Advocating for Environmental Education
By Robyn A. Hill, Ph. D.
The groundhog was correct! We have certainly been enjoying an early spring here in the Ohio Valley. Despite the occasional snow squall, daffodils, crocuses, periwinkles, coltsfoot, and spring beauties are blooming. The robins have returned, as have bees and butterflies. Frogs, chipmunks, and groundhogs are venturing out of their winter refuges. Nature is calling all of us to get outdoors and enjoy this season of renewal. Yet many people will miss connecting to such seasonal transitions because they are more focused on virtual realities than what is happening in their own backyards. This is especially true for many school-age children.
Recent trends in education have seen more funding directed towards STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs in schools and the integration of technology into school settings, including computers, tablets, smartboards, and a variety of apps for both students and parents. Once almost exclusively the purview of colleges and universities, thanks to COVID, we have also seen unprecedented growth in online learning options for K-12th grades. Outside of school hours, the availability of wireless Internet connectivity and the popularity of video games and social media sites make portable devices practically a permanent attachment to anyone under the age of 40. Whereas all of these phenomena have their positive attributes, there is increasing evidence that the dramatic increase in the use of technology over the last 20 years has also had the deleterious effect of significantly decreasing the amount of time young people spend outdoors and in natural environments.
This disconnect from the natural world in favor of increased connections to technology is particularly detrimental to children and is associated with the prevalence of nearsightedness (due to screen time), an increase in childhood obesity (due to insufficient physical activity), limited social interaction, depression, and a general lack of environmental awareness. On the opposite end of the spectrum, research has shown that learning outdoors, spending more time in natural environments, having proximity to green spaces, and engaging in outdoor activities can improve focus and attentiveness, increase learning, reduce stress, diminish the effects of attention deficit disorder (ADD), help manage depression increase empathy for all living things, reduce incidences of bullying, improve social and collaborative skills, and foster creativity.
Beaver Creek State Park — Photo by the author
Therefore, serious consideration should be given to the need for greater environmental literacy and improved environmental-science education here in Ohio and across the nation, including setting aside more time for students to learn outside and develop gardens, green walls, green roofs, and other green spaces on campus where learning can occur. Schools can also model reducing energy use, recycling, composting, and other environmentally-friendly practices. Such a focus on our connection to the natural world is not incompatible with an increased use of technology, but rather offers a more balanced approach to promoting student learning, creativity, collaboration, and overall health. Moreover, the global community widely acknowledges that we are facing unprecedented challenges to maintaining a thriving planet.
The Pew Research Center reports that the world human population in 2024 is 8.1 billion, a number that is expected to increase to 9.7 billion by 2050. As human beings encroach on even more previously undeveloped areas, destroy fragile ecosystems, resist decreasing the use of chemical pesticides and fossil fuels, and divert more rivers and streams, the rate of extinction for other species will continue to accelerate precipitously. Noted environmental educator Richard Louv has observed that for the first time in history, more than half the world’s population now lives in cities or towns.
As a result, “the traditional ways that humans have experienced nature are vanishing, along with biodiversity.” In past issues of this magazine, we have talked about how important the land was (is) to the indigenous peoples of the Ohio Valley. By studying their traditional knowledge, cultures, and languages, it may be possible to foster a similar “sense of place” to help create additional opportunities for students to connect with and better appreciate our local ecological systems.
If our young people have more contact with our woods, mountains, valleys, creeks, and other outdoor resources, they will be more invested in preserving them. Furthermore, engaging more directly in these social and natural communities will help them to better understand their place within the broader global community, preparing them to both compete for jobs and cooperate with others for the common good.
As of 2020, schools in the United Kingdom and other European and Scandinavian countries have already adopted policies requiring schools to be sustainable, not only from a practical standpoint, but also a curricular one. The goal is to empower students with the skills and knowledge necessary for life in an interconnected and sustainable world.
For example, environmental issues can easily be linked to such pervasive social issues as war, poverty, immigration, consumerism, mental and physical health, and globalization, as well as such key components of education as citizenship, critical thinking, collaboration, and diversity.
Bumblebee — Photo by the author
Thus, environmental education broadens the scope and impact of overall science education. If the children of today are going to be the environmental stewards of the future, then that future will be bleak unless educators are willing and equipped to be agents of change and improve overall environmental literacy in U.S. schools.
In the meantime, you can help! Invite a young person in your life to join you in visiting one of the many nearby green spaces where you can explore trails, observe wildlife, take photos, try your hand at identifying trees, flowers, rocks, birds, insects, etc., and engage in a variety of other recreational activities. Want to help even more? Take along a garbage bag and pick up bottles, cans, fishing line, and other trash you may find. Model respect for other living things and the importance of leaving outdoor spaces either untouched or even cleaner than before.
Here are some recommendations for outings within an hour’s drive from Steubenville:
Photos by the Author
Looking for more managed trails and educational opportunities?
Beatty Park
Steubenville’s hidden gem has been significantly upgraded in recent years thanks to dedicated volunteers who have cleaned and repaired trails and historical buildings, and added trail markers and interpretive signs. You can play disc golf, explore the creek, enjoy the playground, or go on a story walk.
Oglebay Park
Located in Wheeling, WV, there is a terrific nature center and a variety of trails. Enjoy creeks, waterfalls, and several scenic overlooks.
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
Not far from Robinson, PA, the gardens and trails are a delight. In addition to special exhibitions, permanent features include a large new nature center, a “garden of the five senses”, a pond, a meadow, and woodlands. Membership or admission fee required.
Ready for a few hills and muddy patches, but also plenty of parking?
Jefferson Lake State Park
Like the name suggests, this Jefferson County park has a lovely lake for fishing, which is also home to turtles, muskrats, and water birds. Some trails permit horses. Other pets must be leashed.
Fernwood State Forest
Once a strip mine, this 3,023-acre reforested parcel in Jefferson County has multiple trailheads, creeks, ponds, and recreation facilities for camping and picnics.
Tomlinson Run State Park
Just across the Ohio River in New Manchester, WV sits an expansive park with gorgeous trails, creeks, and a lake. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, and the swimming pool (in season). There are playgrounds, a pollinator garden, plenty of picnic areas, and an 18-hole disc golf course.
Raccoon Creek State Park
Just on the other side of the border is one of Pennsylvania’s largest state parks encompassing 7,572 acres, including a 101-acre lake and the Frankfort mineral springs. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and other watercraft, fish, hike, picnic, or attend environmental education programs at the Wildflower Reserve interpretive center.
Hillman State Park
Adjacent to Raccoon Creek in Burgettstown, PA is another great spot for hiking, observing wildlife, horse riding, mountain biking, and even radio-flying.
Beaver Creek State Park
In addition to beautiful hiking and biking trails with abundant wildlife, this Columbiana County park also has a wildlife education center (limited hours), as well as a historic mill and pioneer village with various activities during summer weekends. Other amenities include fishing, camping, and picnic areas.
Robyn A. Hill is a lifetime educator, researcher, and writer who loves nature photography, thrifting, and lists of three. Ella es bilingüe y le encanta a paises hispanoparlantes. She currently resides in Island Creek.
