An interview with Environmental Educator, Dan Orr

This is Part Two of a series of articles dedicated to teaching our children how to become global citizens.

I met Dan in the way I seem to normally meet great people these days – on Twitter. Although Dan resides in the same region that I do, we’ve never actually met in person. What I know of Dan comes from his efforts to promote conservation authorities in southern Ontario. He’s done a wonderful job engaging his online community, and educating those of us who frequent that world. His passion shines through the confines of the computer. He inspires me daily, and I’m so glad that he agreed to share his views on conservation and teaching children to appreciate our natural environment.

Chic Galleria: Why should conservation authorities be important to families?

Dan: This is a good, and maybe not so easy to answer, question but I’ll try. Conservation authorities (CAs) do many things. For one, CAs are large land owners. We own acres upon acres of significant natural areas we call Conservation Areas. These areas are open to the public at no cost (in our watershed anyways) for families to get out and explore nature, whether that be hiking, mountain biking, snow shoeing, picnicking etc.

Another good reason, and one that Lower Trent has been getting more involved in, is education. We go into classrooms and hold special events for students, such as the Quinte Children’s Water Festival, where we teach children about our natural resources and how to conserve and respect them.

I’ll mention one more point why conservation authorities are important to families. Over the years people have built their homes or towns near water or on floodplains.  Because of this, people have suffered considerable property damage when flooding occurs. One of our mandates is to monitor water levels along major creeks and rivers daily for just this reason. We warn residents, municipalities, etc when flooding may occur.  In addition to that, we may also restrict new developments near, or around these areas, to minimize flooding damage.

Of course, conservation authorities do much more than what I just mentioned.

CG: What are some of the problems facing conservationists, and environmentalists, today?

Dan: That is one loaded question! I could get really political here and talk about corporations and government, but I think I’ll stay away from that, and answer from my perspective as an ‘environmentalist’.  There are lots of issues of course – invasive species, climate change, urban sprawl, oil spills, water scarcity and quality - but for families I think one the biggest environmental issues is human health.

When you look at the whole picture, people are the main reason for the degradation of the natural world, and therefore our own health. I’m sure everyone can agree that we need air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat.  At the same time we continue to pollute our air, our water, and our food.  I’m generalizing here but I think we can understand that anything negative we do to the environment has a direct and negative effect on our health. If we breathe polluted air, it is going to affect us. Recently many health professionals are beginning to draw the same conclusions. It’s a major problem with no easy solution.

CG: How can we educate our children about environmental issues?

Dan: I think instead of educating our children about the issues of today, we first need to foster in them an awareness of what nature is. Technology is getting in the way of this, and I’m sure most people by now have heard about Nature Deficit Disorder in children. Parents really need to be proactive here, and the best way to do that is to go outside with your children. Go hiking, camping, collect tadpoles, look at leaves, climb a tree. The simple of act of being outside with them will cultivate an interest in the outdoors, which is the first step.

As adults we really forget what it is like to be a child. The first thing I do when I’m talking to children about nature is to get down on their level. If we’re looking at a flower, we all crouch down and look at it together. This shows that you care and are interested. Just the other night I was with my daughter on our front yard, and I laid down in the grass – something I haven’t done in years – and it felt good.

An illustrated watershed, by Andrea Gauthier

After a child knows what a tree looks like, or a tadpole, what a certain type of flower smells like, etc. then we can start pointing out the issues I mentioned in the last question such as urban sprawl, or climate change. Their new background in nature will help them understand the challenges that lay ahead.

CG: What is a watershed? And how can families help conservationists in their efforts to protect them?

Dan: A watershed is an area of land that catches rain and snow and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater. Homes, farms, cottages, forests, small towns, big cities and more can make up watersheds. Some cross municipal, provincial and even international borders. They come in all shapes and sizes and can vary from millions of acres, like the land that drains into the Great Lakes, to a few acres that drain into a pond.  The best way to protect these watersheds is through awareness. Become active in showing your child nature, get out to a conservation area, and get to know your local conservation authority.

CG: Anything else you’d like to add?

Dan: I can’t stress enough about getting kids in to nature. I hardly see kids outside anymore. Even tobogganing seems to be a thing of the past. I mentioned Nature Deficit Disorder in children, but the reality is that it is prevalent in all ages. Video games, cell phones, computers, they are all great things, but we have to step away from time to time.  The only reason we have those things is because of nature.  If you look around you there is not one thing that did not come from the planet (unless you have a moon rock). And those things come at a cost to the environment.

I invite everyone to visit a Conservation Area.  Pack a picnic, and just be outside, even if its once a week. Ontario is home to some amazing places.

Dan Orr is the Communications Assistant for the Lower Trent Conservation.  He is trained in Ecosystem Management and Parks and Forest Recreation.  When not writing press releases, planning special events, or educating youth, he can be found between a computer and a forest.

Part One: Permaculture, Sustainability and Your Family: An interview with Permaculture Designer, Douglas Barnes

Part Three: The Family Table: How You Can Teach Your Kids About Sustainable Eating

Part Four: Empowering Your Child to Become a Hero

Bryna Jones is a writer, mother, blogger and humanitarian from Ontario, Canada. Formerly Creative Director for at a small branding company, she specializes in online communication and social media. She will soon begin her role as Advocacy Campaigns Coordinator for World Vision Canada. Follow her on Twitter @brynajones.