On Monday, July 28, 2025, members of the Black Educators Network visited Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, MO to tour their NAEYC-accredited Reggio Emilia-inspired early learning center.
Get to know one of our NatStart25 site tour programs, Sooke School District Nature Kindergarten, a public school district program of British Columbia, Canada.
Enjoy a two-part session on safety and healthy risk-taking in nature-based programs, presented by Anne Stires and Amy Butler. The goal of these two sessions is to provide examples of the practices outlined in the Safety section of the Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook, which was written collaboratively by Anne, Amy, and Kit Harrington.
Get to know Natural Start member, Wild Oak Preschool, a fully-licensed nature-based preschool program located in the rural community of Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon.
The Natural Start Alliance continues its partnership with the Evanston Public Library to bring you the best in children’s books about nature connection and environmental stewardship!
In this issue of Volume 12, read articles covering nature connectedness, nature playgardens and learning environments, Indigenous education in early childhood, nature attachment theory, and more.
Dr. Tandon and Dr. Glassy offered a wealth of suggestions for nature-based activities and suggestions for overcoming common challenges busy families face when trying to increase their outdoor time. The authors addressed the importance of nature for children’s health at every age from infancy through adolescence and linked their suggested activities to key developmental milestones.