Growing Up Wild

October 30, 2010
Providing an Early Start
for Connecting Children to Nature

Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about nature and lifelong social and academic skills.

Growing Up WILD is a valuable tool for helping fish and wildlife agencies meet their conservation education goals. Growing Up WILD recognizes that:

Children start developing attitudes towards wildlife and nature at an early age. Growing Up WILD provides 27 easy-to-use activities to help educators and caregivers introduce nature to young children.

Many early childhood educators may not have the knowledge and skills to teach about nature. Growing Up WILD provides the background information and professional development needed to help educators be successful.

Nature-based recreation has been declining. Growing Up WILD provides activities about outdoor recreation and a “Take Me Outside” component for every activity.

A conservation ethic starts in childhood. Growing Up WILD provides a “Helping Hands” conservation suggestion for every activity.

Adults with active outdoor lifestyles were encouraged by their parents to go outside as children. Growing Up WILD provides “Home Connections” cards with activities families can do outside together.

A public supportive of wildlife management and conservation has sufficient scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills. Growing Up WILD provides developmentally appropriate activities that lay the foundation proven by research to be necessary for acquiring these.

This workshop has been underwritten by PNC Grow Up Great in support of a partnership between the Maryland in Baltimore and the University of MD Center for Environmental Science at Horn Point Laboratory.