Rosamund Pojar and her allies are on a mission to re-acquaint children with nature and get their parents back out there as well.
“Kids are spending more and more time indoors,” Pojar, who is a botanist by training, lamented.
“We want to get them out there and get their families out there.”
To that end, Pojar has established, Connecting Kids with Nature, with the help of Clare Aries, support from the Bulkley Valley Naturalists and grants from Northface and the Driftwood Foundation.
Connecting Kids with Nature has a three-pronged approach to get children and their families back in touch with nature.
The first part of the strategy is an art show, The Fine Art of Nature, featuring artwork inspired by nature as well as hands-on items like skulls, pelts and plants.
Part of the art exhibit also includes workshops for school children and evening talks open to the public.
Pojar, who was raised in Britain, where children are connected with nature early in life, said nature was part of her childhood.
“A lot of British people get that from an early age,” she said.
“It’s part of the school program.”
The second part of the strategy is to get kids outdoors in a program called Out of the Box.
The program runs from June to October and features two field trips, workshops per month.
Also, Out of the Box organizers have scheduled at least one outreach event per month to other communities in the Bulkley Valley such as Hazelton, Houston, Kitwanga, Fort Babine and Moricetown.
To register for the field trips or workships, sign up in May at the art gallery.
“We’ve received a tremendous amount of support from the community,” Pojar said of the venture, adding NWCC and BC Parks and Trails have also lent their support.
The final stage of the Connecting Kids with Nature program is to raise the profile of nature and convince the city to provide space, such as at Riverside Park, Pojar explained.
“Our ultimate goals is to have a nature house,” she said.
For information contact Pojar at 250-847-9429, or Aries at 250-847-4249.