Urban Environmental Education

Sense of place: survey

A.K. — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:11:32 +0000

Do you conduct environmental education, stewardship, or restoration programs? Then you may be want to explore the effect of your program on sense of place among participants. Some researchers view sense of place as part of human well-being, and showed the relationship between sense of place and pro-environmental behavior. The video below discusses the sense of place survey.

The Science Barge

A.K. — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:09:52 +0000

Last summer, I joined students and their teacher Carol Kennedy from the EcoLeaders program in the Bronx on a trip to the Science Barge. This floating facility teaches about urban farming and sustainable energy. The barge moves from one location to another; sometimes you can see it docked in Manhattan, but in July 2011 it was on the Hudson River in Yonkers. The barge grows hydroponic vegetables such as tomatoes and lettuce, uses solar/wind energy and vegetable oil, and recycles its wastewater with the goal to “to stimulate the sustainable development of New York City.”

Nature University

A.K. — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:13:18 +0000

Nature University, a summer camp program organized by New York Restoration Program.

Narrator: Omari Washington. Videography: Alex Kudryavtsev. New York City, 2011.

26 lesson plans

A.K. — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:37:27 +0000

Upload 26 novel lesson plans, including School Yard Habitat Mapping, A Sound Survey, and Roots of Your Food. These lessons are submitted by participants of the Environmental Education in Urban Communities online professional development course, fall 2011. Participants of the course and authors of lesson plans are educators from all over the U.S. Course instructors: A. Kudryavtsev, M. Krasny, A. Price (EECapacity program).

Download Lesson Plans: 26-Lesson-Plans (PDF, 6Mb)

Drew Gardens, the Bronx, NYC

A.K. — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:43:05 +0000

In this video, Jennifer Plewka talks about different people using Drew Gardens (The Bronx, New York), including students of all ages, adults, elderly people, artists, adults with special needs, political refugees, and immigrants. Drew Gardens includes several ecosystems: the Bronx River, vegetable garden, open space, and urban forest.

Narrator: Jennifer Plewka. Videography: Alex Kudryavtsev. New York City, 2011.

Urban Farm at the Battery

A.K. — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 01:56:23 +0000

“This is the first urban farm at the Battery since the Dutch planted their cottage gardens in New Amsterdam in 1625,” says the farm’s website. This new garden is located in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, a place known for ferries that run from here to Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty. Wall Street and Stock Exchange are just a few steps away. Today I have observed high school students from a transfer school volunteering in the garden, picking up vegetables, and helping with a new farmstand selling fresh produce. Hundreds of tourists pass by every hour, many of them make it to the garden, which is open for everyone. I think that most visitors are amazed like I am by the combination of surrounding skyscrapers and this urban farm with its smell of tomato leaves, compost, wet soil, and lavender.

Satellite Academy Eco-Leaders Program

A.K. — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:10:23 +0000

Field trips to various urban environmental sites is one of the methods that Carol Kennedy uses to teach high school students in the Bronx, New York City. For example, in summer students are rowing on the Bronx River, taking water samples, and interviewing practitioners about rooftop gardens. Carol says, “My philosophy and my approach to teaching is to give the students a wide range of experiences that they would not normally have with the natural world in the urban environment – so that they can form a new view of the world and a new identity.” Watch this video to learn more:

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

A.K. — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:11:41 +0000

TV studios and repair shops topped with a green roof with a panoramic view of Manhattan skyline and East River… This is the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, New York. I was lucky to go there earlier this week with Carol Kennedy, a high school science teacher, and her students from the Bronx. Students said they have never seen green roofs, and after this trip they would like to see one on top of their school in the Bronx.

New York Harbor School

A.K. — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:21:19 +0000

Located on Governors Island in New York City, New York Harbor School has a stunning view of the New York Harbor, Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty. High school students take a ferry to get to the island, where in addition to regular classes they learn about the environment through hands-on projects. In this video Pete Malinowski, aquaculture teacher, and his students are speaking about the oyster restoration project in New York Harbor, a project which is part of their curriculum.

What’s Good in My Hood

A.K. — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:56:55 +0000

Akiima Price, an independent consultant in environmental education, discusses “What’s Good in My Hood,” a curriculum that she has developed for urban settings. The curriculum will be available online later in 2011. This video is recorded in July 2011 in Swindler Cove Park, Manhattan, New York City.