00:00The Helen Schuller Nature Centre celebrates the change of season with its Spring Nature Fest.
00:04This annual event features interactive activities by local communities.
00:07This includes participation from Lethbridge Polytechnic's Early Childhood Education Program.
00:12Chair of the School of Human Services and instructor Cheryl Hayton is taking 25 to 30 students.
00:17Hayton believes it is important for young children to connect with nature and the environment.
00:21Being outside in nature is very refreshing.
00:25It helps to allow children to burn off energy.
00:28It gives them opportunities to just engage with nature and children just have a tendency to thrive.
00:34Since its launch between seven years ago, Spring Nature Fest has seen attendance numbers between 250 and 400 people.
00:40Coordinator Jessica Deacon-Rodgers says the spring weather can vary greatly.
00:44Deacon-Rodgers sees people embrace everything that spring can bring.
00:47Aside from the pop-up activities done by the Early Childhood Education students,
00:51Deacon-Rodgers says the festival offers a variety of other activities.
00:54The Old Man Watershed Council will have activities with pollinators and some bumblebees in the colony that people can watch.
01:01The Southern Alberta Art Gallery will be doing nature dioramas.
01:03And we'll also have the Southern Alberta Rockhounds Association.
01:06And they're going to be bringing down rocks and mineral samples for people to look at.
01:10For Deacon-Rodgers, it's important for people to get to know the place they live.
01:14That's part of the reason why the Nature Centre runs festivals like this.
01:17She feels fortunate to have many new and returning partners.
01:20As an Early Childhood Educator, Hayden also thanks the organizers and believes that children learn valuable lessons they will remember.
01:27Especially if their parents are taking photos of them,
01:30they'll have an opportunity to just talk about all the fun times that they had
01:33and all the creative ways that they got to use the materials while they played.
01:38It is clear that Spring Nature Fest is a local favourite experience for all.
01:42The Helen Schuller Nature Centre continues to be a place for environmental learning in the city.
