The Big Back Yard program is a volunteer-run environmental education program, now funded by the Lexington Public Schools, that is now organized in all six of Lexington's elementary schools. It was initiated at Estabrook eleven years ago with funding through a grant by from the Lexington Education Foundation, with some assistance from the non-profit organization Citizens for Lexington Conservation.
Bev Morrison, an environmental consultant and educator at the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Broadmoor Sanctuary in Natick, has written seasonal nature walks that support the science and/or social studies curriculum for grades K-5 at each of the 5 Big Back Yard schools. Bev and lead parents offer training for teachers and volunteers as part of the program. The volunteers then take small groups of children out to their "Big Back Yard" -- the playground and conservation land near their school--to observe and appreciate the natural environment and its cycles. Some of the Topics include:
At Estabrook the study focus is on the Hennessey's Field and Paint Mine Conservation areas which abut the school site. Bowman uses the adjacent Dunback Meadow Conservation area, Fiske uses the Chiesa Farm Conservation area, Bridge uses the Old Reservoir, and Harrington, Bowman and Fiske all use Whipple Hill. Hastings uses their school grounds, the Hastings educational garden and part of Minuteman National Park
The Estabrook children and parents who had visited Hennessey's Field as part of Estabrook's Big Back Yard bird and soil explorations gave compelling testimony that helped to convince Town Meeting to place the field under the protection of the Conservation Commission by designating it as conservation land.Through this program they understood Aldo Leopold's contention that we should treat the land as a community to which we belong rather than merely a commodity to be bought and sold.
Specific training sessions for grade level walks are held at the participating schools each year. These are links to general Tips for Walkers and the BBY Environmental Basics Handbook. The Harrington School BBY site has Safety Tips for Walkers and Walk Leaders.
New parent volunteers are always welcome!
CORI Forms: In order to participate in the Big BackYard Walks all walk leaders MUST submit a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) form and have a background check completed. Forms must be completed 3-4 weeks prior to leading a walk to ensure the background check is complete.
NOTE: Student participation in the Big Back Yard Program requires a parent's signature on a Big Back Yard Permission Slip (PDF printable form) to be filed at the Estabrook office.
Big Backyard dates for the individual classroom walks will be
available at the following website as they are scheduled:
http://calendar.yahoo.com/estabrookbby.
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