Friends of the Parks

Nature Along the Lake

In 2002 Nature Along the Lake was implemented in order to offer Chicago Public School (CPS) grade school children (grades 2-8) an opportunity to study science in an outdoor setting, using nature as a classroom.

The Nature Along the Lake (NAL) program uses the 14-acre nature preserve at Montrose Point and the natural area at the South Shore Cultural Center to serve as “nature’s classroom.”

Since it’s commencement in 2002, the NAL program has grown significantly. During the Fall of 2008, over 700CPS students participated in 29 field trips to the lakefront. During the entire 2008-2009 school year, over 900 CPS students from 17 Chicago schools will be part of the NAL education program’s outdoor classroom experience .

The Nature Along the Lake program provides lakefront park experiences that are customized to the CPS curriculum. Students learn about the lake as a complete habitat system. Through this program, they experience birds and their migratory patterns, aquatic life, native plants and trees, as well as other outdoor science topics. They learn that our local environment is part of a larger ecosystem:that a clean environment does not happen by accident, but is the result of  people who care about leaving a healthy environment for future generations to enjoy.

Children in this program obtain experiences not usually found in a city setting, nor offered in indoor classrooms. They participate in a variety of seasonal, hands-on environmental activities, building their comfort in nature.

Friends of the Parks work directly with teachers and administrators to focus on class-specific topics. For example, students reading Hoot in school will learn about owls and other birds of prey, and go on a bird exploration in the Magic Hedge.

In the program, children are encouraged to explore the local environment and learn skills, such as binocular use and fishing, to broaden experiences. In 2008, our partnership with the Department of Natural Resources’ Chicago Urban Fishing Program introduced 20 classes to fishing at Lincoln Park’s lagoon

In the fall of 2008, NAL worked with Disney Magnet School on a semester-long bird species study, combining trips to Montrose Harbor with in-class research projects.

As in past years, Earth Day 2009 brought 200 students to Montrose Harbor and the South Shore Cultural Center to celebrate Earth Day, engaging students in stewardship, crafting, and lessons in “Green Living.” Students even took part in a musician-led group rendition of “This Land Is Your Land.”

With opportunities like this, Friends of the Parks hopes to build appreciation for the environment by offering positive, exciting outdoor learning experiences that students will carry with them into the future.