Self Care is Fresh Air: Parks and Connections to Nature

Take a breath and join LAPL and SMCL in the forest (metaphorically of course)! This program is a joint presentation between Los Angeles Public Library and San Mateo County Libraries as they share their year stepping out of the library and into nature. Los Angeles Public Library’s Adult Literacy Program and the Nature Nexus Institute, supported by the California State Library Parks Pass grant program, developed a nature literacy curriculum for adult learners. Topics included orienteering, outdoor skills, native plants, habitat restoration, and environmental conservation. In addition, LAPL hosted field trips to bring these lessons to life and create a sense of communal stewardship for the natural landscape. San Mateo County Libraries was a participant in the 2023 Adventure Pass Grant, and also recently re-imagined their summer program into My Summer Adventure. Through these experiences, SMCL embarked on a yearlong partnership with State and County Parks partners to bring families on library-staff facilitated field trip adventures themed around self-care, equity, and California state history. Learn about grant opportunities with Parks California (Adventure Pass, Route to Parks), as well as how to leverage your partnerships with local city or county park partners to extend the learning outside of the library to practice self-care and instill a sense of adventure.