WEC‘s adventure continued this week! “The preschool class now does “Explorer Day” every Friday,” says von Behren, “and the kids had even more fun the second time around. One child who is typically a behavior problem for us asked why we couldn’t do Explorer Day on Mondays and Fridays!  They love it!  Thanks for giving us this inspiration!”

We are very excited about this new educational opportunity!  Check it out and share with friends and associates. This summer, UVM, 8 Shields Institute, and Shelburne Farms are partnering to offer a new program/course called Nature Connection and Regenerative Leadership.

This program will take participants on an experiential journey; exploring practices, principles, and core routines that foster deep and long-lasting relationships and connections to nature and place.  We will also explore leadership practices for creating change in our own communities, organizations, fields, and regions.  The centerpiece of this course is a 6-day residential immersion experience at Shelburne Farms (July 8-13) hosted and facilitated by partners from UVM and the 8 Shields Network.  The course can be taken for credit through UVM or non-credit via 8 Shields.  Work trade positions are also available.

Facilitators include Lauren Dalberth, Matt Kolan, Kaylynn TwoTrees, Jon Young, and many others from around the country.  For more information:

http://www.uvm.edu/~summer/course-detail/?crn=61344   
http://8shields.com/programs/leadership/

For decades, tracker and author Jon Young has been mentoring children and adults in practices to build community and connect with the natural world. We featured his insights in Mother Nature’s Child and, from time to time, we like to share out-takes from our interview with him. His ideas about mentoring may be of special interest to parents and teachers!

When we filmed preschoolers navigating the woods in Rock Creek Park for our film, Mother Nature’s Child, we found that what the researchers say is true: rather than bullying, children on an outdoor adventure together tend to support and encourage each other. Building confidence on nature outings? Look at Lucy turn back to survey the challenge she just surmounted (crossing the stream, stepping stone by stepping stone) before she heads up the hill! Children can grow in every way when you take them outside!

In our interview with author Richard Louv for Mother Nature’s Child, he spoke about the important connection between free play and the development of “executive function” in children. Here’s an out-take from our interview. We wish we’d had time in the film to go into more depth about all the ways that play and time outside benefit children’s development and well-being!

A year ago, the Burlington, VT premiere of Mother Nature’s Child was attended by an audience of more than 200, most of whom stayed for the post-film discussion with a panel moderated by Walter Poleman, lecturer and Associate Director of the Field Naturalist Graduate Program at the University of Vermont. Here one viewer asks about how the Baltimore schools in the film were able to create programs to get their students outside. Director Camilla Rockwell responds briefly and refers the question to Walter to talk about what is happening in Burlington. An additional comment comes from Jen Cirillo, Director of Development at Shelburne Farms, an environmental education center on the shore of Lake Champlain not far from Burlington. At screenings all over the country, audiences want to know what they might do to help schools adjust their curricula to allow children more time learning — and playing — outside. Your questions and insights are welcome!

How exciting to see that Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio is taking note of the amazing work that Ali, Atman and Andy are doing in the Baltimore schools! This is a terrific summary of the programs they offer through the Holistic Life Foundation. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see this model spread in schools around the country? We are so PROUD to have included the Holistic guys and their outdoor environmental work with kids in Mother Nature’s Child. Please share this video with others – who knows where the inspiration might lead?

After a screening of Mother Nature’s Child, one of the main topics of conversation has to do with the risk associated with letting our children out in nature. Parents are more fearful than in past generations and want their children to be protected from all potential mishaps. They often feel their kids are safer inside watching TV than outside running around and exploring. In this clip, Stephen Kellert from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies talks about children developing resilience by engaging nature in all its power and unpredictability. How do you feel about what he says?