Family Nature Club:
Outdoors Unplugged
It’s a sunny December day at the Zoo’s Linear
Park, and the English family children can’t hide
their excitement. Andrew, four, grabs a fallen
branch and waves it like a magic wand. Ava, seven,
stuffs a discarded pretzel bag with twigs, leaves
and berries. Four-year-olds, Violet and Caroline,
triplets to Andrew, pause by the Sea Turtle
Healing Center, hoping to catch a glimpse of the
marine reptiles swimming in the tanks.
It’s clear that their parents, Amanda and Kyle,
have instilled a love of nature in their children.
Before they had children, both were avid runners,
hikers, rollerbladers and national park visitors.
The Englishes moved from Mississippi to Viera, FL
in 2015 when Amanda was pregnant with the
triplets. They joined the Zoo almost immediately.
Soon after, they learned about Family Nature Club
and were drawn to the concept of free outdoor
adventures with other families, attending nearly
every event since.
The program began with a grant from the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the
Walt Disney Company. During the school year,
participants come together twice monthly; once in
the Zoo’s Exceptional Nature Space and again at
a Brevard County park. Zoo staff guides families
through a loosely structured activity, such as
listening for nocturnal creatures at dusk, identifying
animal footprints or “baking” mud pies sprinkled
with pine needles and acorns. The diversity of
outings exposes participants to new settings
(like Sams House in Merritt Island and Riverwalk
Nature Center in Rockledge), and gives them tools
to lead their own adventures with items like
fishing poles, binoculars and field guides.
“Even though they’re all the
same age, their interests are very
different,” says Amanda of the triplets.
“It’s hard to keep them entertained
and engaged. Family Nature Club gives
our kids lots of choices, and we know
they’re in a safe environment. We
look forward to it every month.”
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