Park Explorer Program

After being approached by school leaders with the goal of connecting students with environmental science curriculum, Friends of Shelby began to develop the Park Explorers program. Our goal is to provide park-related programming through in-school visits and park field trips with the same classes throughout the course of a school year.  

In the spring of 2022, Friends of Shelby along with our community partners Cumberland River Compact, Metro Water Services, and the Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, visited second-grade classes at Inglewood Elementary for the first time to bring educational park programming into the classroom. Since then, we have continued this partnership, regularly visiting second-grade classrooms with our community partners and providing education about the creatures and features of Shelby Park and Bottoms, from birds and bats to stormwater runoff and erosion. We have continued to host these classes for field trips in Shelby Park and Bottoms.  

Watch this video for more about the program

We strive not only to provide education about the park, but to foster a connection between students and Shelby, so they feel welcome in the Park and Bottoms. We hope that through this program we may encourage young people to seek the wonder, peace, and fun that parks like ours have to offer.

In the spring of 2023 we expanded the program to Warner Elementary, continuing our mission to connect the diverse communities of East Nashville with Shelby Park and Bottoms.    

The Park Explorer Program is supporter by