The Parklands Hosts Helmsley Outdoor Classroom for Boys and Girls Club Participants
This summer, The Parklands of Floyds Fork is partnering with The Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana to provide a day of outdoor activities that open up new relationships between students and the authentic Kentucky bluegrass.
Nearly 150 youth from the Shawnee, Parkland, Newburg, Jeffersonville and Ed Endres clubs will explore The Parklands through ranger-led adventures such as hiking, bug collecting, seine netting, creek exploration, and wildlife and plant identification. These experiences will be paired with curriculum teaching participants about forest ecosystems and riparian systems, giving them a greater understanding of Kentucky’s natural landscape and the wildlife that call The Parklands “home”.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Parklands Helmsley Outdoor Classroom,” said Jennifer Helgeson, President & CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana. “The program is a great opportunity for our Club members to develop a sense of their place in the environment and offers something for all ages with the diverse list of educational and fun programs.”
Program sessions will run from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on the following dates:
- June 16 and 18
- June 30 and July 2
- July 14 and 16
Each session will introduce The Parklands’ plant and animal inhabitants to 20-30 youth.
All costs of the Outdoor Classroom are covered by funds from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which awarded The Parklands $3 million to execute an urban conservation initiative. One goal of the initiative is to integrate the park user experience with native wildlife through educational programming.
“The Helmsley Charitable Trust understands the specialness of Louisville’s bluegrass landscape, hence the reason for their support of the Urban Conservation Initiative within the park,” said Park Director Scott Martin. “They also drive us to work hard to connect people and families to these special outdoor experiences. We’re so thankful that the Boys and Girls Club is collaborating with us to pilot this program and figure out ways to open up Louisville’s great outdoors to everyone.”
To arrange an interview, photo or video shoot regarding the Helmsley Outdoor Classroom please contact Anna Rosales-Crone at 502.365.9988 or acrone@21cparks.org.
To learn more about supporting The Parklands, a donor-supported public park, through Membership, visit www.TheParklands.org/Member.
About The Parklands of Floyds Fork
The Parklands of Floyds Fork is a nearly 4,000-acre donor-supported public park system under development within the Floyds Fork watershed in eastern and southeastern Louisville. One of the largest and most ambitious metropolitan park projects in the nation, The Parklands is a dream realized by 21st Century Parks, a nonprofit organization established to create and preserve new unexcelled parks that serve as city-shaping infrastructure. The Parklands is now 35% open, currently operating and programming the first two of four parks in Eastern Jefferson County. The southern parks are now under construction with the aim of opening in late 2015. 21st Century Parks is responsible for fundraising, land acquisition, construction, and long-term operations of the new park system. Community members may contribute to the annual fund by becoming a Parklands Member. Learn more at http://TheParklands.org/Member.
About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting effective nonprofits in health, place-based initiatives, and education and human services. Since 2008, when the Trust began its active grantmaking, it has committed more than $1 billion to a wide range of charitable organizations. The Trust’s Conservation Program works to resolve environmental threats through an approach that ensures the well-being of local communities while sustaining natural resources and protecting biodiversity. For more information on the Trust and its programs, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.
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