Newcomers need nature: Aurora Public Library launches pilot program

Nature tour introduces 'hardest seasons for newcomers': winter and spring.

Yorkregion.com
December 20, 2019
Simone Joseph

When you think of a traditional program for newcomers, you might think of English as a Second Language Classes. Or job training.

But a pilot program Aurora Public Library is launching promises to bring new immigrants outside to experience nature.

“For the pilot -- called Newcomer nature tour -- we are introducing what I think are the two hardest seasons for newcomers: winter and spring. It can be daunting – especially if you’ve arrived in Canada during the warmer months and have never seen an Ontario winter--to feel comfortable in and enjoy these two seasons,” says Rhobi Jacobs, co-ordinator, community-led initiatives at Aurora Public Library.

Educators from the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority will be facilitating crafts and learning activities centering on the season that will be better suited to an indoor space, before leading an excursion to introduce (that’s the “meeting” part of “Meet the Seasons”) what Aurora is like during winter and spring.

Newcomers to York Region should understand life they are walking into
“We want to share what happens to the plants and animals in our neighbourhood during the winter and spring months, and also celebrate how magical and fun these months can be,” Jacobs said.

The library serves a sizable newcomer population, Jacobs said. The library also hosts a program called “Newcomer Women’s Meetup” that helps newcomers meet new friends, learn about the area, and have a chance to practice English or speak with others in their first language.

In the summer, the library invited Dana Eldon from the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority to facilitate a workshop for this Meetup group in Town Park. Eldon showed them how to identify plants and trees, as well as how to recognize different bird calls.

“It was so much fun that we got interest from others using the park that day too,” Jacobs said.

Afterward, Eldon and Jacobs wondered “how could we deliver this programming to a wider audience?”

“We both are passionate about the environment and the local area and want the chance to share our excitement with folks who are newer or less comfortable engaging with the nature around them,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs hopes the newcomers have fun and feel a little more confident playing and enjoying leisure in every season of the year, she said.

“For all of us, new and old, having a relationship with the environment in one’s immediate geography is a key part of being good stewards of the land. Also, part of living in Aurora, Ontario is the changing seasons! Understanding what’s happening in the environment without going far from home is a great way to soften this potentially challenging part of settling here.”

 The Newcomer Nature Tour is Jan. 11 and April 25, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Go to https://www.library.aurora.on.ca/ for more information