Our chapter will provide outreach to South Dallas citizens residing in zip code 75215, the Ideal/Bonton community. Educational outreach to this underserved community next to the Buckeye Trail and Great Trinity Forest through summer nature classes, public school learning experiences, senior education and through other community and educational centers.
Previous classes introduced a weekly nature topic in a classroom setting and was followed by a field trip to reinforce what had been taught. Project partners include TR Hoover Community Center, Educational First Steps School, and field trip sites at Trinity River Audubon Center, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Dallas Parks Buckeye Trail and City of Dallas McCommas Bluff Landfill.
Volunteers assist with classroom and field trip activities.
Project co-leaders:
- Shelby Smith
- Rebecca Posten
2023 Activities – 20 volunteers with 609 hours of service performed
- Senior program at TR Hoover where NTMN shared expertise on butterflies, birds and mammals. The seniors have been introduced to nature journaling and use it regularly in meetings. In September, they were taken to the Texas Discovery Gardens and the bus was paid for by an anonymous donor, and in October TRAC paid for them to visit them and discuss birds.
- TR Hoover student summer camp held twice a week for 6 weeks with nature classes and three field trips. The field trips were funded by A&M Agri-Life.
- MLK Day at TR Hoover – established a pollinator garden that the community can enjoy. Commemorated the garden to the “Super Seniors” and created a plaque for them.
- Outreach events in and around the 75215 area, and met another community center, Dallas Bethlehem Community Center that is within the same zip code, thus falling under the purview of our project. NTMN consulted with them on the community garden and helped them to establish a new pollinator garden.
- Made contact with other community members at Dallas Bethlehem Center and Kenneth Saintonge
- NTMN were interviewed on a podcast called “Uncle Warren Speaks”.