of interest to every child.
Even if the child is interested in bugs? Yes, insects are displayed, as are
snakes, geckos, and well, you name it. Kids get up close to farm animals, and
have sensory experience of touching pelts, feathers, bones, nests, stuffed
birds, etc. Even the most curios kid could meet his match here.
Using a small office staff and over 300 docents and volunteers, this unique
and dedicated group reaches over 15,000 children, families and educators each
year.
In January the Institute's Wonder Mobile began visiting classrooms to increase
the awareness of science and nature. The colorfully painted van pays weekly
visits to inner city elementary schools. Curriculum was designed by experts
in the fields of science and nature, and educates children from pre-kindergarten
to second grade.
Kids learn about plants, animals the ecosystem and the importance of all things
in nature. The approach is to offer hands-on activities that are fun, educational
and highly interesting.
And that's not to mention the nature walks in the city every week. Led by teams
of trained docents who volunteer their time, the children trek through places
like Malibu Lagoon, and Will Rogers Park. At Malibu Creek State Park they may
be following animal tracks, listening to bird calls, or eaves-dropping on grazing
deer or hopping rabbits. People of all professions and occupations enjoy this
rewarding volunteer opportunity.
And there's Outreach Discovery Program, which brings events to kids who disabled,
or have special needs. Programs are given to babies and toddlers with AIDS.
For many children, the learning brought by CNI may be the only contact with
nature they get.
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