The goal of the Mighty Acorns Program is to introduce the youth of the Chicago metropolitan area to nature through stewardship and exploration, in a way that fosters a personal connection to natural areas. Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation is one of over 20 different agencies that offer this program to over 8000 students in grades 4 through 6. During each school year they visit a local natural area three times. Each field trip involves hands-on educational activities to learn key concepts such as adaptations, biodiversity, and species competition; stewardship activities such as invasive plant species control; and an exploratory hike through a native habitat to observe seasonal changes and spot local wildlife.

The many partner agencies that offer this program are also members of Chicago Wilderness, a coalition of over 130 conservation agencies and organizations that are dedicated to protecting and restoring biodiversity in the Chicago region. Some of the partner agencies that also offer Mighty Acorns include: Chicago Park District, Lake County Forest Preserves, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Spring Brook Nature Center, US Environmental Protection Agency, McHenry County Conservation District and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.


Mighty Acorns at McGraw

As a partner, we offer the Mighty Acorns program to area schools. Each fall, winter, and spring over 400 students visit the Foundation to learn concepts in conservation, help restore our forests and prairies, and explore nature along our hiking trails. These 400 students also extend their learning in the classroom with pre and post visit activities that their teachers do with them. A final celebration at their school caps the year’s explorations. All the classes gather for a game of Eco-Jeopardy to see just how much they have learned throughout the year. Each child’s efforts and learning are rewarded with a field guide to Illinois wildlife. We hope the field guide helps these children continue their explorations of the natural world through the summer as well as after school and on weekends. All the excitement about the program inspired one of our staff members to write the "Mighty Acorns Anthem". You can print a version of it here. All of our 400 students learn this song and often sing it to us during their field trips. In addition, the other 20 partner agencies were given copies to share with their own classes.


Summer Camp for Might Acorns

For the last few years, the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center (IDELC) has been offering a 5-day, 4-night summer camp program that is open only to Mighty Acorn students. During their stay at the IDELC, campers participate in hikes, visits to Lake Michigan, stewardship activities, night hikes, campfires, and games, and also explore dunes and wetlands. This is a great opportunity for the Mighty Acorn students to meet other children their age who are also making a difference. Those that help plan and manage the camp program come from many of the 20 partner agencies, including the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation.

In the spring, applications are sent to all teachers that participate in Might Acorns. The application process is competitive due to their being only 70 spaces for camp and over 8000 students eligible. Don’t let that stop you from applying! Cost of this camp averages $150, and some assistance is available. Through a generous grant to the Foundation, we can offer full scholarships to this week of camp for up to 10 students that participate at the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation.

Managing the Partnership

With over twenty Chicagoland agencies offering the Mighty Acorns® program for local students, some coordination is needed. Therefore, an Assistant has been employed to help maintain uniformity and high quality of the program. A team of educators continues to modify the curriculum, provide training for teachers and volunteers, organize summer camps, and raise funds to support the program. If you are interested in further details about the partnership or the program, visit the official website of Mighty Acorns at www.mightyacorns.org  or contact Kelli Parke at kparkemaassistant@yahoo.com.