CARLYLE — Notice Nature has partnered with libraries, including Carlyle, to offer programming and teach children about all things nature.
The Notice Nature program started in 2021 to connect with nature during the pandemic.
“This program was created based on the understanding that community involves more than people and how we could still support people connecting with their natural community to promote positive physical and mental health,” said Alana Gunsch, program manager for Notice Nature.
“As our world moves into a more urban and technology-focused lifestyle, the opportunity to connect directly with our natural environment and food production is diminished. This program engages participants to reignite that connection,” continued Gunsch. “Notice Nature gets people outdoors to look up, look around and notice nature, this we believe is the first step to connection with our natural environment, and land and water stewardship.”
The libraries were a natural fit for the delivery of the Notice Nature program.
“Libraries are in every Saskatchewan community, even the most remote northern communities. They offer a safe, inclusive, accessible location for participants to participate,” said Gunsch.
“Without the partnerships with Saskatchewan libraries, wide distribution of the Notice Nature program would not have been possible,” continued Gunsch. “This started with the generous offer from our local regional Library Regions Lakeland and Wapiti to distribute and deliver the program through all of their branches and has since expanded across Saskatchewan.”
The program is centred on the Notice Nature passport, a small, 4x5.5-inch, 48-page glossy booklet with a selection of practices to complete.
“There are 23 different topics, each with 16 associated practices to complete [and over 400 activities/observations to pick from]. While many are focused specifically on observing nature and developing environmental knowledge, many incorporate elements of the nature-human relationship as well,” said Gunsch.
The passport's other practices focus more on cultural knowledge.
“There are sections dedicated to community heritage, art in nature, Indigenous culture and energy conservation,” said Gunsch.
Although the passport can be completed on its own, Notice Nature has also created a series of 15 identification guidebooks in the same small, hand-held format.
The passport includes an activity tracker.
“This is where participants can track how many activities and observations they have completed and for every 12 they may return to any participating library and select a recognition item,” said Gunsch.
She is grateful to every library that participated.
“This program would not exist without the collaboration of so many fantastic Saskatchewan organizations, working together creating content, distributing programming, and/or providing funding to support the program,” said Gunsch.
The success of Notice Nature is another example of our community’s widespread commitment to community engagement, and land stewardship,” continued Gunsch. “The Notice Nature team is thankful to have this opportunity to collaborate with fantastic partners and sponsors on this meaningful and unique initiative.”
One of the libraries that participated this year is the Carlyle Library.
“In the Carlyle Public Library, the kids love nature and earning prizes. With the start of the program, we immediately noticed a lot of excitement from our library kids as they roamed the outdoors, ticking off boxes as they completed activities: 'I saw a ladybug.' 'I played in the mud.' 'I found three different types of tree bark.' Witnessing their joy as they experience nature has been wonderful,” said Naomi Twietmeyer, the Carlyle branch’s librarian.
"The program has been so popular with our library kids that we have had to request more nature passports and prizes. That's a big win in our book," continued Twietmeyer.
Summer student Kassidy Schultz also raved about the program.
"I like to see the kids excited about the outdoors. Experiencing new things that they might not have thought to do before. I like to see them interpret the program in different ways; every kid had a different take on it,” said Schultz.
Notice Nature is funded through a grant and is a program running through many southeast libraries.
