Hands in Dirt KC

Big kiddos to Hands in Dirt KC co-founder Kelly and her preschool students for winning “Fan Favorite Fort” of Fortopia! Skully the Pirate Ship will be featured on next year’s Fortopia exhibition as well!

A good reminder.👇

"Children who don't connect with nature before the age of 12 are less likely as adults to connect with nature. They therefore lose out on the resilience nature provides when you are really stressed."

Dr William Bird (Outdoor Nation Interview, National Trust)

This quote was cited in a really interesting and important report put together by the National Trust a few years ago called the “National Trust Natural Childhood Report” which finds that there is compelling evidence that we as a nation are suffering from a nature deficit. You can find the report here:

https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/documents/read-our-natural-childhood-report.pdf

Interested in foraging native plants in Missouri? Powell Gardens is highlighting different plants that can be foraged each month! Next time you’re at the garden, be sure to check out their Midwest Foraging exhibition and trail, located right next to the Fortopia play area.

As part of Powell Gardens’ Midwest Foraging exhibition, we’re sharing a foraged plant with you each month! July is all about coneflowers.

Popular with pollinators, Coneflowers (Echinacea) are an easily grown garden plant and native to North America. A popular perennial with smooth stems and long lasting flowers. Flowers occur singly atop the stems and have domed, purplish-brown centers with drooping rays.

At Powell Gardens, you may find coneflowers in the Butterfly Meadow, Children’s Garden, and Heartland Harvest Garden.

Hey KC! Be sure to head out to Powell Gardens for Fortopia (starting May 26) and maybe learn a little bit about Midwest Foraging during your visit!

We were part of the UMKC Early Childhood Education team, and would love to see you all playing in our Lucky Woodland Find fort 🍄🍃

MIDWEST FORAGING. 🍄🍃☀️ Inspired by The Lucky Woodland Find fort designed by UMKC’s Early Childhood Education Team for Fortopia, our new Midwest Foraging tour invites you to embrace your Midwest spirit while appreciating the natural landscape throughout Powell Gardens.

Launcing with Fortopia (May 26-October 16), this exhibition encourages visitors to explore the Midwest spirit of place through learning about wild edibles. Make your way to the Family Discovery Trail. Begin the self-guided tour by looking for BLUE plant tags that feature flower and leaf symbols to identify selections from the collection and learn fun facts about each plant or fungi along the way.

Before you head out, stop in The Marketplace to collect the limited-edition commemorative artist-designed botanic patches to celebrate the plants you can now successfully identify. Grab a DIY foraging kit to apply what you learned at home!

PLEASE NOTE: Foraging is not permitted on Powell Gardens property. In the interest of public health, safety, and in respect of our conservation efforts, all participants are expected to appreciate this tour for the educational content provided.

Purchase admission online at powellgardens.org/fortopia.

How Nature Has Become America's Saving Grace As We Shelter In Place The social distance of the coronavirus pandemic is reminding Americans of the healing powers of the great outdoors.

Get some (gloved) hands in snow!

Seriously, The Benefits Of Sending Your Kid Out To Play *Cannot* Be Overstated Ah, the great outdoors. While science has long known the positive benefits of adults communing with nature, research shows that children playing outdoors is beneficial to them as well. Experts have found that from improving eye sight and reducing…

Teachers and parents! Did you know that you can search for a garden near you on KCCG's website? This tool is such a great way to see what green space is nearby and provides a great opportunity to get tiny hands— and big ones!— into dirt.

Find a Neighborhood Garden - Kansas City Community Gardens

Looking for resources to start learning about nature play and outdoor education? Looking for fun, affordable field trips or experiences in the KC area? Check out these websites for inspiration!
Nature Explore: https://natureexplore.org
Children & Nature Network: https://www.childrenandnature.org
Kansas City Community Gardens: https://kccg.org/
KC Parks- Lakeside Nature Center: https://kcparks.org/places/lakeside-nature-center/
Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary: https://www.naturesanctuary.com/education.html

Feel free to share your own resources in the comments below!