During the school year, Geauga County fifth-graders are instructed by Geauga Park District naturalists through a series of six interactive sessions, five of those involving outdoor exploration. Nature Scopes concludes in May with a field day where students are awarded their own Bushnell binoculars and two field guides for participating in the program. By making nature education local and personal, the year-long program is working to inspire a new generation of conservationists.
• To enhance and supplement the school science and math curriculum by providing hands-on lessons matched to the Ohio Content Standards for fifth-grade science and math
• To provide tools such as binoculars and field guides in order to increase student’s enthusiasm for and appreciation of the natural world
• To utilize professional naturalists and trained volunteers to provide experiential nature study in a wide variety of natural habitats in Geauga County
Nature Scopes is Working
Post-program surveys in 2010 show that we are indeed helping students connect with and learn more about the mysteries of the natural world.
• 87% of Nature Scopes fifth-graders are feeling more aware of and connected to nature
• 85% are more likely to explore outdoors in their spare time since after participating
• Teachers report that Nature Scopes is helping their students meet Ohio's Academic Content Standards for fifth-grade
Evaluation results show significant increases in student knowledge in the following areas.
Nature Scopes covers the following fifth-grade Ohio Academic Content Standards.
Science and Math The areas of: • Scientific Ways of Knowing
(ex. Nature of Science, Ethical Practices) • Physical Sciences (ex. the Nature of Energy) • Earth & Space Sciences (ex. The Universe) • Life Sciences (ex. Diversity &
Interdependancy of Life) • Math (ex. Using Patterns, Relations, and Function)
Ecosystems Students observe and record interdependency
in nature.
Forests Identifying five layers of the forest which serve as life zones for wildlife.
Ponds Defining pond food webs and using binoculars as microscopes to identify aquatic creatures.
Program Goals & Objectives
Nature Scopes aims to:
• Enhance and supplement the school science and math curriculum by providing hands-on lessons matched to the Ohio Content Standards for fifth-grade science and math
• Provide tools such as binoculars and field guides in order to increase student’s enthusiasm for and appreciation of the natural world
• Utilize professional naturalists and trained volunteers to provide experiential nature study in a wide variety of natural habitats in Geauga County
Instructional Objectives
Students will:
• Learn proper use of field guides and binoculars to study and learn about nature
• Demonstrate increased knowledge of birds, insects, trees and celestial objects
• Show increased enthusiasm for and understanding of the natural world
Rationale & Description
Geauga Park District’s Nature Scopes binocular program was established in 2003 in response to research showing that close encounters with nature create a direct, personal involvement with the outdoors that cannot be matched by classroom discussion or viewing photos in textbooks. Children must connect with nature before they can be expected to preserve it. Environmental education begins close to home, encouraging learners to explore and understand their immediate surroundings (North American Association for Environmental Education, 2000).
Fred and I think Geauga County is the best place in the world to live. Our professional lives involved health care, so we decided to spend our retirement years volunteering for activities where we could learn
about different subjects. We very much enjoy the outdoors, especially birding, so when we learned that the
Geauga Park District had a binocular program for fifth-graders called Nature Scopes qw volunteered to help with it.
I have to tell you that the more we learned about the program, the more excited we became. Fifth-graders are so intelligent and enthusiastic! It is very exciting to see them raise their binoculars and identify the birds they see. We volunteer for the instructional sessions when the children learn how to use binoculars correctly and learn about night sky constellations. Did you know that the naturalists made a large classroom planetarium out of black plastic so students can learn the positions of constellations? It is fantastic!
For a week every May, we volunteer for the Nature Scopes Bino Blitz field days at The Rookery. Each participating school is scheduled for a field trip there. The three activities include study at a pond, forest and wetland habitats. The children, by this time, know how to look through the “wrong end” of their binoculars to use them as a microscope. It is a wonderful way for them to see pond and forest creatures magnified. Then, to top off the year, the fifth-graders each receive a pair of binoculars to call their very own, funded through private donations to the Geauga Park District Foundation. Both of us would “bend your ears” about this great program – just ask us!
– Joan and Fred Dively, Volunteers, Nature Scopes
I really loved the Nature Scopes program when I was in the fifth grade at Lindsey Elementary. The most significant thing I gained is the ability to use the binoculars to observe different birds and other animals outside in my own backyard and when I go camping. When you can observe animals up close without interrupting them or scaring them away, you can learn more about their natural behaviors and have a better appreciation for the animals living around us in Geauga County. I learned how to use binoculars correctly by focusing the lenses, how to clean them, and how to take care of them properly. I also learned when and where to use the binoculars and I use my binoculars a lot. Thank you!
– Mariah Wright, Junior, West Geauga High School
Nature Scopes taught me to take a closer look at the world around me. When I was in 5th grade I got to participate in the Nature Scopes program. It taught me to take a closer look at the world around me. I remember there was a night dedicated to looking at the stars and the moon and I was fascinated by the intricate details I could see with the binoculars. I learned about Geauga Park District programs, activities and the scenery they have to offer. I use my Nature Scopes binoculars all the time. I recently went on an eight-day Ecology trip with the high school and we were outside the entire time so the binoculars were very useful. I also take them every year when I go on vacation to look at things like bald eagles. They really were a wonderful gift from Geauga Park District. Now my brother Jack is in the fifth grade and he is participating in the program this year so thanks in advance! He can’t wait to get his own binoculars!
– Claire Slusarz, Junior, West Geauga High School
As a teacher, I have participated in the Nature Scopes Binocular Program for several years. The students find it is 'so cool' to witness the secrets of the natural world in person rather than just read about them in a book.
The lessons provided by the program are very well thought out and align perfectly with the science lessons I teach each year. This program is supported by a wonderful staff who are knowledgeable and absolutely love what they do. Thank you, Geauga Park District!
– Darla, Hollowell, Teacher, St. Helen's School, Newbury
Dear Nature Scopes Supporter,
I am a wife, mother, grandmother and finish carpenter by profession. However, my current passion is for volunteering with Geauga Park District’s Nature Scopes program. Since the program began seven years ago, I have been as lucky as the fifth-graders as I have helped them make that amazing connection with Nature.
The students are naturally bold and curious as they appreciate the discoveries that binoculars provide. The field guides help each student understand and respect what they see. Can there be anything more important than building awareness and a basic understanding of the natural world for future generations? Having committed to Nature Scopes, it is my fondest wish that an understanding and appreciation of this program will forever generate volunteers, as well as, the capital to keep the dream on course.
Thank you for your support of this profound and magical program!
Gratefully, Joan Francis
“Like the hammer that encourages the nail into the wood, binoculars have proven to be the ’tool’ that encourages a young person’s sense of wonder.”
– Joan Francis, Volunteer, Nature Scopes
Local Sponsors
The Geauga Park District Foundation and Geauga Park District gratefully acknowledge the support of the following sponsors and benefactors who supported Nature Scopes from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010.
Geauga Legacy Donors ($1,000 and above)
Marguerite Wilson Charitable Foundation
Kathy Keare Leavenworth
John & Pat Leech
Walk Through The Woods Event
Chagrin Valley Rotary Club
Todd & Mary Ray
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Francis
The North Face Explore Fund
(Click the graphic for Nature Scopes' PlanetExplore website!)
Park Protectors ($250 - 499)
Blackbrook Audubon Society
Mrs. Ruth Holm
Dr. & Mrs. Barry Pearce
Mr. & Mrs. John C. Steigerwald
Chardon Kiwanis Club
John & Kelly Janoch
Western Reserve Federation of Conservationists
Park Supporters ($100 - $249)
Burroughs Nature Club
Paul & Barbara Emch
Janet E. Narten
Mr. & Mrs. Todd Ray
Mrs. Mary Russell
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Speck
Park Friends ($99 and under)
Mr. & Mrs. William Angstrom
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Best
Mary Bookman
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Brobst
Mr. Ian Cooper
Mr. & Mrs. Brent Gardner
Ms. Mary Lou Whitlam Garver
Mr. Brian Gingerich
Emilie Gottsegen
Bob & Cindy Johnson
Ladies Club of Troy
Irene McMullen
Tom & Jenica Mignogna
Ms. Lisa Ramsey
Valerie Slusarz & Peter George
Cheryl Torsney and Eric Hansmann
Mr. & Mrs. William Tucholsky
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Bennett
Mr. Robert Denne
Dr. & Mrs. Eugene Hamlow
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Schmid
Mr. & Mrs. Richard McCellan
Dr. Gerald Lackey
The following organizations also contribute to Nature Scopes with financial contributions.
North Face Explore Fund
Blackbrook Audubon Society
Burroughs Nature Club
Bainbridge Women’s Club
Chardon Rotary Club
Chardon Kiwanis Club
Chagrin Valley Rotary Club
Western Reserve Federation of Conservationists
The Marguerite Wilson Foundation
Busy Bee Services
