One of my favorite memories when I was a kid was going to the library. I remember checking out stacks of books all at once and hiding away in the “resource room,” which had couches and chairs by a big window, to read them. I even memorized my library card (to this day, I still remember it). The library was, and still is, a huge part of my life. 

When I joined Heritage Conservancy this summer as the Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE) Fellow, I had to complete a capstone project that engaged the community through the work of Heritage Conservancy. I knew I wanted to work with the libraries. Libraries are community centers, beating hearts circulating knowledge, imagination, and opportunities. They host club meetings, provide workshops, and plan community events. Not to mention the literacy and educational support they provide. Lucky for me, Heritage Conservancy had had the perfect project sitting on their to-do list for some time. 

 

In 2019, Heritage Conservancy worked with Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library in Bristol, PA to create Nature Backpacks. The backpacks were created for kids and included items such as binoculars, magnifying glasses, and scavenger hunts. The goal was to encourage kids to go outside, providing free and accessible tools for learning about nature. Unfortunately, the following year COVID-19 hit and community centers were closed. When the library reopened, the backpacks were no longer top-of-mind for many in the community.

My project focused on refreshing these backpacks. When I started in June, some of the materials needed updating, the content could feel a bit overwhelming for beginners, and they hadn’t been widely promoted. I worked with Houda Ouadda, the Community Services Manager at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library, to restructure the backpacks. The first thing we did was expand the audience to families and adults. Previously, all the backpacks had only included children’s supplies, but now there are backpacks for kids, backpacks for families with mixed-aged children, and one for young adults and adults. The items in the bags also changed to reflect the audience. For example, the adult backpack contains high-quality binoculars, while the other two packs have children’s binoculars. 

 

The second thing I chose to do was to expand the backpack program to the Levittown branch of the Bucks County Free Library system. The aim of this was to reach the non-profit organization No Longer Bound (NLB) which Heritage Conservancy has been working with. NLB is based in Levittown and works with the community there to provide educational programming and training to address drug and alcohol abuse. They were interested in providing more outdoor activities for the youth in their community because getting outdoor supplies and knowing how to use them can be a barrier that prevents people from getting outside. It is our hope that by placing Nature Backpacks in the Levittown library, nature exploration will be accessible to NLB members. 

Finally, I added new items to the backpacks. See the bottom of this page for a complete list of backpack contents.

One of the goals I had for this project was to make the backpacks accessible to as many people as possible. The second most common language we encounter during education programs is Spanish, the first being English, and so I decided to include two Spanish elements in the backpacks. First, inside each backpack is an instruction guide that was created with beginners in mind, people who are stepping into the woods for the first time. It contains information on how to use the items in the backpacks, trail safety tips, information about protecting the environment, and additional resources for nature exploration. I worked with Trusted Translations to translate the guides into Spanish and designed them to show both Spanish and English side by side. Second, I included a Spanish children’s book, El último árbol (The Last Tree), in the children’s backpack.

Once the backpacks were complete, Heritage Conservancy hosted a Nature Backpack Walk at Croydon Woods Nature Preserve. During the event, I led two guided nature walks along the trail, stopping to talk about ecology and wildlife at the preserve. Participants carried the nature backpacks and used the contents to observe nature. For example, at the Life Under Logs play area, participants rolled over logs and studied insects using the magnifying glasses provided in the backpacks.

My favorite thing about this project has been getting to interact with so many different entities: two libraries, a translation service, and over 200 community members! It is my hope that these backpacks can create a bridge for people to engage with nature when they might not have had the tools to do so before. There are so many beautiful green spaces in Bucks County to take the backpacks to, including your own backyard. 

The Nature Backpacks are available to be checked out at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library in Bristol, PA and the Levittown Branch of the Bucks County Free Library (also available to check out through the interlibrary loan system.) 

This project could not have been completed without the support I received from Heritage Conservancy as well as funding from Alliance for Watershed Education. AWE is a group of 20 environmental education centers in PA, NJ, and DE that share a mission to collectively increase and enhance community appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of the Delaware River watershed. 

Backpack Contents:
Nature Explorer: Young adult/adult backpack

• Birds of Pennsylvania guidebook
• Aqua Marooned card game (created by AWE and the Lenapehocking Community)
• Astromania 8×42 binoculars
• Magnifying glass
• Field guides- PA Animals, Trees and Wildflowers, and Birds
• Instruction booklet
• List of local trails

Little Naturalist Bag: Child backpack 

• Look What I Found in the Woods by Moira Butterfield
• The Hike by Alison Farrell
• El último árbol (The Last Tree) by María Quintana Silva
• Magnifying glass
• Small net
• A laminated nature scavenger hunt and dry erase marker
• Go Find It! card game
• Kids binoculars
• Instruction booklet
• Aqua Marooned card game (created by AWE and the Lenapehocking Community)
• List of local trails

Family Outdoor Adventure Bag: Families

• 4 Laminated nature scavenger hunts and dry erase markers
• 2 Magnifying glasses
• Small net
• Kids binoculars
• Aqua Marooned card game (created by AWE and the Lenapehocking Community)
• Go Find It! card game
• Field guides- PA Animals, Trees and Wildflowers, and Birds
• Instruction booklet
• List of local trails

Get out there and start exploring! 

by Abigail Yarrison, Heritage Conservancy’s 2025 Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE) Fellow