Profiles

THE BIRDS & THE BEES & THE FLOWERS & THE TREES

A Collaboration between the Mountain Park Environmental Center and the Pueblo City-County Health Department

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program

Summer 2006 Pilot Program: Final Report

OVERVIEW

The Birds & The Bees & The Flowers & The Trees (BBFT), a collaborative effort between the Mountain Park Environmental Center (MPEC) and The Pueblo City-County Health Department Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (APPP) was created in response to the Pueblo community’s concern about the high rate of teen pregnancy in our community as well as the general lack of knowledge that citizens have about the natural environment. BBFT is designed to weave pregnancy prevention education with Nature education, using the natural world as a catalyst for the program’s educational objectives. BBFT is set up as a residential summer camp and takes place in Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah, 25 miles west of Pueblo, utilizing the park’s historic Horseshoe Lodge.

THE BIRDS & THE BEES & THE FLOWERS & THE TREES: SUMMER 2006

BBFT was piloted in June and July 2006, originally with two 3-day / 2-night sessions planned. Each session would serve a maximum of 14 girls each, for a total of 28 girls. The program’s advertising flyer described the program as such:

This 3-day, 2-night weekend program will provide teen girls, age 12 to 15, with a deeper understanding of internal and external nature – truly the birds and the bees! Through hiking, journaling, Nature observation, and LOTS of talking, girls will learn about the world around them, their own bodies and healthy choices for their future. Girls of all backgrounds are welcome, especially those vulnerable to early sexual activity. This program will be a blend of sex education and Nature education, facilitated by MPEC staff and staff from the Pueblo City-County Health Department’s Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program. It will take place in beautiful Pueblo Mountain Park in Beulah, based out of the historic Horseshoe Lodge. Transportation and all meals provided. 

Program was co-facilitated by Kirsten Townley, Coordinator of the APPP and MPEC staff, assisted by several volunteers. Program marketing included an article and ad in the MPEC’s March / April newsletter, e-mail announcements to MPEC and APPP e-mail lists, flyers at various community locations (including doctor’s offices), mention of the program in an article in the local teen magazine Accolades, and mention in two Pueblo Chieftain articles about the summer camps at MPEC.

Initial response to advertising was weak. Less than a month from the first session, only a half dozen girls total were signed up for both sessions combined. Late recruiting efforts resulted in 13 girls attending the first session. In the weeks following the first session, interest in the program grew significantly, and 18 girls attended the second session. The resulting total of thirty-one participants for both sessions was three more than initially projected. Sixty-one percent of participants were Hispanic, 35% were Caucasian, and 3% were African American. Twenty-six of the girls were within the 12 – 15 year-old age projection; 3 participants were 11 and 2 were 16. Seven were in foster care or were adopted, and 4 were children of teen parents.

FUNDING

BBFT was funded through support from the APPP budget and a $2500 grant from the Nurturing Life Foundation of the Motherlove Herbal Company, based in LaPorte, Colorado (http://www.nurturinglifefoundation.org/). Participants also paid a $25 fee, although several participants received a scholarship for this fee from the MPEC scholarship fund.

CURRICULUM

The curriculum for BBFT provides comprehensive sex education combined and outdoor-based environmental education. Topics covered include sexuality myths and facts, male and female anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive parts of wildflowers, animal tracking and local ecology. Activities include hiking, group discussions, Nature games, and journaling. Armed with accurate information and many positive experiences, participating girls leave the program empowered to make wise and safe decisions about their bodies and their lives. Girls also gain a familiarity and comfort with the natural world. They experience the value of Nature as a place of renewal, learning, wonder, enjoyment, and healthy lifelong recreation.

EVALUATION RESULTS

Results of pre- and post-tests (for the 31 participants of the two overnight sessions) measuring impact of the program on self esteem and attitudes towards science and Nature indicate that the program positively impacted participating girls in both of these areas. Seventy-five percent of girls showed an improved score for self esteem. Research indicates that self-esteem frequently decreases as children move through the middle school years (Simmons & Blyth, 1987; Orenstein, 1994; Reasoner, 2000). Research also shows a strong link between low self esteem and problems including teen-age pregnancy, substance abuse, school drop out rates, crime and suicide. That 83% of program participants showed improved self-esteem is statistically significant.

Sixty-seven percent of program participants showed improved attitudes towards science and Nature. A recent survey indicates that a majority of Americans (51%) know little or nothing about basic environmental issues. A Roper study shows that less than a third of Americans have even a passing knowledge of basic environmental science. The societal trend is little interest in the science of the natural world. Hence, that two-thirds of program participants improved their attitudes about science and Nature is significant.

Participating girls also evaluated the program from 1 to 2.5 months after completion of the program. Rating the program on a 1 – 5 scale (5 being most positive), evaluation results averaged 4.0. One hundred percent of participants said their knowledge of both Nature and sexuality improved. Asked what the “top three things learned,” responses included: “what diseases you can catch from having sex,” “how to take care of your body,” “there’s more to nature than just trees and bugs,” “don’t do anything you’ll regret,” “how to be O.K. about the natural changes in/about my body,” “how the male and female bodies work,” I learned about the wild,” “nature,” “abstinence is safest/key to not getting STDs,” “a lot of stuff about the other girls,” “condoms are not 100% effective,” “periods,” “all the forms of birth control,” “I learned about yoga,” and “my body.”

AN UNANTICIPATED OUTCOME

A community response to the program that we did not anticipate was requests by several parents of “special needs” adolescent girls to offer a version of BBFT specifically for special needs girls. In response, two 1-day sessions of BBFT were offered for this population. Six girls attended these two sessions. Including these extra sessions, the total for all BBFT sessions this summer was 37, nine more than originally projected.

WHERE BBFT GOES FROM HERE

The program’s positive evaluation results combined with input from involved staff from both collaborating agencies lead us to the conclusion that BBFT is a successful program that should continue. We project that the program will continue in four forms: summer camp sessions; one-day sessions for “special needs” girls throughout the year; one-day Saturday sessions through autumn, winter and spring months; and, in response to the need as well as several requests from parents, a similar program specifically for boys.