SPOTLIGHT: Pekin park serves as classroom for kids

PEKIN, Ill. — One little boy put his arm around environmental educator Beth Wegner's shoulders as they peered closely at a tomato plant together.

His eyes opened wide as he spotted the object of their search: a plump, green caterpillar.

Wegner and the crowd of small children who followed her moved onward to explore a vine-covered arbor, where she introduced them to "warty gourds," much to their giggles and delight.

Enchanted exploration of the natural world is now the norm at Pekin Park District's Soldwedel Program Center, and the recent open house event fostered exactly that for local children and their families.

"What we are doing here has a profound influence on the whole earth," said Wegner, as she walked quickly among the child-planted gardens. Her obvious excitement matched that of the children, who skipped to keep up with the master gardener.

"I tell them they are superheroes for Mother Nature," she said, "and they will be the ones to inspire others to take care of the earth."

Wegner has been leading children's programs at Soldwedel since last spring, when Pekin Park District launched its new outdoor education programming at the 14-acre property, located adjacent to McNaughton Park and acquired by the park district in February of 2011.

Since then, children enrolled in after school programs, summer camp, recreational classes and an onsite preschool class have added their own touch to the gardens and grounds at Soldwedel.

Numbers of participants, like the flowers they plant, are growing.

Outdoor education at Soldwedel has already touched more than 400 local children and is a thrilling culmination of efforts to fill an important programming niche, according to Pekin Park District's Superintendent of Recreation Terri Gambetti.

Gambetti was instrumental in acquiring a $10,000 "Grow Your Park" grant from the National Parks and Recreation Association in April. The grant, awarded to only 10 total programs in the nation, aims to connect children to nature, gardening, fresh food, and nutritional education through community-based garden programs.

Wegner, a certified early educator, is no stranger to neighborhood and school gardens, having spread her enthusiasm through volunteer efforts for years.

Her partnership with the park magnified the scope of her work.