Neighborhood
Ecological Stewardship Training
(NEST)

Activities Description

The NEST program offers you many options, but you will follow a general framework. If you commit to the NEST series, you will be required to complete one program from each of the categories and complete 1 or 2 surveys. If you have questions, please contact Joanna Cornell.

Activities will be scheduled from late March to early June.  Sessions will be offered multiple times, with the exception of the introduction and graduation sessions (sessions I and VII)

I.  Introduction to NEST and IMA Programs (March 25, 2006)

  • Remarks by GMU Professor and writer Andrew Wingfield
  • Introduction to series
  • Food and door prizes
  • Estimated time: 2 hours

II.  Stream Valley Ecology: Watersheds, Streams, Plants (Various dates)

  • Learn about watersheds. What is a watershed? What is your watershed address? What do we do that impacts our watersheds? Hands-on demonstration with a watershed model
  • Basic introduction to creatures that live in our streams
  • Basic concepts of native versus invasive plants and introduction to key plants
  • Estimated time: 3 hours

III.  Stream Valley Ecology: Native and Invasive Plants (Various dates)

  • Learn the basics of soil science
  • Introduction to native and invasive plants found in your backyard
  • Estimated time: 3 hours

IV.  Land-Based Exploration (Various dates)

  • Options include: watershed walk, bike ride, wildlflower, bat, bird or frog walk and more
  • Estimated time: 2 hours

V.  Water-Based Exploration (Various dates)

  • Options include: kayaking, canoeing, or boating in large, stable, motor-powered boat
  • Estimated time: 2 hours

VI.  Outdoor Arts (Various dates)

  • Options include: photography, drawing, music, journaling, art, and more
  • Estimated time: 2 hours

VII.  Graduation and Post-NEST programs

Enriching NEST
Connecting With Nature: A Guided Exploration of Self-Discovery
Presented by Beverly Winterscheid, Ph.D., Institute for Nature and Leadership
An important goal of the NEST program is to give you opportunities to connect with the natural world in a variety of ways, whether as part of a group, or on your own. As part of NEST, you will have a great opportunity to do some individual, but guided exploration and reflection about the natural world and your relationship to it. At the kick-off, you will receive a packet describing the Connecting with Nature program, a guided program of six take-home activities that you can even do in your backyard that should take you no more than fifteen minutes at a time. If you have any questions about this, please contact Joanna.