By Kayte Marshall
In a world dominated by smartphones and screen time, the Department of Natural Resources aims to reconnect kids with Michigan’s great outdoors.
The DNR is funding Nature Awaits, a program dedicated to hosting outdoor learning sessions for fourth grade classes at state parks.
“We want all of these students to come to our state parks so that we can talk to them about why conservation is important and why it’s important to be outside,” said Katie McGlashen, the program coordinator for Nature Awaits.
The program was first proposed in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2023 state budget proposal. The first park visits began in 2024.
“By offering every fourth grader in Michigan a field trip to a state park, we can offer them a life-changing experience, connect them with nature, and show them what makes Michigan special while also driving growth of our tourism and recreation economy,” Whitmer said in announcing the program.
It features more than two dozen state parks, such as Tahquamenon Falls in Paradise, Belle Isle in Detroit, Holland and the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery in Mattawan.
According to MI School Data, there are roughly 101,000 students in the fourth grade. Since the program’s start in 2024, Nature Awaits has hosted outdoor learning sessions for an estimated 18,000 kids.
During the 90-minute sessions, students participate in activities aligned with state education standards that challenge them to observe and engage with their surroundings, according to the program website.
Topics vary based on the students’ interests and which park they are visiting, but can range from human impacts on the environment to identifying native and invasive plants and animals.
One activity is called a “sit spot,” where students sit in silence for five minutes and make observations about the part of the park they are in and what the environment offers.
After the five minutes, lesson facilitators guide them through conversations about their observations.
“We use the phrase ‘I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of,’ and the students talk about that out loud to each other,” McGlashen said.
“So when they’re doing science in middle school and high school, that’s the same pattern they’re following. They’re asking questions, they’re making observations and then coming up with solutions to all kinds of things,” she said.
Feedback from participants included such comments as “smelling the leaves that smell like Fruit Loops,” “finding red-backed salamanders,” “watching squirrels” and, “seeing everybody happy.”
“One of the kids said, ‘I really love the smell of acorns.’ That’s awesome,” McGlashen said.
According to a study by the University of Florida, creating a habit of outdoor physical activity at a fourth grade age can have lasting health benefits and help them obtain a higher pro-environmental attitude.
This is why Nature Awaits targets fourth graders who are 9 to 10, McGlashen said.
“Ages 9 to 10 are really when a kid starts to look outside of their family and look for new experiences,” McGlashen said.
“It’s kind of that age where you realize that not everybody does things the way I do it, and maybe I could be different,” she said.
“Maybe I’m used to being at home on the couch, but maybe I could see myself trying to get outside more or trying to go visit a park or try fishing.”
Nature Awaits was founded to help students close learning gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to introduce younger generations to state parks with a focus on accessibility regardless of a child’s background.
As an example, she said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist has talked about his own experience as a child without the opportunity to visit state parks.
DNR wants to “make sure that they all know that the parks are for each and every student, and each and every Michigander,” McGlashen said.
Although the DNR has yet to begin a volunteer program for Nature Awaits, it is not opposed to volunteer lesson facilitators in the future. Those interested can contact the program coordinators by email at DNR-NatureAwaits@Michigan.gov.
“The perfect volunteer for us would be a retired teacher who is passionate about science and can get excited to be around 9- and 10-year-olds for a few days a week,” McGlashen said.
Any fourth grade class with more than 15 students is eligible for participation, and public schools can be reimbursed for transportation costs to and from the state park of their choice.
“When all of these students have a positive experience in a state park, for the rest of their lives they’ll remember that there are state parks all over Michigan, and that they are welcome there,” McGlashen said.
“Perhaps we’ll gain some more fishermen, or some folks that like to camp, or maybe they will use the state parks in other ways throughout their lifetime,” she said.