Nature Center and Head Start: Creative Collaboration

A program called "Nurtured by Nature" is giving kids in Head Start programs in Peekskill a chance to learn about the world around them and foster their creativity and curiosity.

Its creators at Teatown Lake Reservation are pushing back against the recent trends that limit children’s exposure to unstructured free play in nature, create fear of the outdoors and lead to less caring and empathy for wildlife.

"Dirty hands, muddy feet, and smiling faces lead to engaged minds!" said Laura Elmore of Teatown.

For the past three years educators from Teatown have presented Nurtured by Nature to the kids in the two Peekskill programs.

Each week children have the opportunity to investigate scientific principles by playing with water, soil and air, are led on discovery hikes to learn about the nature in their neighborhood, and are introduced to the animal ambassadors from Teatown’s collection by environmental educators Mary Haley and Lisa Baugh.

There are two distinct programs in Peekskill working with Teatown. Both of them are affiliated with WestCop's Early Childhood programs and both are part of the Head Start grant.

The Peekskill Head Start program is funded for 98 income-eligible 3- and 4-year-olds. This includes an extended-day universal pre-K class of 4-year-old Peekskill students.

Aunt Bessie's Open Door Day Care is primarily a day care program, which has an Early Head Start grant for its Infant and Toddler program. There is also a small extended-day Head Start program there. There are about 45 children at ABOD, 16 of whom are infants and toddlers.

These visits support our program's science curriculum and staff and children are able to investigate topics together, said Peekskill Head Start Director and Education Coordinator Stacey Stymiloski.

"The collaboration with Teatown has been a wonderful addition to our program," said Kimberly Belfiore, education coordinator at Aunt Bessie's Open Door. "The weekly lessons provide hands=on experiences for the children to explore."

The children look forward to the weekly visits from Teatown, often wondering what animal will be coming, said Assistant Teacher Digna Fernandez.

On one of those days, teacher Annie Lange reported, Haley pulled out a parachute and asked the children to help her "move through the dirt" as if they were wriggly worms. The children screamed in delight as they darted and hid under the parachute. When they were done being worms, Haley gave everyone a dish with a wet paper towel. They looked in amazement at the tunnels dug by the worms inside a tank she pulled out and exhibited -- then she put a worm on each of their trays. Disgusted or excited or both, all of them were entranced.

Teatown staff have even made presentations at Parent Meetings so that the families understand the program and the purpose of the collaboration, said Stephanie Traub.

The students also get two field trips during the school year to Teatown -- one in the fall and one in the winter.

On one Teatown trip this year, the class started in a room filled with animals, Lange said. They made a circle around Baugh, who pulled out a deer skin. They had never seen anything like it and they lit up, guessing what it could possibly be. There was also something moving in a wicker laundry basket under the table. She put the deer skin away and pulled the basket in front of them. The children could barely stay sitting. When she removed the blanket, their jaws dropped as she pulled out the biggest rabbit they had ever seen. Giggles and gasps filled the room as they took turns petting something the same size as some of them.

"Mary creates an amazing curriculum that spans the whole school year," Lange said. "She even provides us with lesson plans and a box filled with educational tools to supplement her visits. She and Lisa engage the children with experiences they couldn't have anywhere else. The kids love Teatown days."

In addition to working with Peekskill Head Start and ABOD, Teatown works with Yorktown Head Start and St. Matthew's Day Care in Ossining, which are also part of WestCop.