HHNM Program Director Emily Nestlerode leads the Knee
High Naturalist program for Newburgh Residents at the Newburgh Public
Library. Photo by Joanna Marvel
With generous support from Hudson Valley Credit Union and the
Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund, the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum
(HHNM) has been able to bring its popular Knee High Naturalists Program to
the Newburgh Public Library on Tuesdays from 10am-10:45am, at no charge to
Newburgh residents. This 8 week outdoor program will continue to run weekly
through June 8.
Knee High Naturalists is a seasonal program designed
for children ages 2-4 as an introduction to nature and organized activities.
Children attend with their caretaker, who supports them during class time.
Though HHNM has been unable to restart the Knee High Naturalist program on-site
since the pandemic began, it has been in existence for well over a decade (with
plans to restart on-site in the near future). No matter the location, the
goals of the program are the same; To provide an environment for children
of similar ages/development to socialize, to introduce children to basic
classroom behavior and expectations, to increase children's comfort level with
the outdoors, nature, and animals, and to decrease barriers for caretakers when
recreating or learning outside with children.
According to Program Director
Emily Nestlerode, “It always astonishes me to see the growth between week one and
week eight, and it's most obvious when taking attendance. The first week, most
kids aren't really sure what is going on or are too shy to speak up when they
hear their name. By week eight, they are waving, yelling 'here!' and greeting all of their classmates with exuberance.”
Off-site at the Library, some modifications needed to be made to
the layout of the program, while keeping the essence of the program fully
intact. For example, Educators may have been able to set up feeders ahead of
time to watch birds arrive and feed during class time
at the Nature Museum, they can now instead introduce birds
commonly seen around the City of Newburgh and provide caretakers with a guided
activity to find those birds on their way home after class and beyond.
There is
still an emphasis on getting bodies in motion, touching natural objects, and
learning appropriate behavior in this setting. The grants have also allowed for
the translation of program materials so that both English and Spanish versions
may be provided in order to increase accessibility for caretakers who may be
leading after-class activities. The Nature Museum is grateful to Hudson Valley
Credit Union and the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund for enabling the ability to
adapt the parameters of Knee High Naturalists for a new off-site
environment, and allowing for the program itself to evolve and
grow.