Blog
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This month's Natural Start Alliance Newsletter focuses on how nature-based educators are navigating the new normal of distance learning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Browse resources from Natural Start's archives, learn how Alliance members are approaching nature preschool from home, and sign…
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This ee360 Fellow is rebuilding lives and transforming neighborhoods from Chicago to Detroit!
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Learn how the ee360 Fellowship went from project to province in this blog about a problem and a possibility.
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The Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook is now available! Dive into this new resource from Natural Start Alliance to learn how nature-based educators offer programs that are safe, effective, and inclusive. The Guidebook is organized into four areas of practice: teaching…
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Don't let the cold, wet weather scare you off. Winter is a great time to take children outdoors! Here are 5 reasons why.
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A variety of scouting programs across the country offer unique opportunities for youth-driven, informal environmental education.
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Learn how nature-based learning in early elementary school gained support from two veteran outdoor educators. Check out the spotlight on Brooklyn Park Nature Preschool’s equity and inclusion efforts. Start preparing for the 2020 Nature-Based Early Learning Conference. Read about the release of…
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It's Take A Child Outside Week! Get ready with this handy checklist: How to Prepare for a Day in Nature with Children.
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Don't let a busy schedule stop you from taking your students outdoors. With a few creative tweaks, almost anyone can find time in their day for outdoor education.
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The July Natural Start Alliance Newsletter is loaded with ideas for increasing access to nature-based early learning in a variety of settings! Read the July Member Spotlight, featuring Dondero Elementary School, a public school in New Hampshire with a robust outdoor education program. For even more…
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In his recent blog, eePRO group moderator Joe Baust writes about using photography to connect with nature, to reach "a place of peace and tranquility."
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Ready to start your outdoor classroom? Follow these 10 steps get your outdoor education program up and running right now. No need to wait for September!
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As another year of Forest Fridays comes to a close, I am doing a lot of reflecting on the days gone by as well as a fair amount of dreaming and planning about future days. Here are my top takeaways from the school year.
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The May Natural Start Newsletter includes great stories and resources you don’t want to miss! Learn about Mass Audubon, a leader in the nature preschool movement. Stay up to date with the latest research by reading the spring issue of the International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental…
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Communities across the globe are rethinking how we approach plastic use in our daily lives. Opportunities for recycling large portions of our plastics are diminishing, and communities are being forced to cancel parts of their recycling programs. What are communities, cities, and even countries…
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There are two more opportunities to participate in the Chicago Zoological Society's Nature Start program this year. This professional development program trains informal educators along with other professionals who interact with young children and families to develop and facilitate early childhood…
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Get advice on how to plan and build an outdoor learning environment at your school. Fnd out how to register for the 2019 Natural Start Conference. Browse curated resources on nature preschools, nature-based early learning in public schools, advocacy, and more!
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Register for the 2019 Natural Start Conference in historic Manchester, NH, July 31-August 3, to connect with an international community of nature-based early learning professionals. This is the nation’s largest professional event for teaching, administration, research, and advocacy in nature-based…
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On April 24, the Spring 2019 Drawdown EcoChallenge ended, and the 1,054 teams that participated (including an NAAEE Team) saved about 344,704 pounds of CO2 !!! For me, that's an astounding measure of what a collective, concerted effort can accomplish in Drawing Down our impacts ! If you missed this…
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Not all kids are born loving the great outdoors. For some, “nature” is synonymous with dirty, scary, and unpleasant. How can we help these children change their associations with the natural world and learn to see it as an exciting, fun, and comforting place?
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Explore how nature-based learning empowers young children to see themselves as agents of change in our latest Feature Story, read a Q-and-A from a veteran nature educator, and find out who will be delivering the keynote address at the 2019 Natural Start Conference in our March Newsletter.
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A website that embraces data, storytelling, science, history, journaling, digital literacy, and much more.
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Get ideas for planning a safe and rewarding nature field trip for young children, find inspiration in a beachside preschool, and review the latest professional development opportunities in Natural Start’s February Newsletter.
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Learn how children’s connections to the natural world can happen anywhere. Get tips for incorporating a range of books into your nature-based early learning program. Read about an urban nature preschool providing children with daily access to nature in a concrete jungle. And don't forget to submit…
