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Master Naturalist Volunteer Builds Habitat In Philadelphia October 1
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On October 1 community members and representatives of regional conservation organizations and agencies will join Pennsylvania Master Naturalist George Parris in planting a native garden in Malcolm X Park at 52nd and Pine Streets in Philadelphia.
The native plant garden will serve to enhance the appearance of the park, as well as promote plant and animal species within the urban setting.
Mr. Parris grew up with Malcolm X Park, formerly known as Black Oak Park, as his back yard. Mr. Parris describes the neighborhood as "a place where people looked out for each other and took care of the children, even if they were from another family."
Now an adult in the same community, Mr. Parris is giving back to the park and community through his involvement in the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program. Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is a cooperative program administered by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education. The program was founded on the belief that cooperation among organizations and citizens is essential to sustaining the state's natural resources for future generations.
George Parris became a certified Pennsylvania Master Naturalist in 2010, along with a group of his peers from the Communities of Learning in Urban Environments & Sciences program. Master Naturalist certification involves completing a fifty-five hour intensive natural sciences training course, annual advanced training requirements, and annual local conservation volunteer service requirements.
Gail Farmer, The Institute's Director of Programs, speaks about their vision for the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program. She says the volunteer training program was designed with the goal of "connecting people with their local conservation resources, such as local parks, nature centers, preserves, natural resource professionals, and other naturalists."
Ms. Farmer also comments on the importance of partnerships to the program. She adds, "cultivating partnerships among community members and their local conservation organizations is essential to community-based conservation."
Mr. Parris began his work with Malcolm X Park in 2010, when he organized a community clean-up of the park. But he wanted to do more. As a long-time member of this Philadelphia neighborhood, Parris recognized the importance of revitalizing the Park. He explains that this work at the park "will enable the community to be a part of something they can be proud of because we all come together for a common goal and everyone pitches in and nobody feels left out. With gardening you can actually see your creation... and know we each put our love and care in it."
Mr. Parris submitted a grant to fund the revitalization and was awarded the funds to plan, install and maintain a native plant garden at the Park in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Friends of Malcolm X Park and the St. Francis Episcopal Church.
Mr. Parris is not the only Pennsylvania Master Naturalist to make strides toward bringing the community closer to the environment. In the program's first year, Pennsylvania Master Naturalist volunteers dedicated 600 hours of conservation service, working with more than 15 local program partners, and reaching a wide range of audiences, including children, adults, and underserved groups in Greater Philadelphia.
The Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program is a cooperative initiative that is administered and coordinated by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education.
To learn more about the program and our partners, please visit the PA Master Naturalist webpage or contact Gail Farmer, Director of Programs, at 570-764-7628 or send email to: gfarmer@piceweb.org.
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9/26/2011 |
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