Youth Programs

It’s spring, and children in Springfield Housing Authority’s Riverview Apartments youth program can demonstrate exactly how they know that.

In a nutshell: There’s no snow, but it rains a lot. Buds come up green on trees and bushes. Colorful purple and yellow bulbs show their faces. Birds, bugs, insects, even bees, add to the colorful cacophony of the season.

Yasmin Abdi, 9, peeks through willow branches on a nature walk at Springfield Housing Authority’s Riverview Apartments.

The dozen children who enjoyed the organized nature walks during their spring vacation from school found that the outdoors sessions, which will be repeated as the seasons progress at six SHA youth programs, gave them the observational acumen and the technical vocabulary to understand even better what happens in the natural world, year after year.

“We’re learning how to tell the signs of spring,” announced 12-year-old Muhidin Abdi, pointing and adding, “those are daffodils right over there.”

The program, underway at Duggan, Marble Street, Moxon, Pine James, Riverview, and Sullivan apartments, is the brainchild of Karen Guillette, who works to infuse additional literacy into SHA’s after-school and summer programs. Her past projects include poetry performances, a play and a videotaped rendition of a Dr. Seuss book.

Children use binoculars, mark off a check list and observe nature with Karen Guillette at Springfield Housing Authority’s Riverview Apartments.

In this project, her aim is to help children understand and articulate what they see around them. That, and to get them out of doors on a regular basis.

“I’m hoping they’ll notice their surroundings and what that means,” said Guillette, who brought books, posters, photographs and a chart for an indoor talk before the hike around the spacious apartment complex began.

“I feel like we need to pull them away from all the screens and show them what’s around them. The world is literally unfolding before them. It’s such a beautiful time of year,” she said.

Karen Guillette leads a nature discussion before the walk at Springfield Housing Authority’s Riverview Apartments.

Indoors, Guillette and children shared knowledge on the signs of spring, including plants, birds, other animals and colors that come out as winter heads out and warm weather makes a comeback. She handed one young participant a checklist with 20 items to watch for on the walk, including ‘yellow flower blooming,’ ‘blue jay,’ ‘maple tree with buds,’ ‘purple flowers’ and ‘a white pine.’

Then, the active fun began, with children moving in a group and exclaiming over daffodils, crocuses, tree buds, birds, and even dandelions. The list quickly filled up with checks, as children exclaimed over the colors, sounds and new growth.

Muhidin Abdi said the walk was time well spent.

“We’re outside and we’re having fun,” Muhidin said. “There’s so much going on out here that you don’t always notice. We’re really seeing things today. Everyone is enjoying it.”

His younger sister Yasmin Abdi agreed.

“I like nature,” she said. “This is fun because it feels like we’re exploring. We’re looking for different colors and we’re listening to the sound of birds singing,” said the nine-year-old.

Children head towards the giant weeping willow trees at Springfield Housing Authority’s Riverview Apartments.

Site coordinator Adreana Caldwell said the activity is a great way to start the season, along with the benefits of getting her young charges outdoors.

“This gives them a way to explore the outdoors right outside of our program,” she said. “They’re using the power of observation and learning things about nature. They’re loving it.”

Guillette will return as the spring turns into summer for ongoing scrutiny of the changing landscape. Her nature walks are also running at youth programs at Moxon, Pine James and Sullivan Apartments.