Member Spotlight

Cocoplum Nature School provides nature-based programs that emphasize unstructured play and children’s innate connection to nature.

The Chicago Zoological Society's Hamill Family Play Zoo at Brookfield Zoo engages families in child-centered nature play. Educators from a variety of backgrounds can learn from the zoo's "play partners" in the NatureStart professional development program.

Bija is a holistic early childhood program in New York with a focus on mindfulness, the arts, social justice work, food, and farming. Its founder and director, Lauren Maples, shares some tips and examples for incorporating mindfulness into any early childhood program.

Imua Inclusion Preschool is a place-based preschool on the Hawaiian Island of Maui, where every child’s social, emotional, physical, and educational needs are met through individualized instruction.

San Antonio Zoo has been home to nature-based preschool and nature play area for over ten years.

Elements Preschool was created to provide children living in the heart of NYC with daily access to nature and nature-based activities and education.

For this month’s Member Spotlight, Natural Start sat down with Amanda McMickle, Vice President of Education at Cibolo Center for Conservation. We discussed her career so far, important pieces of advice she’s received, and how to network when you’re an introvert. Watch the interview here.

Kindergarten students at Newington Elementary wanted to green their school, and they literally took matters into their own hands. The students worked together with their teacher to turn a bare, muddy patch of ground in front of their school into a welcoming garden.

Meet Rebecca Wolf, director of the brand new Forest Nursery program at Queens Botanical Garden in Queens, NY.

Dawn Jenkins founded Eyes of the World Nature Immersion in January 2019. Among her program offerings is a roaming forest preschool that meets in various state parks and land trusts in York County, Maine. Dawn was able to secure a unique insurance policy that may interest other forest preschool programs.

Get to know Natural Start member, Asheville Farmstead School, an outdoor, farm and forest-based campus designed to teach homesteading, natural sciences, life skills, sustainability, and agriculture to children and families.

Vogel Alcove is the only comprehensive early childhood education program in the city of Dallas whose primary focus is to provide childcare and case management for children and families referred by emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, and organizations that serve homeless families. The Backyard at Vogel Alcove is a natural playground enhanced with garden areas that serve therapeutic and educational goals.