Coloring and Activity Books From the Nature Explorer Backpack/Mochilas de Explorador Project

Each year, Brushwood Center collaborates with artists to create a bilingual nature activity book for the Nature Explorer Backpack/Mochilas de Explorador Project.

These resources guide Lake County kids on getting outside and exploring the green and blue spaces in our community. They promote physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Download your own copies and become a Nature Explorer.

Eddie’s Environmental Justice Journey/ El viaje de Eddie hacia la Justicia Ambiental

Created in collaboration with Diana Nava

Read and color the story of Eddie, a Waukegan kid who found community and learned how to advocate for a clean, safe environment for all. This book was designed to tell the story of local environmental activism, and amplify the voices and vision of communities impacted by industrial air pollution in Lake County.
(By the way, Eddie grew up to be the Youth Education Coordinator at Brushwood Center!)

Find Yourself Outside/ Encuéntrate a ti mismo al aire libre

Created in collaboration with Kelley Clink, Laura Horan, Naimah Thomas, and Natashna Anders

This activity book brings the data from the Health, Equity, and Nature Accelerator Report to a youth audience, exploring how and why time outside is good for us, the barriers to accessing nature, and how to find creative solutions.

Planting Seeds: Exploring Your Feelings in Nature/ Plantando Semillas: Explorando Tus Sentimientos en la Naturaleza

Create in collaboration with Royce Galindo

Planting Seeds takes students on a journey through local nature spaces in Lake County while exploring what it means to have feelings and how to manage them. Learning how to identify, express, and process feelings is crucial to childhood development, and can lead to better grades, improved problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, and improved mental health outcomes. Plus, readers get to learn about some cool local nature spaces on the way! Spending time outside has been proven to help people of all ages calm their nervous systems and better regulate their complicated feelings, and this book can help you find new places to explore, rest, and recharge.