Plan
- What parks have you been to in your area?
- What will you use to take photos of the park?
- Who will you travel with, or tell where you are going?
Do
- Parks provide a lot of really great opportunities for exercise, socialization and access to natural spaces with no cost to residents, so it is important they are meeting these requirements.
- Start by going to the area you are visiting. Look all around, at the trees, the structures, the benches, the animals.
- Remember the things that stand out. Look at the size of the park too.
- Then, back at your meeting place, or at your next meeting, draw out all those things you remember. Include as many parts as you can remember.
- The more aspects that support access to exercise, socialization and showcase natural ecosystems, the better- so make sure you note parts of the park that promote these.
- If you think anything is missing from your park (more green space, a playground, benches, etc.), add them in to your map. What did you change?
Review
- What were some things in the park that really stood out in your memory? Why do you think this was?
- Is there anything you would change about the park?
- If parks that have lots of different trees and animals are considered 'healthy', how healthy was your park?
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Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map
Materials
Paper
Drawing materials
Camera or phone (optional)
Keep it Simple
To keep it simple, take pictures of the park or open space you visit! This will make drawing a map easier.
For Virtual - Visit a park with your family, or use Google Maps to visit one virtually! Then, draw your maps based on what you saw and share them at your virtual meeting.
Take it Further
To take it further, add as much detail as possible. Include a coded legend to keep track of different surfaces; natural areas versus manmade areas. As well, you can try to provide suggestions for how to improve the area. Additionally, youth can identify how they can make their park more representative to the local community. What might you change to really make your park / outdoor space local to your community?
