A new Central Illinois Adventure Playground is in the works!

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America Recycles Day is Nov. 15, 2014

America Recycles Day: U-Cycle, Recycle, Bicycle!

Saturday, November 15
10am-2pm
Anita Purves Nature Center
1505 N. Broadway, Urbana
FREE

Join the recycling celebration! Although the event will take place indoors, the spirit is in keeping with the C-U Outdoors Club,  because this year's theme focuses on bicycles! During the event, kids will have the opportunity to make some creative decorations for their bikes using repurposed items.

Make your own creation from reused or repurposed materials at home before the event, and enter to win an award in the Creative Reuse Competition. Participants of all ages and skill levels are welcome. A panel of judges will score each entry for usefulness, reused/recycled content, ability to be recycled, creativity, and complexity. See here for competition rules and a complete list of recyclable items that can be dropped off during the event. Bring in the most of any one of the recyclable items above and win a prize! Questions about the event or the competition? Contact Savannah Donovan at 217-384-4062 or sydonovan@urbanaparks.org.

This event is always a great time. Staff from U-Cycle and the I.D.E.A. Store will also be at the event. Stop by any time from 10am to 2pm to enjoy the festivities. We look forward to seeing you there!

Textures Hike in Meadowbrook Park

Thank you to all of the families who participated in the C-U Outdoors Club Free Family Nature Hike in October! For those of you who were not able to join us, the theme of our hike was textures.

Families were presented with a textured scavenger hunt sheet that had tactile examples of items that feel soft, rough, bumpy, smooth, stringy, and sticky. Then, we searched for similar-feeling items in the prairie at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana.

We felt leaves, stems, and seed pods, and learned about what kinds of plants they came from. We also found deer tracks, fuzzy wooly-bear caterpillars and a huge praying mantis that flew right to us!

The next club gathering and hike is coming up on Saturday, November 22nd. I hope you can join us in our exploration of Crystal Lake Park where we will focus on all of the amazing trees! We will meet at the Anita Purves Nature Center (1505 N. Broadway, Urbana) where you will find parking and can use the restrooms before we depart on our adventure. C-U then!

Free! C-U Outdoors Club Free Family Nature Hikes
Saturdays, 12:30-2pm
Nov 22: Crystal Lake Park
Dec 13: Busey Woods
Learn hiking tips and tricks to use when you explore nature with your family and friends. Nature center staff will share information about plants and animals and guide fun trail activities. Hikes will take place rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Everyone is welcome to these family nature hikes; just sign-in when you arrive. Call 384-4062 for more information. 
 

Why should you take a hike?

Take A Child Outside Week has ended--and what a great week it was! We picnicked; watched a movie in the barn at Meadowbrook Park; looked at stars, galaxies, and nebulas through telescopes; hiked to find salamanders in the woods; collected prairie seeds, and more!

At the heels of this exciting week comes new findings about the emotional benefits of walking in nature. A recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan published in the journal Ecopsychology provides more scientific backing to the idea that nature walks are good for our health and wellbeing. The study finds that these types of walks are associated with “significantly lower depression, perceived stress and negativity,” and “appear to reduce the effects of stressful life events on perceived stress and negative affect.” You can read more about the study here.

Even though Take A Child Outside Week is over, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to get outdoors with your family and reduce stress:

Free! C-U Outdoors Club Free Family Nature Hikes
Saturdays, 12:30-2pm
Oct 11: Meadowbrook Interpretive Center & Meadowbrook Park
Nov 22: Anita Purves Nature Center & Crystal Lake Park
Dec 13: Anita Purves Nature Center & Busey Woods
All Ages (under 15 with adult)
Learn hiking tips and tricks to use when you explore nature with your family and friends. Nature center staff will share information about plants and animals and guide fun trail activities. Hikes will take place rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Everyone is welcome to these family nature hikes; just sign-in when you arrive. Call 384-4062 for more information.

Free! Sunday Morning Bird Walks
Sundays, Sept 7-Oct 26, 7:30-9am
Meet in Anita Purves Nature Center parking lot
All ages (under 15 with an adult)
Birding can be an adventure for the whole family. Search for birds in Busey Woods and Crystal Lake Park on Sunday mornings. A leader from the Champaign County Audubon Society will help you learn basic bird watching and identification techniques. Bring a pair of binoculars if you have them or call the nature center (384-4062) to inquire about borrowing a pair.

Forget the Rest: Hike and Relaxation!
Saturdays, Sept 20-Oct 25, 8-10am
Interpretive Center, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, 2573 S. Homer Lake Rd, Homer
Are you in need of a special time to relax and reflect? Join us as we hike in nature and forget about the rest of the world. This program will start with some light stretching and breathing exercises to calm your mind and body. This program is for adults and mature teens only, please. Registration is not required. $5 suggested donation. For more info: (217) 896-2455 or cwalsh@ccfpd.org.

Yours in loving nature,
Savannah Donovan
Environmental Public Program Coordinator
Urbana Park District

Community Concierge Magazine Interviews Savannah Donovan about the C-U Outdoors Club

What will club members do?

Club members will have access to free opportunities to explore and enjoy the outdoors with other local families. These opportunities can range from hikes to picnics, from star-watches to sports games and more. Members will receive occasional emails that let them know about upcoming free outdoor events in the Champaign-Urbana area—most opportunities will not even require pre-registration. The idea is to get as many families as possible enjoying the outdoors in places that are close to home and at times that are convenient for them. Our goal is for families to become familiar with local parks and natural areas and to feel comfortable exploring them together. We want to remove all of the barriers that may prevent families from enjoying nature. Club members will also have the opportunity to set their own agendas, times, and locations and invite other families to join them, similar to a Meetup Group. Club hikes are already planned monthly for October through December. During these hikes, parents will learn tips and tricks that will make exploring nature more fun and enjoyable for their family. Urbana Park District staff will be on-hand to share information about plants and animals and guide fun trail activities.

Why should families join?

There are so many proven benefits of spending time outdoors: reduction in stress and anxiety, heightened awareness, increased ability to concentrate, and lowering blood pressure and promoting weight loss are just a few. Unstructured play with “loose parts” in nature (sticks, leaves, mud, etc.) increases children’s critical thinking skills and ability to think creatively. As they run, jump, climb and teeter across logs they improve their large motor skills. Picking apart seeds, building fairy houses, and playing with bugs all help to improve fine motor skills. Children with ADHD, sensory processing disorders, and autism often show reduced symptoms when they are allowed to play and explore in nature. Also, spending time outdoors increases our appreciation of nature—the environment that feeds us and provides clean air and water. This can lead to increased stewardship and advocating for our shared natural environments. In today’s world of video games, computers, and smart phones, it has never been so important to get back outdoors and in touch with nature.

What do you hope this program will be become in a year, 2 years, 3 years?

My goal is for this club to be entirely member-run within the next year. Right now, I am managing the website, online calendar and email announcements, but the plan is to hand over those responsibilities to the club members themselves as they become more active and engaged with the C-U Outdoors Club. Ideally, this should be a club for families, run by families. In two to three years, I hope to see club members enjoying weekly excursions outdoors at times and places that are most convenient for them. If enough families are active and involved, this group could become a powerful voice in our community to promote outdoor recreation and nature conservation. I certainly hope the club will gain that much momentum! And I hope to see you outdoors at the next C-U Outdoors Club gathering!

Savannah Y. Donovan

Environmental Public Program Coordinator

Urbana Park District

Anita Purves Nature Center
217-384-4062 ext. 359

Upcoming Events

Celebrate Take A Child Outside Week !

September 20-28, 2014

The Urbana Park District, Champaign County Forest Preserve District and other organizations offer programs and self-guided activities that get kids and families outdoors and help raise awareness about the benefits of time spent in nature. See www.ccfpd.org/childoutside/ for more information and a list of events.

 

FREE C-U Outdoors Club Family Picnic and English/Spanish Hike
Saturday, Sept 20 from 11am-2pm
Anita Purves Nature Center & Busey Woods
All ages (under 15 with adult)
Join Champaign-Urbana’s new family nature club. Membership is free, and the benefits are countless! Bring your family, a picnic lunch, and your own blanket or chairs to the Anita Purves Nature Center’s Friendship Grove for this club kickoff event. Meet other families interested in enjoying the outdoors together. Naturalist-led hikes through Busey Woods will begin at 12:30pm and will be offered in both English and Spanish. Call 384-4062 by Sept 18 to let us know you are coming.

 

GRATUITO! C-U Habitación al Aire libre Picnic Familiar en Inglés/Español
Sábado, 20 de septiembre de 11am-2pm
Anita Purves Nature Center & Busey Woods,
Todas las edades (menores de 15 años con un adulto)
Únete nuevo club carácter familiar de Champaign-Urbana. ¡La membresía es gratuita, y los beneficios son innumerables! Traiga a su familia, un almuerzo de picnic y tu propia manta o sillas para el silbatazo inicial de este evento. Caminatas a través de Busey Woods comenzarán a las 12:30pm y se ofrecen tanto en Inglés como en Español. Llame al 217-255-8601 y pregunte por José Galué o envie un email a: jagalue@urbanaparks.org antes del 18 de septiembre para hacernos saber que vendrá a visitarnos.
 

FREE Film Screening: Mother Nature’s Child
Monday, September 22, 6:30-8:00pm

Meadowbrook Interpretive Center

All ages (under 15 with adult)
Free
Mother Nature’s Child explores nature’s powerful role in children’s health and development through the experience of toddlers, children in middle childhood and adolescents. The film marks a moment in time when a living generation can still recall childhoods of free play outdoors; this will not be true for most children growing up today. Enjoy this hour-long documentary, followed by an opportunity for discussion. The screening will take place inside the Meadowbrook Interpretive Center, a historic barn that has been converted to a rustic program space. Free popcorn will be provided while supplies last. Before the film, you may bring a picnic dinner to the adjacent Meadowbrook Garden Pavilion. Call 384-4062 by Sept 20 to let us know you are coming.

 

Join the C-U Outdoors Club!

Welcome to the C-U Outdoors Club! This club is open to all families living in and around Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Membership is free!

To join, visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/CUoutdoors