woman: we do want to help kids create bonds with the natural world, not just because we want them to grow up and become stewards of the environment, but also for their own benefits. peyton taylor, md conserv. corps & interpretation: .because there s a growing body of research that tells us that when kids have an opportunity to interact, especially in unstructured play in an outdoor environment, there s a whole host of benefits that come to them, in terms of their cognitive skills, academic abilities, their physical health and well-being, their mental health and well-being, their ability to solve problems, to resolve conflict, their ability to think creatively. so we put them out here, interacting with the natural world. and it s not always a really predictable environment, and that s what helps train your brain to solve problems and think on your feet. narrator: small teams rotate through a series of projects. woman: for the rest of this week we are creating stream buff