note: prepared for CHUMS3201, “Why Nature” at Lesley University

How do we appreciate nature, how do we exploit nature, but most importantly how do we protect it at all costs? Through an analysis of works by Stephen Kellert, Celia Deane-Drummond, Sarah MacQuarrie and Luther Standing-Bear, tying together the idea of how we can use childhood education and precisely-picked curriculums to teach concepts of nature from a young age is explored. Given the many ways human beings have been, and will continue to alter the world around us, what can we do to be better advocates for preserving the natural world? I believe it starts with us. How we choose to educate our children will have a massive impact on not only the world as we know it today, but how our grandkids and great-grandkids will experience an ever-changing climate in the near future. So how does homeschooling fit into all of this? Offering nature-based curriculums and placing an emphasis on outside and experience-based learning, the role of nature plays a vital role in how children grow and gain knowledge of the world around them. Nature-based education through homeschooling offers an impetus to revolutionize schooling as we know it — is it really possible that “school” and “education” are not synonymous? Through a thoughtful analysis, I will uncover the answers to these questions, showcasing the importance of nature in early childhood education — proving with evidence, why this type of learning and influence from a young age is essential to development. 

By understanding the works of Stephen Kellert, Celia Deane-Drummond and Luther Standing Bear, we are able to touch upon different perspectives of the natural world through the eyes of a diverse set of individuals. Leaning into the views of a contemporary environmental writer, multiple religious advocates for nature, and an indigenous group, we are able to better answer the following questions: why does nature matter today and how can we become tireless proponents for the future of the world as we know it? How can we incorporate different methods of schooling into our current concept of education, to better equip our young generations with the tools needed to take on the world as we will leave it? 

Religious entities are one way in which we can understand this. As Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim have stated, “religious traditions may indeed be critical in helping to reimagine the viable conditions and long-range strategies for fostering mutually enhancing human-earth relations” (Drummond 4). Understanding the role of religion in the fight to become one with nature again is of tremendous importance. For many, a higher power or a God influences their decisions in daily life. How can religion play a role in how we appreciate and instill natural values into younger generations? We can see the role of nature very clearly within the Bible, where the Earth is treated as beauty that must be protected. Signifying appreciation for what the natural world can offer us, we note in Psalms: “He causes the grass to grow for cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth” (Psalm 104:14). Utilizing their relationship with this higher power to live at harmony with the natural world around them, religious individuals and groups have the ability to harness this connection with nature. Understanding this is imperative for fostering future generations with natural world values, essential to preserving the natural world. 

The necessity of experiencing nature throughout childhood is not to be overlooked, as it offers children a space to grow, problem-solve and strategize — lessons that can be learned early on by being outdoors in nature. Both theory and evidence suggest that a child’s relationship with the natural world has an irreplaceable influence on the way they learn and develop throughout their younger years. Unfortunately, “children’s experience of the outdoors, especially in a free-play context, has precipitously declined in modern times, and the result as been a growing threat to their physical and mental health development” (Kellert 129). The versatility of being in nature provides an endless source of sensory stimulation for young children, offering a richness that no book, website or Zoom call can ever match. Because nature is constantly in flux, the instability and unpredictability of what we experience outdoors presents strategies in which to cope and problem-solve, as children will eventually learn to do in human interactions and real life settings throughout the course of their adulthood. 

How does nature-based homeschooling play a role in how children develop and begin to  appreciate the natural world? When parents actively encourage these encounters, outdoor experiences can exert a powerful effect on development in children. Through use of nature-based  homeschooling curriculums such as Oak Meadow, students learn from works that  “cultivate wonder and appreciation of the natural world,” further “inspiring and supporting an understanding of how all life is interconnected and interdependent — creating purposeful, innovative, just, and wise action” in the process (Oak Meadow 2020). Utilizing these curriculums and teaching these lessons at a young age permits a new appreciation of nature, allowing children to subconsciously ground themselves in what we so often take for granted. 

Luther Standing Bear writes in depth about how we are influenced by these wonders at a young age. He ponders:

“Reflections upon life and its meaning, consideration of its wonders, and observation of the world of creatures, began with childhood … In talking to children, the old Lakota would place a hand on the ground and explain: ‘We sit in the lap of our Mother. From her we, and all other living things, come. We shall soon pass, but the place where we now rest will last forever” (Standing Bear 328). 

This concept of being one with the world we are a part of is practiced in many native tribes, and Standing Bear writes of how the connectedness with nature that existed within the Sioux tribe immensely influenced his life and overall appreciation for the natural world. This reflection takes us back to the concept of school and education not being synonymous. After all, for the Sioux, “Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks, and the birds and the animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of earth” (Standing Bear 329). Ingraining in our youth the idea of the world as a classroom, can be vital to helping children today recognize, from a young age, what seems so commonplace for people like the Sioux. Placing importance on these lessons will equip younger children with the tools they need to further understand and adore the natural world at large. 

Creating a meaningful connection with nature from a young age, children exposed and encouraged to spend time in the outdoors develop a bond with the natural world. Kellert writes of this bond in his narrative, “Birthright.” The ninth biophilic category, Childhood, is vital in understanding the roots of biophilia and its effects on how we live and thrive in the modern world. Biophilia, defined as “the inherent inclination to affiliate with the natural world, instrumental to people’s physical and mental health, productivity and well-being,” literally translates to “love of life” (Kellert xii). In his chapter on childhood, Kellert emphasizes the need to remember one’s roots, shedding light on statistics: the dramatic decrease in children’s contact with nature is striking. “The typical child today spends less than forty minutes of an average week outdoors, compared with more than four hours twenty years ago. Ninety-six percent of adults report the outdoors was their most important environment during childhood, while forty-six percent of children today acknowledge this importance,” and most upsettingly, “the average child today spends ninety percent of his or her time indoors” (Kellert 139). Relationships with nature need to be nurtured starting at a young age — if they are not, numbers like this will continue to rise as we become more disconnected from our roots. The influence of the natural world on children is vital in the progression of how we will preserve and protect it throughout the years. 

Holistic learning offers this opportunity to children, through a nature-based approach in homeschooling. As Standing Bear writes in his narrative, Nature, we can see how significant this connection is. The Sioux people build this lasting bond from a very young age — one that needs to be replicated in our communities today, in order to preserve the natural world. He writes, “I have come to know that the white mind does not feel toward nature as the Indian mind, and it is because, I believe, of the difference in childhood instruction” (329). Kellert touches on this in his writing as well, when he displays the statistics of children’s relationship with the outdoors today. Nature matters because of what it offers to children — sensory stimulation, free-play and independent exploration, but most importantly a connection and a bond like no other — one that will influence the rest of their lives. Though it may seem few and far between today, this bond does and can still exist. We can see this within nature-based homeschooling curriculums, such as Oak Meadow. The company’s curriculum strives to “give children opportunities to engage not only their heads, but their hands and hearts as well.” By participating in experiential explorations that combine core knowledge, creative problem solving and artistic skills, Oak Meadow  “encourages students to reflect on their learning, build strong communication skills, and develop a sense of empathy, social responsibility and Earth stewardship in their daily learning” (Oak Meadow). Why is this route of learning not more normalized? Though important to note this way of schooling isn’t possible for everyone, its benefits for those who do have the means to participate offers a unique way of treating this Earth as the sanctuary that it is. 

Why does nature matter today? The benefits nature offers our children when it comes to development, sensory stimulation, growth and appreciation of the natural world — are crucial to how our climate will either blossom or wither for them in the future. Educating our children of the benefits of the natural world is an incredible way to secure its future. Sarah MacQuarrie, Clare Nugent, and Claire Warden explore nature-based learning and its growing popularity within children’s education today. “The consideration that nature offers qualities that feed human development is not new,” (Cobb, 1977) and the structure itself has been implemented in many Nordic nations and European countries in recent years. The growing recognition of “natures inherent value” and the special contribution it has to childhood is creating and nurturing an idealistic environment for childhood education. As discussed by MacQuarrie, “nature kindergartens are an established form of early childhood provision” (1). She goes on to discuss the experiments and explorations of children in European schools, writing:

“Children in the Scottish nature kindergarten harvested vegetables for soup and in the Finnish setting wild summer berries frozen as cordial were later reheated on the fire in the autumn.  In the Finnish winter, the duration of a session was reduced by extreme weather conditions.  Whilst limiting in this respect, participants did not generally view weather as a barrier to their use of the natural environment, but rather the weather extended the range of possible opportunities if participants were adequately prepared” (MacQuarrie 15-16). 

Building a relationship with the natural world beginning in kindergarten, these children develop an appreciation for what nature can offer them — learning to care for, respect, and give back to the Earth. This way of learning presents a world of endless opportunity, planting the seed that will encourage this child to further nurture this relationship with the natural world, into adulthood. 

How can we create a world where people cherish the natural world, reap its benefits, and appreciate its beauties — but do not over-exploit, take more than they give, and destroy natural wonders? This may seem like a daunting task, and one many people are not up for — however I truly believe small actions begin with us. By educating younger generations through use of nature-based schooling, homeschooling, or simply nurturing and encouraging a relationship with the outdoors, children will inherit these values starting at a young age — thus learning what it means to live in harmony with the world around them.  After all, “when we debase or remain indifferent to nature’s beauty, our senses become dull, our emotions flatten, our intellect withers, and our capacity to find meaning in our lives is replaced by cynicism and pessimism” (Kellert 17). How do we want our children to grow up? Indifferent to the natural world, exploiting it and treading too heavily to preserve its beauty? Or paying attention, caring for, and giving back? What children pick up when they are young, stays with them forever. Just as hate is taught — love, appreciation and respect are as well. Choosing nature, choosing the outdoors, and choosing a positive relationship with the Earth will reap benefits like no other — and providing this to younger generations will make for a complex and fruitful future for all. 

Prioritizing a nature based education in early childhood and placing an emphasis on outside and experience-based learning could revolutionize the way future generations foster relationships with the natural world. Nature’s role in children’s growth and development is vital, and holds serious significance in how they gather knowledge of the world around them. Nature-based education specifically through homeschooling is only one of many options out there today — but it lets us reflect on this question: is it possible that “school” and “education” are not synonymous? Can we educate and teach important lessons to children through a different method of learning? If we can trust in dissimilar mediums of educating children today, we can help young minds “ignite a sense of relationship to a world beyond them, that seems meaningful, valuable, and purposeful to them” (Kellert 138). With this, and with them, the world truly has the capacity to become a better place. Do we have the ability to recreate our relationship with the natural world? I believe that potential rests in our younger generations — children who will begin a wave of fostering a positive connection with the world around us, one lesson at a time.

References:

Deane-Drummond, Celia, and Heinrich Bedford-Strohm. Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere. T & T Clark, 2011.

Kellert, Stephen R. Birthright People and Nature in the Modern World. Yale University Press, 2014.

MacQuarrie, Sarah & Nugent, Clare & Warden, Claire. (2015). Learning with nature and learning from others: nature as setting and resource for early childhood education. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning. 15. 1-23. 10.1080/14729679.2013.841095.

“Mission & History - About Us: Oak Meadow.” Oak Meadow | Providers of Exceptional Homeschool Curriculum, 6 Nov. 2020, www.oakmeadow.com/about-us/mission-history/. 

Standing Bear, Luther. “Luther Standing-Bear 1868-1939.” The Norton Book of Nature Writing, by John Elder and Robert Finch, Norton, 2007, pp. 326–331.