Oz Chaparian
Teacher Naturalist
When I was eight years old I lived in a three family home in Worcester. Nature, for me, was a strip of dirt and weeds about 15 feet wide on all sides surrounded by a chain link fence. No playgrounds, just sidewalks, streets and cars. On one side was a car dealership, on the other an office supply store. Not much for a young kid to do. I didn’t know it at the time but the turning point in my life was a block away.
Once I had a bike, I could explore my neighborhood. One day, I biked by an old storefront. Inside were exhibits with stuffed birds, rocks, insects, etc. It was the Piedmont Center, an outreach program run by the Worcester Natural History Society intended to get kids like me off the streets and interested in nature. IT WORKED! I became a regular visitor.
By the time I entered South High School I knew I wanted a science career. I chose botany as an elective. The teacher was very hard but was also an expert in botany and a member of the Worcester County Horticultural Society. He arranged for his botany students to attend WCHS flower shows. For an inner-city kid, a visit to the flower show was like entering another world. I had never seen anything like it.
Our class went on field trips to observe carnivorous plants and trilliums emerging in spring. We learned the intricacies of plant structure and function. We learned plant classification. Our bible was Gray’s NEW Manual of Botany (1908!). One day our teacher returned from the flower show with an armful of flowers. He plopped one on each of our desks with the command “identify is this flower!” I dived into the 900-page book and painstakingly followed the sequence of plant characteristics until I finally identified my flower. I raised my hand and called him over to report my result. He looked at me sternly, and after a few seconds, congratulated me! What a feeling of accomplishment.
Thereafter, I took the bus downtown to Horticultural Hall for every flower show.
My interest in plants and nature continued as an adult. I became an avid vegetable gardener with the help of Jim Crockett and his Victory Garden. One of my fondest memories is picking vegetables with my two children.
My children inherited my love of nature. Both are keenly aware of the environmental issues facing society and conduct their lives as practicing conservationists.
Recently I became a Teacher Naturalist at THBG. I especially enjoy leading field trips for children from Worcester since I grew up in their same neighborhoods. I know New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill is a magical place for them when I see their reaction as they step off the school bus and see New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill for the first time. I recall my feelings at the old flower shows. Who knows, maybe some of them will develop an interest in nature just as I did over 60 years ago.
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Nathan Emerson
Teacher Naturalist
As the president of the Natural History Society during my tenure at Springfield College (1973-1977) we held annual events to celebrate Earth Day. Pursuing an Environmental Science degree, I studied the effects of greenhouse gases on the environment and believed this would be a serious problem in the near future.
In the 70’s the environmental movement was considered by many to be a fringe group of people. It may not seem like it in 2020 with looming climate change on the horizon, but the world has come a long way in understanding how important it is to protect planet Earth. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, thousands of events would be held around the world in normal circumstances.
During my life I became connected to nature and realized the physical and mental health benefits. I needed nature to feel well. I remember my mother saying, “When you were sick after a week at school, we would take you camping in New Hampshire and you would be well when we returned home on Sunday.” Experientially, we realized the health benefits over many decades. In recent years many scholarly studies have proven that exposure to nature has significant health benefits.
My connection to nature, a passion for gardening, and love of teaching children led me to volunteer at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hills as a Teacher-Naturalist. Along with several other retired teachers we began teaching youth during the spring of 2014 and started a new program for second graders. Annually, about 2,500 second graders from the Worcester, Massachusetts area visit New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill on school field trips during the spring and fall seasons. Over six years we taught thousands of students from many different backgrounds about planting seeds, plant life cycles, and habitats.
When the students arrive at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill they are very excited because many have limited exposure to nature. It is wonderful to watch kids walk up to hundreds of tulips and jump into the air and shout with amazement. Near the end of the field trip you can often see a calmness across their faces.
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill has inspired me to continue teaching and has given me the environment and support to help connect each one of these kids to nature. It is obvious to me it is making a difference. When you expose kids to nature it becomes a part of their life and they are more likely to become stewards of the earth.
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill has been committed to expanding the Youth Education program. We now teach a science standard-compliant curriculum of several courses to kids from pre-school through eighth grade. New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill has given access to thousands of youth that would not otherwise be able to experience these amazing gardens. New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill’s future plans to add a children’s garden and further expand the course offerings will continue to make a positive impact in young people’s lives for generations to come.
Happy Earth Day!