It’s been heartening, especially in this moment of overwhelmingly grim civic turmoil, to explore the new model library examples. The Anythink Nature Library plans are inspirational and give me hope that this type of model could be adapted for other locations. It has piqued my curiosity about the scope of programs that have successfully incorporated nature education and experiences as an extension of library service. It would be thrilling to see nature based experiential learning (and in tandem the restoration of wild spaces) cultivated into a standard facet of the library ecosystem, rather than as an exceptional case, or “special” library.
People are not separate from nature; we do not exist in a lateral universe. We are intricately connected, regardless of whether such connections are visible or understood. Education that helps make those connections transparent but in a fun and delightful way is crucial to their sustainability. Libraries are utilizing their unique cultural capacities to connect people to nature based experiences. Regarding implementation, coordinating with local groups like farms and local conservation organizations seems to be a winning strategy helping to strengthen both the library and coordinating group gain visibility within a community.
If public spaces like the library are core sites of social infrastructure, as Kleinenberg argues, then we should be taking advantage of every opportunity to utilize and strengthen them as places of connection, to nature and to one another. This is already happening in branches nationwide via such projects as vegetable beds, native pollinator gardens, and other creative approaches that utilize what little (or vast) space is available.
People are so hungry for a connection to nature but may need some guidance. The opportunity to learn about “stars, water, wildlife and seasonal changes” will help build a culture of environmental stewardship as the press article stated, but also build a potentially happier and more resilient populace. Access to nature has been shown to be overwhelmingly beneficial in myriad social, emotional, and cognitive capacities for people of every age..
One of my favorite aspects of the Nature Link Library is that one of its objectives is to restore the prairie to a pre-settled state. I think this is an initiative that is quite special in that it has the potential to be such as source of civic pride. If people have the opportunity to learn what is special ecologically about their plot of land and be a part of cultivating it- that’s powerful.
How can we re-imagine our local libraries to be places of education and inspiration that are part of and extend to the natural sphere? We have to stop thinking of them as bifurcated spaces. Efforts can and should be made to incorporate exposure to nature in daily life for the health of our populations and the long term longevity of wild places.
Nature based learning is so incredibly vital for developing environmental stewardship among the general population, and also for helping people understand (on a physical, visceral level) that they are not separate; that they have a right to enjoy its abundance and also a responsibility to protect it. In this moment of climate collapse, and national mental health crisis, its imperative that libraries take advantage of these opportunities and partnerships.
References (in order of appearance):
https://www.anythinklibraries.org/nature-library
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/The-Outside-Chance-Innovative-Outdoor-Programming
https://casbs.stanford.edu/news/qa-eric-klinenberg
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Growing-Practice-Library-Gardens
https://www.anythinklibraries.org/news-item/anythink-nature-library?fbclid=IwAR2DgO-k8nU6kNUODo7vTlRXKiEiYSoSeQMC8Aq0QnoLMZoT3d-QKpbSl5M
http://pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2023/nature-a-key-ingredient-for-mental-health