Supporting the Designation of the
Red-backed Salamander as D.C.'s official amphibian
Read more about this effort in this article by Casey Trees.
Written testimony submitted to the DC Council
September 18, 2024
My name is Elana Mintz, and I’m the founder and executive director of Urban Adventure Squad, a DC-based nonprofit education organization. For ten years, in collaboration with D.C. schools and nonprofit partners, we have connected children with the outdoor spaces on and near their school grounds so they can experience–in hands-on, meaningful ways–the endless opportunities to learn outside, across the curriculum.
Today, students in many–but not nearly enough–D.C. public and public charter schools are learning about their hyperlocal ecosystems by estimating the age of trees, studying the sources of pollution in the Anacostia River, the Potomac River, and Rock Creek; hiking trails where Nacotchtank Native Americans once lived, and seeing species like the river otter return to the Anacostia River.
As part of our outdoor learning programs, students study some of D.C.’s official symbols to deepen their understanding of our ecosystems and our cultures.
D.C.’s official bird is the Wood Thrush, which sings a stunning song and plays a vital role in our urban ecosystem by practicing pest control and seed dispersal. Like many DC residents, the Wood Thrush begins its long, arduous journey from Central America. It migrates to Washington, D.C., where it looks for safe places to build nests for its children.
D.C.’s official tree, the Scarlet Oak, gets its name from the beautiful red foliage it produces in the fall. It's an important food source for squirrels and other animals, and its large canopy helps keep our neighborhoods cool on hot days, combating urban heat island effect. According to Casey Trees, Scarlet Oaks can withstand significant dry spells once established. As our planet warms, preserving and learning about the Scarlet Oak is essential.
D.C.’s official mammal, the Big Brown Bat, is a major contributor to our ecosystem as a pollinator and an insectivore, and learning about it helps dispel myths people believe about bats. Thousands of people know about this keystone species thanks to a group of Girl Scouts who, through research, advocacy, and persistence, pushed for its designation as official mammal in 2020.
I am THRILLED to support this bill to designate the Red-backed Salamander as DC’s official amphibian. The work that led to this legislation is a perfect example not only of why environmental stewardship is important for children, but why it is critically important that local outdoor learning begin at a young age, as part of a child’s public education.
When we learn about what is just outside our door, we care about what we find. This leads us to work harder to protect it, and to teach our communities about what we found.
In addition to the benefits to species of all sizes that result from the curiosity and care ingrained in this work, environmental stewardship supports the mental and physical well-being of children who have access to it.
At Urban Adventure Squad, we are incredibly grateful to the students of Powell Elementary School for taking on this important effort. Through your actions and commitment, you are showing people of all ages that exploring our local neighborhoods is not just fun, but important work that supports our city and its ecosystems for future generations. You are demonstrating for all of us that children don’t have to wait to be adults to make real change.
Elected officials and public education leaders, please take note: THIS is outdoor learning. The levels of engagement, excitement, knowledge retention, and happiness among Powell students is not anecdotal evidence–it is backed by a growing body of peer-reviewed evidence on the benefits of outdoor learning for young people.
Let’s take this wonderful example brought to us by children and their committed teachers and parents/guardians, and move #EquitableOutdoorLearning into our public schools across DC.
Urban Adventure Squad’s dream is that this educational approach becomes what we know it is destined to be: sustained, affordable, and accessible to every child in our public school system. When our children experience outdoor learning, their teachers and their entire caregiver community benefit from it.
Finally, a special thank you to Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and her staff for their work on this legislation. Supporting the work of children in having their voices heard, encouraging their research, and inviting them to participate in the political process to effect lasting change benefits them, as well as the many thousands of people of all ages who–as a result of this bill becoming law–will have a chance to learn more about Washington, DC, our ecosystems, and the significance of those ecosystems to the rest of the world.
Thank you!
Red-backed Salamander as D.C.'s official amphibian
Read more about this effort in this article by Casey Trees.
Written testimony submitted to the DC Council
September 18, 2024
My name is Elana Mintz, and I’m the founder and executive director of Urban Adventure Squad, a DC-based nonprofit education organization. For ten years, in collaboration with D.C. schools and nonprofit partners, we have connected children with the outdoor spaces on and near their school grounds so they can experience–in hands-on, meaningful ways–the endless opportunities to learn outside, across the curriculum.
Today, students in many–but not nearly enough–D.C. public and public charter schools are learning about their hyperlocal ecosystems by estimating the age of trees, studying the sources of pollution in the Anacostia River, the Potomac River, and Rock Creek; hiking trails where Nacotchtank Native Americans once lived, and seeing species like the river otter return to the Anacostia River.
As part of our outdoor learning programs, students study some of D.C.’s official symbols to deepen their understanding of our ecosystems and our cultures.
D.C.’s official bird is the Wood Thrush, which sings a stunning song and plays a vital role in our urban ecosystem by practicing pest control and seed dispersal. Like many DC residents, the Wood Thrush begins its long, arduous journey from Central America. It migrates to Washington, D.C., where it looks for safe places to build nests for its children.
D.C.’s official tree, the Scarlet Oak, gets its name from the beautiful red foliage it produces in the fall. It's an important food source for squirrels and other animals, and its large canopy helps keep our neighborhoods cool on hot days, combating urban heat island effect. According to Casey Trees, Scarlet Oaks can withstand significant dry spells once established. As our planet warms, preserving and learning about the Scarlet Oak is essential.
D.C.’s official mammal, the Big Brown Bat, is a major contributor to our ecosystem as a pollinator and an insectivore, and learning about it helps dispel myths people believe about bats. Thousands of people know about this keystone species thanks to a group of Girl Scouts who, through research, advocacy, and persistence, pushed for its designation as official mammal in 2020.
I am THRILLED to support this bill to designate the Red-backed Salamander as DC’s official amphibian. The work that led to this legislation is a perfect example not only of why environmental stewardship is important for children, but why it is critically important that local outdoor learning begin at a young age, as part of a child’s public education.
When we learn about what is just outside our door, we care about what we find. This leads us to work harder to protect it, and to teach our communities about what we found.
In addition to the benefits to species of all sizes that result from the curiosity and care ingrained in this work, environmental stewardship supports the mental and physical well-being of children who have access to it.
At Urban Adventure Squad, we are incredibly grateful to the students of Powell Elementary School for taking on this important effort. Through your actions and commitment, you are showing people of all ages that exploring our local neighborhoods is not just fun, but important work that supports our city and its ecosystems for future generations. You are demonstrating for all of us that children don’t have to wait to be adults to make real change.
Elected officials and public education leaders, please take note: THIS is outdoor learning. The levels of engagement, excitement, knowledge retention, and happiness among Powell students is not anecdotal evidence–it is backed by a growing body of peer-reviewed evidence on the benefits of outdoor learning for young people.
Let’s take this wonderful example brought to us by children and their committed teachers and parents/guardians, and move #EquitableOutdoorLearning into our public schools across DC.
Urban Adventure Squad’s dream is that this educational approach becomes what we know it is destined to be: sustained, affordable, and accessible to every child in our public school system. When our children experience outdoor learning, their teachers and their entire caregiver community benefit from it.
Finally, a special thank you to Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and her staff for their work on this legislation. Supporting the work of children in having their voices heard, encouraging their research, and inviting them to participate in the political process to effect lasting change benefits them, as well as the many thousands of people of all ages who–as a result of this bill becoming law–will have a chance to learn more about Washington, DC, our ecosystems, and the significance of those ecosystems to the rest of the world.
Thank you!