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In Jim Nordgren's opinion, you can't nurture without nature.
"We've been divorced from nature," said the former Lewisboro Town Supervisor. "My goal is to get kids outside. When you do that, good things happen."
Nordgren's target audience isn't just kids, but their parents, too. His method is twofold, through open space preservation and gardening. Nordgren co-founded the Lewisboro Land Trust in the mid-90s, and is on the advisory board of the Westchester Land Trust. He's also been executive director of the Bedford Audubon Society, and he's a key member of InterGenerate, a group that promotes community gardening.
"Paradoxically, the drive for land preservation is directly related to the level of development," he said. "When there's not a lot of visible building going on, people don't recognize the pressure on open space."
Fortunately, Nordgren and his groups have been able to lock up many parcels of land for future generations to enjoy in their natural state. "We targeted open space not as much for biodiversity and water quality, which are of course important, but for people's recreational needs," he said. The result is a town system of hiking trails that connect the preserve areas. There has also been an effort to preserve the Lewisboro Horsemen's Association trails.
"There's a tradition in town of 'backyard ponies,' people keeping a horse at home rather than boarding them in a big stable," said Nordgren. "My kids grew up doing that. It's a great way to learn responsibility and animal care."
Nordgren's other big push is connecting people to the land through gardening. When he was town supervisor, he established a farmer's market that has grown to become a local establishment. "It goes beyond eating fresh, locally-grown produce," he said. "There's the social interaction that takes place at a market, seeing your neighbors in a community setting."
Through InterGenerate, Nordgren has helped establish community and school gardens. "You get kids connected with nature and you don't have to do a lot of education or re-education. Their natural tendency to explore takes over.
"It's always fun you never have a bad day in the garden."
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