A Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community
The Emeryville Children & Nature collaborative was accepted as a Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community in 2024, with a focus on early childhood. Partners include the City of Emeryville, Emery Unified School District, Emeryville Child Development Center, Head Start Ralph Hawley, and East Bay Children & Nature. East Bay Children & Nature is proud to serve as the team lead and fiscal sponsor. Learn more about Emeryville and its participation in the Nature Everywhere Initiative.
In the past year, Emeryville Children & Nature has:
Received $70,000 in grant funding
Hosted 10 Nature Pop-Ups in city parks and community gardens
Delivered a Create-with-Nature kit and Nature Cart to Emeryville Center for Community Life
Delivered a Create-with-Nature kit and sand table to Emery Unified School Districts's special needs preschool program
Joyfully interacted with hundreds of children and families, with 400 caregivers joining our mailing list
Passed the Emeryville Outdoor Children’s Bill of Rights
Assembled a steering committee working on a city-wide strategy and implementation plan
Mobilized residents to successfully advocate for nature play spaces through a city survey
Hosted “Nature Week” at the city’s summer camp
Attended the national Nature Everywhere Conference with Vice Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur
Our upcoming activity includes:
Applying for additional funding for nature programming, play spaces, and professional development
Hosting Nature Pop-Ups in city parks, community gardens, early childhood centers, and Emery Unified School District
Delivering Create-with-Nature kits to Head Start Ralph Hawley and Emeryville Child Development Center
Installing a pilot Nature Exploration Area at Stanford Park
Interviewing Emeryville home daycare directors about their children and nature needs
Continuing a feasibility study of Emery Unified School District's campus for green schoolyard opportunities
Equity mapping of Environmental Justice sites to influence recommendations to city for nature play areas
Finalizing the city-wide strategy and implementation plan for early childhood nature connection