Pathways

Official Publication of the New York State Outdoor Education Association Fall 2010

Green roof projects keep growing. Page 7 Fall into some tasty treats and great designs. page 10

Book reviews and lesson plans inside!! Scarecrow Festival in New Paltz! Page 11 If a child speaks, is there anyone there to hear them? Page 3

w w w. n y s o e a . o rg 6 0 7 . 5 9 1 . 6 4 2 2
Pathways Fall 2010 Page1 of 12

NYSOEA Executive Board President MaryLynne Malone VP Administration Maritza Cuevas VP Communication Nirmal Merchant VP human Resources Tim Stanley VP Program Rebecca houser Secretary Meaghan Boice-Green Treasurer Elizabeth Van Acker Office Darleen Lieber

Invitation for Articles and News. The PATHWAYS team is always eager to hear from members and publish the articles that they have authored or news or event announcements that they would like to share with fellow members. We invite you to send your submission for our next issue. Simply send us the text with any supporting material -- pictures, newspaper clippings, and more. We can receive it in any of the ways listed below. Advertising in Pathways PATHWAYS welcomes advertisements which will be of interest to the membership of NYSOEA. If you have a product, service, equipment, resource, program, etc. that you would like to share with our membership via an advertisement, we can receive it through any of the following ways. Email: pathways@nysoea.org Fax: (607) 753-5982 Mail: Darleen M. Lieber Ref: Pathways Advertisement / Article E-334 Park Center, SUNY Cortland RPLS Dept. PO Box 2000 Cortland, NY 13045

Materials should be typed. Please include a short biographical section about the author of the article. References cited in the article should be listed at the end of the article, APA style. (ISSN 1077-5100) PATHWAYS is published four times a year by the New York State Outdoor Education Association and is emailed to NYSOEA members. Opinions expressed by contributors are theirs solely and not necessarily those of the Editorial Board of PAThWAYS or of NYSOEA. Advertisements included in pathways should not be interpreted as endorsement of the product(s) by NYSOEA.

Regional Directors Eastern- Tim Neu Metro- Jessica Kratz Northern- Gary Griz Caudle Western- Lauren Makeyenko Central- Christine DeCesare 2010 National Conference Committee Chairs Jessica Olenych Betsy Ukeritis MaryLynne Malone PAthways Jessica Kratz (Editor) Richard Parisio (Poetry Editor) Frank Knight (Member) Nathan Garcia (Layout, Student) Nicole Gatherer (Teacher) Jonathan Duda (Marketing Manager) Snapper Petta (Member)

The leaves are starting to turn, the smells of bug spray and sunscreen are starting to fade, and the great crisp mornings of autumn are upon us. This is a great time to think about how you might participate in one of our great committees, check that your NYSOEA membership is up to date, and ways you might represent NYSOEA at your own upcoming events. Each of the regional directors now has a fully functional display that you may borrow at any time for any event. Simply contact your regional director for pick up and drop off information and membership/ELP information to set out with the display. Although we did not conduct our own conference this fall, many of our members attended the NAAEE-hosted conference in Buffalo. The Welcome to NY team was a great success sharing with attendees the excitement of NY, as well as NYSOEA news for New Yorkers unfamiliar with us. My challenge of gaining 10 new members was exceeded, and some new affiliate members joined, as well. NYSOEAs new bi-laws were successfully introduced at the Annual Meeting. I urge you all to take a look on the web at the wonderful work the Visioning Committee has accomplished. Please watch for information on an on-line auction, and you may renew your membership on line including any new contact information you have. NYSOEA is exploring making classroom teachers a bigger part of our organization and establishing a new affiliate category for schools and school districts. If you are a classroom teacher and have ideas on making this a worthwhile partnership, please contact me. Please mark your calendars for our Awards Ceremony at Ashokans Winter Weekend event February 4-6. Some wonderful folks will be receiving NYSOEA awards there.

A Note from the President

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Pathways Fall 2010

By Tim Stanley Nation-wide events have been sweeping across the country focusing on a topic outdoor educators can appreciate. Americas Great Outdoors Initiative established on April 16th, 2010, by President Obama is targeted to develop a 21st Century agenda for conserving the outdoor spaces that help make America special. The President understands that efforts to protect and restore the lands and water that we love and to reconnect people to the outdoors must begin in our communities. Senior government officials from the Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture hosted a series of public listening sessions in various locations across the country. On August 5th, 2010, I had the fortunate opportunity to accompany ten Fresh Air Fund campers to a youth listening session at the Wallace Center at the FDR Library in hyde Park. Our delegation of 6 Career Awareness Program teen leaders from Camp Mariah and 4 teen leaders from Camp ABC joined over 150 other youth from the hudson Valley including young adults from Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Beacon. These 10 New York City urban youth had no idea what the day would entail and only knew they would have the opportunity to speak on behalf of the environment and the outdoors. They focused on a set of 4 poignant questions, When you go outdoors, where do you like to go? What do you do personally to protect the environment? What are some obstacles and challenges that prevent young people from spending time outdoors? What recommendations would you make to President Obama to get more young people engaged in and connected to, the outdoor? The following excerpts are from narratives that were written by the Fresh Air Fund teen leaders. I feel that most kids this day and age are definitely not getting involved outdoors enough. As a teenager living in the urban part of the state, its almost like things are served to teenagers on a silver platter. Everything is in New York

A Momentous Day for the Outdoors

City: every show, museum, or restaurant imaginable. I feel that there are not enough green spaces or parks available in most neighborhoods with all these industrialized places. Teenager kids, and even most adults are too lazy to get on a train to Central Park. There was one idea that was brought to the spokesman of the government by one of the ABC girls, Mahogany Marshall; have an importance on a more environmental curriculum at school. During my speech, I mentioned that the educational system in our country always stresses math and English. SATs are English and math, based exams that count heavily on college acceptances. Why not educate our youth on the beauties of our natural world, rather than always getting caught up with that recent trigonometry question? Getting the kids outside in a more natural environment of learning gives them that hands-on activity that cost nothing. Science labs in school require materials to be bought. Spreading awareness about getting more people to participate in activities outside isnt as easy as it sounds, as many of you would know. Cristine Sanchez, Fresh Air Fund CAP Teen The idea that Tatiana brought up, and we all supported, was putting compost into schools across America. When she said that, another girl from another organization yelled with excitement. Everyone seemed to like that idea. Another suggestion that was made was to educate youth from early ages and create a mandatory class or insert an environmental appreciation class into the curriculum. I feel that if health class can be placed in the curriculum as a mandatory course for graduation, then the environment can also be included. There are some environmental science courses, but they only focus on the actual science and structure of the environment. There can and should be a course on the preservation and upkeep of Americas land. Lauraine Desilus, Fresh Air Fund CAP Teen In response to having environmental education in school, one of the government representatives asked the group, Dont you think there is already enough testing and standards in school without having more added on? The following are paraphrased responses from the crowd,

Pathways Fall 2010

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Tests, tests, and more tests and then a regents on top of that. Do you think we are going to remember that on page 14, question 35 was letter C. No, we wont remember that. We have enough tests. But we will remember experiences where we were allowed to feel, see, and do. Our teachers want to be more creative but are unable to do so because they are always teaching to the tests. If we dont learn about the outdoors in school or at camp, where are we going to learn about it? Our parents dont take us outside because they dont know what to do or where to go. We need someone to show us how to go outdoors. I realized NYSOEA is moving in a proactive direction by pushing for an environmental literacy plan for New York State. Our students are eager to go outside, and an environmental literacy plan can map out the direction to an environmentally literate citizenry. More information on this current issue can be found at www.nysoea.org.

Controversy Corner

Is The BP Spill The Worst American Disaster or Has It been Blown Out Of Proportion?
The BP Spill: has The Damage Been Exaggerated? Essay by Michael Grunwald

In his essay on the BP oil spill, Michael Grunwald looks at two schools of thought; Those like President Obama who see the spill as the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced, and those like geochemist Jacqueline Michel who think the impacts have been much, much less than everyone feared. he suggests that although the spill was a definite tragedy whose long-term effects may not be known for years, the damage was not as bad as we all surmised. What do you think? To read the TIME, July 29, 2010, article in full and give your opinion on the authors ideas which we may edit and print, please visit www.nysoea.org. Click on the http://www.time. com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2007202,00.html link. We are trying to initiate reader discussion on environmental issues, so please also consider submitting debatable issues that you would enjoy seeing discussed. Michael Grunwald, winner of the Society of Environmental Journalists award for his reporting on the Everglades.

The day was a powerful moment for the attendees who had a chance to share ideas and disappointments with the government. The enthusiasm and passion that engulfed the Wallace Center was encouraging. I hope that the ensuing years will help our youth focus this energy to make positive change. I walked away with a greater faith for this generation of young people and their hidden desires to live in a technological world that embraces and appreciates the natural environment. To learn more about this event and other Listening Sessions, please visit the Americas Great Outdoors Initiative website at: http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/ Contribute your ideas to the Idea Forum at: http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/

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Pathways Fall 2010

by Frank Knight

Book Review

Sleigh Bells in Springtime: Frogs Calling

By Jessica R. Kratz, illustrated by Stephen Adams

Authorhouse,1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403 48 pages, color illustrations www.sleighbellsinspringtime.com for signed book copies from author, $17. Also available from www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com Whenever I read a wonderful childrens book, I remember the account of the newspaper reporter asking John Burroughs brother what he thought of Johns fame. Anybody can write stories about chipmunks, was the reply. Of course, simple farmer brother had never read any of Johns work. While John wrote mostly for an adult audience, several of his animal essays were published in special editions for the Chicago School System and enjoyed there and elsewhere by thousands of students learning to read. Jessicas book is also for adults and children, but the other way around: children sharing their outdoor adventures with significant adults in their lives. Whether writing about chipmunks or frogs, an author needs to know the subject, and Jessica knows frogs. Read her biographical sketch at the end of the book to appreciate that Jessica prepared her whole life to write this and her other writings. As a child, Jessica shared adventures with her father hiking the Greenbelt of Staten Island, the borough of parks near her home. In Sleigh Bells in Springtime, her young adventurer explores a park trail with her father in the spring while still remembering her favorite December holidays with sleigh bells and carols. This reviewer was delighted that Jessica chose to narrate her story in verse, always great fun to be read to or read aloud to adults, siblings, and friends. On their nature ramble, they enjoy discovering springs new emerging life. After braving a stream crossing over a scary rustic bridge, our heroine hears her beloved sleigh bells but cant find their source. At this point, the maturing author Jessica influences the track of the story. As a day camper and then a teenage junior counselor at Staten Islands high Rock Park, Pathways Fall 2010 Jessica learned that natural history proficiency comes from both field and library study. So our narrators father, rather than simply telling her the answer, suggests some library research where they learn about our native frogs including the elusive spring peeper. Burroughs would have concurred in Dads decision since much of his knowledge of birds was sharpened at the library of the Military Academy at West Point. Once again, we see our young adventurer influenced by author Jessica Kratz who moved from library to computer research to citizen science studies as an AmeriCorps member and now a Nature Center Coordinator with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. Burroughs would have required a tutorial on computers, but he would have been no less surprised and delighted than I to see on the computer screen beautiful color photos of our frogs in a book otherwise illustrated with delightful color drawings. Working with her sister and father, the youngster learns online about the tools needed for collecting data for systematic inthe-field research, and the joys of sharing findings with teachers and classmates. Keeping at it through the summer and fall, they discovered where frogs spend the winter. December sleigh bells took on a whole new meaning. With no formal college science training, most of what Burroughs knew and shared with his 19th and early 20th Century readers, he learned from his own field studies. Jessica Kratz and her young friend take their 21st Century children and guiding adult readers in cities, suburbs, and country one giant step further inspiring them with the joys of making and sharing their own outdoor discoveries.

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Ramblings fRom Red Hill

The Continuing Education of Grandpa

Consider this basic equation: Take 1 trip to Yosemite National Park, add 2 grandsons plus 1 grandfather, and what do you get? The continuing education of grandpa!

Its July, 2010, and Im in California to attend a wedding. The daughter of our closest friends has presented my family with the perfect excuse to take a side trip to Americas third oldest national park. Nestled within a full-service cabin (satellite TV anyone?), my wife, daughter, sonin-law, two grandsons, and I used this homey base to explore this grandiose landscape made famous by John Muir. If youve never been to Yosemite, the shear enormity of this park can be overwhelming, and this is especially so for young children. Sequoias overshadow small bodies, waterfalls loom hundreds of feet above, and the soaring vistas go on forever. Yet, if given the opportunity to explore, you will hear joy as children tread lightly beneath the behemoth trees. Giggles ring out as wind driven mist brings huge smiles to small wet faces. As for the views, you will quickly comprehend the impression made on a young mind when you hear, Grandpa, can you pick me up so I can see the beautiful view? for what seems like the tenth time that day. As it is with most of our outings, David, who turns 3 this summer, and his brother, James, all of 8 months, continue to guide me in seeing the natural world in a renewed light. Their need to be outdoors seems hard wired in their DNA, but I certainly dont mind. Because of them I spent almost twenty minutes observing two moths, entangled in some sort of primitive mothian embrace, on the deck of our cabin. I waded thigh deep in the icy chill of the Merced River,

flowing strongly with snow melted waters, to a gravel bar for a glimpse of half Dome. And, while not an accomplished rock climber, I clambered over lots of granite; feeling the suns warmth emanating from the stone while its cracks, edges, and texture gave our fingers places to grip. In each of these short adventures, I saw the world at their level, allowing me the gift of seeing nature from their perspective. They were my instructors; not the other way around as is most often the case. So, what then is the long term value of these recent outings? Realistically it is probably negligible as far as the boys remembering much. After all, James isnt even a year old, and David is not quite three. If were lucky, David will have one or two solid memories of Yosemite while James will have none. But does that matter? For me, it isnt a consideration at all. At their young ages, it is our shared experiences that matter more; as it is with most people and young children. Time spent traveling on grandpas shoulders or sharing a sandwich outdoors while watching squirrels matter more, and these true gifts can be shared anywhere regardless of the natural surroundings. In the end, my message to anyone who chooses to read this is: Go outdoors with your children, grandchildren, neighbors kids, or whoever else surrounds your life. Dont worry about what you do, just do something; together. The time shared will reap great rewards for you and them throughout their lives. While these might go unseen to you in your lifetime, the seeds you sow during their childhood are sure to bear the fruits of self reliance, curiosity, exploration, and care for the environment due to your love. What better gift can you give a child? Especially since they were guiding you along the way? Until next time, may all your rambles lead you to new and exciting places... Pathways Fall 2010

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by Snapper Petta

Field Trip to Green Roof Inspires Participant to Construct One of His Own
Rooftop gardens have existed for centuries, from the hanging gardens of Babylon to the sod roofs of Scandanavia. But a green roof in the middle of New York City: now thats something I have to see to believe! Sure enough, on a late August NYSOEA field trip to the Five Boro Parks Complex on Randalls Island, thats exactly what we did. First, we met in a conference room for a Power Point presentation by John Robilotti, Senior Project Manager and Landscape Architect for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. We learned about the benefits of Green Roofs. According to a handout distributed by the presenter: The Five Borough Green Roof serves as a working laboratory for green roof design and construction, providing knowledge to the rest of the agency and outside groups while at the same time giving back to the City of New York. Robilotti has transformed an otherwise inhospitable roof at the Randalls Island facility into a green oasis attracting passive recreation while providing many economic and ecological benefits. This unique roof currently has 21 uniquely designed landscapes over a whopping 26,000 square feet, and is a veritable green laboratory, with so many different systems being tested side by side. Green Roofs provide many benefits, including: 1. Reducing the urban heat island effect 2. Reducing storm water run-off 3. Extending the life of the roof 4. Conserving energy of the building by providing extra insulation 5. Reducing air pollution and sound transmission 6. Providing new wildlife habitat 7. Reducing carbon dioxide 8. Improving aesthetics 9. Reclaiming real estate space John gave a fantastic presentation. he explained about the need for light soils, water retention and recycling, the protective polystyrene cover, and type of plants that work well atop a green roof. There are three variables that differentiate the many types of green roofs at Five Boro: Type of plant selected Type of growing medium utilized Depth of growing medium

By Tom Stock, Metro Region

The cloudy, cool late August day still had many beautiful plants in bloom. One of the first plants we saw is sedum. There are 400 species of sedum, plenty to choose from. Sedum can tolerate drought and likes lots of sunshine. Sedum was also the plant of choice in an experimental green wall. The Five Boro Green Roof has no shortage of diverse and innovative features. Some of what I saw, when I looked closely at it, made me forget I was in the city at all : a raised bed vegetable garden to bees visiting black-eyed susans, grasses, and evening primrose. There were vines covering a pergola for a shady picnic space for employees, and a platform for red tail hawks where they perch and scout for their next meal. When I got back home in the pine barrens of Suffolk County, I prepared a roof overhang on my shed to try making a green roof. I bought and planted twelve pots of sedum plants from a local perennial garden shop. I reinforced the slightly slanted roof attached to my chicken coop puttering shed and covered it with tar paper, plastic, and made 2 foot by 2 foot four inch deep trays and took cuttings from the sedum plants to start my own green roof. It was not very difficult to fabricate a makeshift green roof, and I encourage others to do so. Perhaps NYSOEA members can partner with schools to help design, maintain, and monitor green roofs and other outdoor green spaces: outdoor classrooms with applications across the curriculum and beyond! Page7 of 12

Pathways Fall 2010

By Laurie Penney McGee, M.S., CTRS

Outdoor Recreation & Final Regulations Revising the Americans with Disabilities Act
On July 26, 2010, America celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA,) a broad-reaching civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on a persons disability. The law mandates equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities in state and local services as well as public accommodations. After many years of public comment and work by people with and without disabilities, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued final regulations revising Title II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, including changes to the standards for Accessible Design.

Acid Rain Scavenger Hunt

Subjects Matter
By Justine Boeshore

Grades: 2-5 Objectives: Students will be able to identify what acid rain is Students will be able to identify who discovered it and where acid rain was discovered Students will be able to define the different terms for acid rain Students will be able to identify the difference between an acidic and non acidic ph Students will be able to identify some of the different things/areas that are affected by acid rain Materials: Informational sheet, bag for collecting, scavenger hunt phrases, outdoor props for placing true phrases on. Engagement: Inform the students that they will be involved in an acid rain scavenger hunt after learning the history and causes of acid rain. Lesson Procedures: The students will each receive the informational sheet that they will read together. This sheet contains what acid rain is, where it comes from, who discovered it, and where it is the most prevalent. Then the students will embark on a scavenger hunt looking for phrases associated with acid rain. The students will have 15-20 minutes to choose the correct phrases to pick up during their hunt based on the reading. Every answer within the scavenger hunt can be found within the reading which they can take with them as a guide. The items for their scavenger hunt will be placed outside, and the students can work in teams of 2. True facts will be placed on or near a variety of props or items (listed below) which have been affected by acid rain. False facts will be placed near healthy trees, plants, insects, or rocks.

For years, many outdoor educators have struggled to balance the need to preserve and protect the environment with the need to make the outdoors accessible to all. These new guidelines provide much needed direction for the provision of many outdoor recreation services. The revisions will effect over 80,000 state and local government recreation agencies, as well as over 7,000,000 not-for-profits and businesses covered under the ADAs title II and title III regulations. The new rules will take effect on March 15, 2011. These new regulations have broad implications, including new guidelines for recreation areas, the use of service animals, the use of mobility devices, and more. Some of the specific recreation areas that are identified in the new regulations include: Recreational Boating Facilities Fishing Piers and Platforms Exercise Facilities Swimming Pools and Wading Areas Shooting Facilities Golf & Miniature Courses Play Grounds

Closure: After the scavenger hunt, we will all come together and share our findings. Some students may have found different things due to time and where they looked. The students will share their findings, telling what the fact and prop is in correlation with acid rain and how it pertains to what they just learned. Justine Boeshore is an undergraduate student at Plattsburgh State University. She is currently an Elementary Education major with a minor in Cultural Anthropology. (To view the lesson and its materials in full please visit www.nysoea.org.) Pathways Fall 2010

Additionally, the new regulations provide clarification for many of the previous rulings. Issues regarding accessible routes of travel, the use of effective communication, and the provision of accessible spectator seating have all been addressed in detail. Work continues for final regulation Page8 of 12

on additional outdoor areas, such as trails and beaches. For more information, visit www.ada.gov. The New York State Inclusive Recreation Resource Center strives to promote opportunities for people of all abilities to play and recreate wherever they choose. While many challenges exist in making natural environments accessible to people with a variety of functional differences, it is essential that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and the many wonderful programs and services offered by environmental educators. Please feel free to visit the NYS IRRC website at www.nysirrc.org or contact the Center at Inclusiverec@cortland.edu to learn more about inclusive recreation services. This was just one of four seasonal all-school events planned for the Green Classroom by Duzines active Garden Committee. Teachers, community members, and parents are working together to plan a Winter Dream Garden assembly, where children can share art, writing, and songs drawn from their experiences in the Green Classroom. Next, The Spring Fling in April will bring each class back to the garden to plant early cold crops. Last years crops of sugar snap peas and lettuce were big hits, enticing children and their teachers to the garden to observe, investigate, write, and eat! A final all-school event hot Crops Day will be held late in the spring, when the Three Sisters beds of corn, beans, and squash will be planted, along with herbs, potatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers, and other heat-loving crops. Last summer, the Green Classroom was lovingly tended by parent volunteers, to the delight of the returning students in the fall. In this digital age, when a commonly held belief is that 21st Century children dont know how to be outdoors anymore, its been a delight to see the children of this small school work and play together so happily in a garden given to them by their community. On that perfect fall day, under the benevolent gaze of ragtag scarecrows, it was easy to imagine a Green Classroom in every school, leading children back to a deep understanding of nature and sense of wonder.

By Rebecca Burdett

Scarecrow Fest at Duzine Elem. Schools Green Classroom

On a crisp autumn morning last October, an odd exodus began. The doors of Duzine Elementary School in New Paltz opened, and out marched a gaggle of scarecrows of all shapes and sizes: scarecrow families, scarecrow babies, even a scarecrow frog! There were tall, pumpkinheaded farmers and fancy patchwork ladies, a scarecrow in a wedding dress, another covered in monarch butterflies, each one created by pre-K through second grade students and teachers. This strange parade was headed for Duzines new Green Classroom, a fifty by fifty foot organic garden, recently created by the school community to inspire students writing and enhance learning in science, social studies, and music. The Scarecrow Festival had begun! Each scarecrow was tied securely to the gardens fence by the time classes began flowing out of the building to participate in six learning stations. In the fields adjacent to the garden, the schools music teacher led a hoe down with harvest songs and dances while the art teacher guided children through weaving, collage, and scarecrow-making activities, using natural materials found in and around the garden. In a rustic rocking chair under a nearby tree, the school librarian told the story of Stone Soup to classes of young children. Parent volunteers ladled out bowls of stone soup to the young audience. The soup had been created by the districts head chef with produce grown in the Green Classroom. In and around the garden beds, environmental educators from the Mohonk Preserve and Phillies Bridge Farm Project led mini-workshops in composting and introduced the children to the principles of companion gardening in the Three Sisters Garden. As the children ground corn, strung beans, and scooped out pumpkins, they learned about the farming techniques of the Lenni Lenape who once lived along the banks of the nearby Wallkill River. Presiding over this colorful harvest festival were the scarecrows themselves, all with interesting stories to tell, for pinned to each scarecrow was his or her biography, composed by the students in each classroom. These stories would be compiled and published in A Scarecrow Storybook, and placed in the schools library for all classes to enjoy.

Pathways Fall 2010

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Serves 10 1 lb each McIntosh, Granny Smith and Rome Apples 1 cup unsweetened apple cider or apple juice 2 strips lemon zest (approx. 3 in. each) 1 Tbsp lemon juice 3 Tbsp cinnamon red hot candies 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1. Peel, halve and core apples. Cut into 2 in. chunks. Place in a 5 qt pot with apple cider, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, 25 minutes or until apples are very tender. 2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Continue to cook, stirring, until the candies dissolve (about 3 minutes). Discard zest. Crush with a potato masher until the applesauce is chunky or smooth according to taste. Serve warm or cold.

Cinnamon-Ginger Applesauce

Johnny Appleseed
Legend says that Johnny Appleseed slept in a treetop hammock, played with a bear, and even had a wolf for a pet. Whether the things are true or not, one thing is for sure! Johnny Appleseed is a great American hero. Johnny Appleseeds real name was John Chapman. he was born in 1774 in a small town in Massachusetts. he grew up on a farm and loved helping his father with the work. But his favorite spot was the apple orchard! It was his job to take care of the trees, and each fall he would pick the apples from the trees and fill many a basket! Wagon trains on their way out West would pass through the farm. John would sit for hours, talking to the drivers, learning that the soil out West was good for growing trees. he dreamed of going West himself, but his father tried to discourage him, saying there were no apples out West. Johnny said,Then I will bring apples to the people there. I will plant all kinds of apples-red, yellow, and green. Johnny set out on his long journey with a walking stick in his hand and a pot on his head. he carried books and a sack of seeds on his back. he planted seeds everywhere along the way. Everyone loved him! Children listened to his stories and the animals of the forest would run up to him, waiting to be fed. Everywhere Johnny went, apple trees began to grow. That is why he became known by the name Johnny Appleseed. Even today the story of how he helped plant apple trees is told all over the country. - story taken from www.alphabet-soup.net

Dried Apple and Cinnamon Noodle Hangings

Slice apples sideways and place in a lemon juice and water mixture for a few minutes. Moisten rigatoni pasta with water and then roll in cinnamon to coat. Using plastic needles and yarn, have children alternately string the apples and noodles. Add a country fabric bow to the top and dry near a sunny window. They look and smell great! Idea from: tbigg_totton@yahoo.com

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Pathways Fall 2010

Natural ly Poetic
Autumn Leaf
Youve settled your affairs. Youve painted yourself for your brief fall to earth. Your glory will become parchment, a curled shingle in the roof used by millipedes, chiggers, ants, the white threads that root mushrooms. It is the way of the world; you will be litter far longer than you held out your green palm. Welcome, little one, to the ground Ive walked on all my life. You are not my beautiful death. You are the tiny flag in my hand declaring victory for what was and what is to come. - Will Nixon Will Nixon is coauthor, with Michael Perkins, of Walking Woodstock - Journeys into the Wild heart of Americas Most Famous Small Town (Bushwack Books, 2009).

inhabitants easy access to nature and it lessons and benefits. Pickett concludes, This book provides a refreshingly unprejudiced look at urban wild flora and ultimately invites us all to look for better ways to appreciate wild plants and to use them in our efforts to improve the ecology and the human life of the city. Remarkably, as you turn pages you will rediscover what were until now nameless plants you overlook on almost any outing. We champion the underdog surviving great adversity, and many botanical examples are here: Boston ivy under a dry shady highway overpass and a carpetweed getting all its moisture from an air conditioner drip. Peter Del Tredicis Introduction to his field guide of 222 species (including 32 trees) provides enough detail for a middle-, high school, or college level exploration of wild urban plants, but as a photographer I appreciate its usefulness to upper elementary teachers and students. Paired facing pages for each plant provide six color photos showing leaves, flowers, fruit, and plants in their habitat making it easy for page turners to find their plant at hand. The left-hand page gives names, life form, place of origin, vegetative characteristics, flowers and fruit, germination and regeneration, habitat preferences, ecological functions, and cultural significance. Two examples stress the guides educational value: herbaceous coltsfoots ecological functions are disturbance-adapted colonizer of bare ground and erosion control on slopes. In its native European Alps, it colonizes the bare rocky soil exposed as glaciers retreat. It was used in Europe as a cough suppressant and to flavor cough drops. The author notes its soft white wooly leaf undersides as an excellent source of emergency toilet paper an amusing fact for children. Deciduous European Norway maples distinctive milky sap is illustrated. Its ecological functions include tolerance of roadway salt and compacted soil; heat reduction in paved areas and erosion control on slopes. Cultural significance: Introduced to America by famed John Bartram of Philadelphia in 1756, it became popular in the 1800s resurging in the 1950s and 60s to replace diseasedecimated American elm. Many states, including New York, now list this maple an invasive species. A useful Appendix includes key characteristics of the most important dozen of the 39 included plant families, a glossary, and bibliography. Teacher Resource Centers, school libraries, and outdoor-oriented teachers should all have and use this guide.

Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide

Reviewed by Frank Knight I am a Northeast plants snob; or I was until I began using Tredicis Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast this summer. I grew up in a small upstate NY city and live in another one now, but my Scouting-fueled childhood rambles took me beyond the city limits to learn and enjoy and later to photograph wild native plants in near pristine habitats. But, urban ecologist Steward T.A. Picketts Forward reminds us that more than 80% of Americans live in or near cities and suburbs; a percentage that surely includes most NYS Outdoor Education Association members and the students they serve. Mr. Pickett tells us, that like me, city/suburb residents of this dominant habitat ignore the wild plants of unmanaged grounds. This volunteer wild vegetation ecologically enriches us and offers urban Pathways Fall 2010

Cornell University Press / Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, NY. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8014-7458-3. $29.95 paperback

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Pathways
Check out our website! www.nysoea.org

Our Mission

NYSOEA is a professional organization that promotes interdisciplinary life-long learning in, for, and about the outdoors and seeks to inspire appreciation of the environment by all people.

c/o Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies P.O. Box 2000 SUNY Cortland Cortland, New York 13045

New York State Outdoor Education Association

Cortland, NY Permit No. 14

U.S. Postage
Non-Profit

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