Feature Stories
December 2022
As we reflected on our year at Natural Start, we found there was a lot to celebrate! Here are a few things we enjoyed looking back on in 2022.
December 2021
We rounded up all the resources and book recommendations shared during our Second Annual Holiday Book Fair, now easily accessible all in one place. Browse recommendations from our knowledgeable guest speakers and discover your new favorites!
December 2020
We rounded up all the resources and book recommendations shared during our interactive Holiday Book Fair, now easily accessible all in one place. Browse diverse and inclusive children's books, wintery selections, and books recommended for adults to help you renew and reset.
Photo by: Berkeley Forest School
October 2020
Natural start recently hosted a discussion centered on the challenges, positive outcomes, and unexpected moments that come with reopening nature preschools amid a pandemic. View the recording of the forum and browse related resources and reflections.
September 2020
Catherine Koons Hubbard, Nature Preschool Director at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, reflects on the anxious months leading up to reopening summer programs and shares some lessons learned along with the unexpected positive outcomes of operating an outdoor education program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels
June 2020
As nature-based early education programs are reopening, the Natural Start Alliance has been getting a lot of questions about how to use masks effectively. Hear from several nature-based programs that have either remained open, recently reopened, or plan to reopen soon on how they're using masks and what they've learned.
April 2020
Nature-based educators across the country are adapting how they teach and connect with young children. In this month's Feature, Adrienne Hofmann tells the story of how educators at Juniper Hill School adapted and found light and hope in their new approach.
March 2020
With children home from school, the nature-based community has shifted to provide learning opportunities from afar. We asked members of the Alliance, “What are you doing to connect with children and families and encourage nature-based learning at home?” Read a snapshot of how educators and organizations are approaching nature-based learning in a time of crisis.
February 2020
The concept of “fit” has been long discussed in the nature-based early education community: How do we know that our programs are a good match for certain students, and what do we do if we think they are not? Rachel Franz takes a closer look at this question.
Photo credit: Nancy Striniste
January 2020
Natural places and spaces engage children's senses and inspire curiosity and a connection to the earth. Nancy Striniste, a landscape designer and dearly childhood educator, shares the importance of transforming children's everyday spaces into natural oases.