Center Business Plan - Executive Summary
Statement
of Need
Our
communities need citizens who have a strong sense of place,
who value the land on which they live and the wildlife that
shares it. The Columbus Audubon Center will be uniquely
positioned to support the children and families in our community
by providing quality nature education in the urban environment.
Exposing Central City Residents to Nature
A
number of organizations already exist that provide environmental
education targeted to the urban population of Columbus.
The themes of these organizations include solid waste management
and recycling, science (technology), soil & water conservation,
cultivated landscapes, and energy conservation. Nature and
wildlife education is not a prominent theme for any of these
organizations. Urban dwellers must travel to facilities
in the suburbs to have nature education experiences. Because
of this gap, the City of Columbus Riverfront Vision plan,
adopted in 1998, called for creation of a nature education
facility along the Scioto near downtown.
Throughout
Audubon's community needs assessment input processes, community
members, including environmental educators, strongly stated
and supported the need for an Audubon Center in an urban
setting. The Center is a valued project in the community
because it will strengthen educational opportunities, sustain
the conservation of green space and the wildlife it supports,
and contribute to the development of the river as outlined
in the City's Riverfront Vision Plan.
Improving Student Achievement
Another
need to be served by the Columbus Center is the need to
improve student achievement. Nature-based education
is an important way to get students excited about learning.
There have been many studies done on the effect of
using the environment to teach across all disciplines. The
observed benefits include:
- Better
performance on standardized measures of academic achievement
in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies;
- Reduced
discipline and classroom management problems;
- Increased
engagement and enthusiasm for learning; and
- Greater
pride and ownership in accomplishments
Gerry
Lieberman, director of the State Education and Environment
Roundtable (SEER), has studied the beneficial effects of
environmental education for years. “We're saying
that the students will be more interested, more enthusiastic,
learn more and retain more if they are doing the learning
in the context of their local environment, their local community,”
he says.
SEER
conducted a study of 40 schools using the environment as
an integrating context for learning. Teachers reported:
•
Improved development of language arts skills;
•
Greater enthusiasm for language arts;
•
Improved understanding of mathematical concepts and content;
•
Better mastery of math skills;
•
Increased knowledge and understanding of science content,
concepts, processes, and principles;
•
Better ability to apply science to real-world situations;
•
Great comprehension of social studies content
•
More advanced skills in applying civic processes to real-life
situations;
•
Increased ability to think creatively;
•
Greater proficiency in solving problems and thinking strategically;
•
Better application of systems thinking;
•
Stronger communication skills;
•
Better ability to work in group settings; and
•
Acting with greater civility toward others.
Education
is a primary goal of the Columbus Audubon Center. Columbus
inner city schools have made progress in improving academic
scores of their students, but there is a lot of opportunity
to do more. The CAC will provide hands-on, interdisciplinary
education that excites students about learning and the environment
around them.
Promoting
Urban Revitalization
The
Audubon Center will fulfill not only an educational need,
but also a need to revitalize the urban core. The
Riverfront Vision Plan contains a section called the Whittier
Reach. This region contains the Whittier Peninsula – the
future site of the new Metro Park and Columbus Audubon Center.
One half of the land is set aside for the park and Center;
the other half is slated to become new residential and light
commercial development for the City. The park and Center
will help to drive the development and will greatly enhance
green space for the existing and new local residents.
Preserving and Enhancing a Special Natural Area
The
development of the Metro Park and Center will also take
this old industrial site and convert it into a variety of
habitats for diverse wildlife. Because of the importance
of this area to migratory birds, there is a need to preserve
and enhance its natural values. The existing Audubon
Important Bird Area and its birds and other wildlife will
benefit from these efforts. The Center will be able to utilize
both existing and new natural resources for community nature
education programs.
Mission
Statements
The
National Audubon Society Mission
Audubon's
mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing
on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit
of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.
The
Audubon Ohio Mission
The
mission of Audubon Ohio is to promote the conservation and
restoration of ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife,
through advocacy, education, stewardship and chapter support,
for the benefit of Ohio citizens of today and tomorrow.
The
Columbus Audubon Center Mission
The
Columbus Audubon Center will awaken and connect participants
to the beauty of the natural world in the heart of Columbus
and inspire environmental stewardship in their daily lives.
