Fifth grade students from Lee Expressive Arts School and Missouri Ecological Services staff. USFWS Photo by Rick Hansen
Fish and Wildlife biologist Rick Hansen talks to second graders at Forum Nature Area. USFWS Photo by Jimmy Maritz
USFWS Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius visits with Principal VanDover and students at Lee Expressive Arts School. USFWS Photo by Ashley Spratt
Fish and Wildlife biologist Andy Roberts teaches students about aquatic life in a stream at Rock Bridge State Park. USFWS Photo by Ashley Spratt
Student examines decomposing tree as part of the life cycle study at Rock Bridge State Park. USFWS Photo by Ashley Spratt
Missouri Ecological Services Field Office donated an aquarium to the elementary school's media center. USFWS photo by Hilary Shaw
Fourth grade students participate in a stream table study at Prairie Fork Conservation Area. USFWS Photo by Hilary Shaw
Missouri Ecological Services Field Supervisor Charlie Scott and Administrative Assistant Ellie Milligan teach plant life at Forum Nature Area. FWS Photo by Jimmy Maritz
For more information about the SEEDS program, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Missouri Ecological Services Field Office at 573-234-2132 or email at: columbiaes@fws.gov.
For more Information on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's role in connecting people to nature, contact the Midwest Region headquarters at 612-713-5360 or email at: midwestnews@fws.gov.
Students, Environment and Endangered Species
An innovative grassroots effort to bridge the gap between children, nature and conservation.
Click to Play the SEEDS Story: Learn about the Missouri Ecological Services and Lee Expressive Arts School partnership from the people who made it happen.
The SEEDS Program
The Missouri Ecological Services Field Office and Lee Expressive Arts School have teamed up to integrate the outdoor experience into the art and science curriculums for Columbia elementary students. Initiated in 2006, the Students, Environment and Endangered Species (SEEDS) program, has provided opportunities for students to explore nature during the school day, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Lee Expressive Arts School is located in downtown Columbia, with more than 330 students representing 17 countries. More than half of students are identified as living in poverty.
What is it like to be a child in the 21st Century?
For generations past, the term ‘childhood’ conjures up images of carefree exploration; building forts in the back woods, catching lightning bugs on a summer night, or skipping rocks at a nearby stream. With the expansion of a media‐dependent society, the meaning of childhood has become a distorted illusion of what it once was. Outdoor activities have been replaced with X‐Box 360s, computer games, Happy Meals and Pokeman characters. One fifth‐grader confirmed the trend in the Last Child in the Woods: “I like to play indoors, ‘cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.” (Louv) Lee Expressive Arts School and the Missouri Ecological Services Field Office aim to recapture the spirit of childhood that once existed and make it a reality for the local students.
Educators must not see connecting with nature as an add‐on. It is a natural integration for the sciences, but also for other areas, such as literature, art and music. Nature offers connections and nurturance. We value life more when we understand the life cycle. Deep observation enables us to think and make connections. There is a peacefulness that nurtures learners in nature that is far different from connections made to technology and the often violent images that occur in television programming and video games. It is estimated that children spend three to five hours per day watching television. Nature is all around us but we are raising a generation that is largely unaware of its benefits.
Left to Right. Missouri Ecological Services Field Supervisor Charlie Scott, Lee Principal Theresa VanDover, Administrative Officer Becky Clearwater, and Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius.. USFWS Photo by Ashley Spratt
Testimonials from Lee Expressive Arts School Educators:
“The SEEDS program has inspired students to be stewards of the environment, opened their eyes to the biodiversity right in their own back yards, and allowed for interactions with awe‐inspiring species. The SEEDS program provides students with a possible once in a lifetime experience. They saw “up close and personally” what most experience only through the media.”
JONA TOALSON, SCIENCE SPECIALIST
“The SEEDS program provides possibilities for integration across the curriculum. It invited students to observe and experience in detail. The presentations accommodated all learning styles. Many students who struggle with engagement and concentration were highly engaged. They could connect and relate to local environment and personal experiences. They gained an understanding of the importance of taking care of nature. I will always remember the smiles on their faces.”
JEAN DICKENSON, FIFTH GRADE TEACHER
“Every school can do this. It is a gift to connect children to nature. It is increasingly identified as a need. There are natural ties between interaction with nature and our core curriculum. Science and art come from nature. It is better than anything that is man‐made. It is more engaging, more connecting, and more calming. We have increased our knowledge of the learning processing by observing our children as they participated in SEEDS.”
