From Green Right Now Reports
Urban youth around the nation will be breaking ground this spring on gardens of native plant species as part of the National Park Foundation’s First Bloom program. Through First Bloom, students experience national parks and have the opportunity to learn important conservation lessons, including the difference between native and invasive plant species.
Youth groups participating in the program work with park rangers to design and plant their own gardens in national parks. First Bloom connects kids between 4th and 6th grades to nature and national parks. The nationwide program is currently taking place in 26 national parks in partnership with 31 youth groups, primarily local Boys and Girls Clubs, across the country.
“One of the most important things anyone can do for the environment is to connect young people to parks,” Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, said in a statement. “Kids who are forging connections with the national parks today are likely to have lasting relationships with the parks and the outdoors for their whole lives.”
Parks with upcoming plantings include:
- Hamilton Grange National Memorial and General Grant National Memorial, NY
- San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, Calif.
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
- Boston African American National Historic Site, Mass.
The National Park Foundation funded the 2010 First Bloom projects with support from the UPS Foundation, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations through the Yawkey Foundation, and through the support of private citizens and foundations.
Learn more about the First Bloom program at www.first-bloom.org.