Get Outside Earth Friends
Friends Friday by Kerry Zagarella
This week’s Friends Friday post celebrates those working hard for a greener tomorrow! Inspired by a trip to the New England Botanical Gardens in Boylston MA., former colleague, forever friend, and fellow Subtack writer, Kathleen O’Reilly and I took action and replicated a practice at NEBG.
The guest services at NEBG have free nature exploration bags for adults and families to check out with materials and resources to make the most of your visit. We wrote a grant to our local “do good” organization, Awesome Ipswich and received funding to coordinate community agencies in developing “Outside Bags” that are now available for check out in the Children’s Room of our local library.
We have a few Ipswich High School students interested in pursuing careers in the environmental sciences, volunteering their time at the library to maintain the inventory and assist in the lend/return process. Families can check out the bags and use the blank journal to record their outdoor experiences. All materials must be returned, except that blank journal.
Many local organizations made these bags possible with their in-kind donations of maps, tools, activities and other resources.
The Ipswich River Watershed Association
The Essex County Green Belt Association
The Essex County Trail Association
SHOUT OUT TO Emma Hugen from The Ipswich River Watershed Alliance who hand printed canvas bags for donation to the project!
Go check these out!
Get Outside Bags ~ Inventory List
Pouch with crayons, colored pencils, sharpener, pen, watercolor set, spray bottle
Pouch with bug box, magnifying glass, tick information, mosquito information
Clipboard
Blank journals
Binoculars
Greenbelt Activity Book
Map
ID Guide
Net
Play is the Way “fun-dana” bandana
Many thanks to our sponsors: Awesome Ipswich, Essex County Trail Association, Ipswich River Watershed Alliance, Essex County Greenbelt, Play is the Way, and the Ipswich Public Library
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I love this so much. Thank you!