Nurturing Nature: Why Teaching Children About the Environment Matters
Tejah and Embur stopping to smell the Pink Cosmos
We enjoy spending a lot of our time out in nature. Many of our favorite activities involve connecting with the natural world, exploring and foraging about all that Mother Nature offers. Whether it’s hiking through the forest, planting or nurturing our garden, admiring wildlife or simply soaking up the sun and placing our bare feet in our backyard, these moments bring us closer to the world around us. But beyond the joy and peace we find in nature, there is a deeper purpose: teaching our children to appreciate, understand, and protect the environment.
“If children don’t grow up knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it. And if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it. And if they don’t protect it, who will?” is a powerful quote we recently came across spoken by David Attenborough that catalyzed our exploration of why it’s crucial to nurture a love for nature in children and share practical ways to integrate environmental education into their lives.
The Importance of Early Nature Education
Early exposure to nature is more than just a fun activity; it forms the foundation for a lifelong relationship with the environment. When children interact with nature from a young age, they develop a deep sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world. These experiences shape their perceptions and values, fostering a genuine appreciation for the beauty and intricacies of the environment.
Nature offers a rich sensory playground for children. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, the scent of wildflowers, and the feel of grass underfoot create vivid memories and emotional connections. These sensory experiences are critical in helping children form a bond with nature, making them more likely to value and care for it as they grow older.
Unstructured play in the natural world is a great way for children to learn about and expand their perception of the world, too. Whether they are wandering through fields, forests or beaches to discover different elements of nature, or creating stories, games, or nature-based crafts, this type of play enhances cognitive development, problem-solving skills, and emotional well-being. It also nurtures a sense of freedom and adventure, encouraging children to explore, ask questions, and seek answers about the world around them.
Your Role
Parents and educators play a pivotal role in nurturing a child’s connection to nature, serving as guides and role models in the journey of life. By embodying a love for the natural world and integrating nature-based activities into daily routines, you can instill a lifelong appreciation and understanding of the environment. This responsibility extends beyond mere instruction; it involves creating opportunities for children to experience the beauty and complexity of nature firsthand.
➳ Lead by Example: Children learn best by observing the behavior of adults they admire. When parents and educators demonstrate a commitment to environmental practices, such as recycling, conserving water, and respecting wildlife, they set a powerful example for children to follow. This modeling of eco-friendly habits instills values and behaviors that children are likely to adopt themselves.
➳ Create Opportunities: It’s essential to provide children with regular, meaningful interactions with nature. This can include planning family outings to parks, nature reserves, or botanical gardens, as well as incorporating outdoor play into the school curriculum. These experiences offer children the chance to explore, ask questions, and develop a sense of curiosity about the natural world.
➳ Educational Tools: Resources such as field guides, nature apps, and educational kits make learning about ecosystems engaging and accessible, fostering curiosity and a desire to explore further. Have fun with them! Ignite your inner child. ◡̈
A Deeper Understanding
Ecosystems are complex networks where living organisms interact with each other and their physical environment. Understanding these systems is crucial because they illustrate the interconnectedness of all life forms. Teaching children about ecosystems helps them see how plants, animals, insects, and humans are all part of a larger, interdependent web of life.
The Web of Life: As Above, So Below
The concept of sacred interconnectedness, often encapsulated in the phrase “as above, so below,” highlights the idea that what happens on one level of existence mirrors and influences what happens on another. In nature, this principle is evident as each component, no matter how small, plays a vital role in maintaining balance and harmony.
➳ Plants and Photosynthesis: Plants convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, producing oxygen and food that support a wide range of life forms. This process mirrors the spiritual idea of transforming light (knowledge, wisdom) into sustenance (growth, development) for the soul.
➳ Animals and Pollination: Animals, such as bees and butterflies, facilitate pollination, which is essential for the reproduction of many plants. This interdependence is a tangible representation of how different beings support and nourish one another, much like how our actions and intentions can influence the broader world.
➳ Decomposers and Renewal: Decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, break down dead organic matter, returning essential nutrients to the soil and fostering new growth. This cycle of life, death, and rebirth reflects the spiritual cycle of renewal and transformation that is a constant in our lives.
Human Impact and Responsibility
Understanding ecosystems also involves recognizing our impact and responsibility. By teaching children about how human activities affect these delicate networks, we instill a sense of guardianship and duty to protect and nurture the environment.
➳ Deforestation and Habitat Destruction: Highlighting the consequences of deforestation and habitat destruction shows children how human actions can disrupt the balance of ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
➳ Conservation and Restoration: Emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts, such as reforestation and habitat restoration, demonstrates how humans can positively influence the environment, mirroring the spiritual practice of healing and restoring balance in our own lives. By instilling the importance of protecting endangered species, preserving natural habitats, and reducing carbon footprints, we empower children to become proactive and connected.
Practical Ways to Teach Children About Nature
Fostering a deep connection with nature in children goes beyond simple exposure; it requires engaging them in meaningful, hands-on activities that illuminate the sacred interconnectedness of all life. By immersing them in the wonders of the natural world, we help them see themselves as integral parts of a vast, vibrant ecosystem. Here are some practical and enriching ways to teach children about nature, nurturing their understanding and appreciation for the environment while instilling a sense of stewardship and reverence for the world around them.
1. Nature Walks and Observation: Taking children on nature walks to observe and document different elements of ecosystems helps them see firsthand the interconnectedness of life. Encourage them to look for patterns and relationships, such as how certain plants attract specific insects or how animal behaviors change with the seasons.
➳ Try out Imaginative Play: Creating stories and games using natural objects like sticks, leaves, and rocks.
2. Nature-Based Crafts
Engaging in arts and crafts using natural materials helps children develop fine motor skills and creativity. Examples include:
➳ Leaf and Flower Pressing: Collecting leaves and flowers to press and use in art projects.
➳ Rock Painting: Painting collected stones and using them to create art pieces or story stones.
3. Scavenger Hunts
Organizing scavenger hunts with a list of items to find, such as different types of leaves, insects, or rocks, can be both educational and fun.
➳ Nature Bingo: Creating bingo cards with various natural items or phenomena to find.
➳ Treasure Hunts: Create treasure maps and find fun, pre-hidden trinkets around the yard.
4. Gardening
Involving children in gardening activities teaches them about plant life cycles, responsibility, and the importance of nurturing living things.
➳ Planting Seeds: Allowing kids to plant seeds and take care of the growing plants.
➳ Watering Plants: Teaching them the importance of regular watering and observing the changes in plants.
5. Wildlife Observation
Encouraging children to observe and learn about local wildlife can instill a sense of wonder and respect for animals.
➳ Bird Watching: Using binoculars and guidebooks to identify different bird species.
➳ Insect Admiration: Searching for and identifying various insects in their natural habitats.
6. Sensory Play
Sensory play helps children explore and learn through their senses, enhancing cognitive and motor skills.
➳ Mud Play: Allowing children to play with mud, make mud pies, and explore different textures.
➳ Water Play: Playing in streams, puddles, or with water tables to explore the properties of water.
➳ Making Potions: Mixing different nature-based ingredients such as dirt, leaves, water, wildflowers, etc to create “potions” for fun.
7. Building and Constructing
Using natural materials to build structures fosters creativity, engineering skills, and teamwork.
➳ Den Building: Constructing shelters or forts using sticks, leaves, and other natural materials.
➳ Rock Towers: Stacking rocks to create balanced towers or sculptures.
8. Nature Trails and Hikes
Taking children on trails or hikes introduces them to different ecosystems and physical activity.
➳ Examining Tracks: Looking for animal tracks and learning about the animals that made them.
➳ Nature Journaling: Encouraging kids to draw or write about what they see and experience on their hikes.
9. Climbing and Physical Play
Physical play in natural settings promotes gross motor skills, strength, and coordination.
➳ Tree Climbing: Safely climbing trees to build strength and confidence.
➳ Obstacle Courses: Creating natural obstacle courses using logs, rocks, and other elements.
➳ Rock Hounding or Beach Combing: Digging and searching for unique rocks or seashells.
10. Environmental Stewardship
Engaging in activities that teach care for the environment instills a sense of responsibility and stewardship.
➳ Clean-Up Activities: Picking up litter in parks or along trails.
➳ Recycling Projects: Learning about recycling and creating art from recycled materials.
➳ Community Involvement: Participate in community clean-ups, tree planting events, and visits to nature reserves. These activities provide hands-on learning experiences and foster a sense of community and shared responsibility for the environment.
Getting in tune and embodying Earth-forward practices will surely keep you grounded, return you to your true nature, and align you with a radiant, conscious future. By incorporating these activities into little one’s lives and integrating these approaches daily, you can help them see the sacred interconnectedness of all things, teaching them that they are not separate from nature but an integral part of its intricate web. This understanding can inspire a lifelong commitment to protecting and nurturing the world around them, mirroring the spiritual principle that what we do on one level affects the whole.
Let’s step forward, together, with every intention of preserving our home land.
Because the one thing we all have in common is our planet.
She always provides.
And there truly is no planet B.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, take care of yourself friend.
Xox,
Tejah B
Be You ⋆˙⟡
Be Bizaar ⋆˙⟡
Be You ⋆˙⟡ Be Bizaar ⋆˙⟡
We want to hear about how you nurture your true nature and keep your connection with the Earth strong!
We are Julian & Tejah Besecker
We’ve sown a sacred space for growth, separately and together, focusing on rising into our divine femininity and masculinity. While working to overcome the traumas we endured at young ages, we immersed ourselves in nature, discovering how the elements can assist in our mending. We postured our minds to healing through multiple forms of meditation, worked to integrate our shadows, and found new lifestyle habits that have led us to become the people that we are today; open hearted with a drive to spew love and the wisdom we have learned along the way. With bliss and health, we are stepping forward authentically into this space to share what has worked for us, in hopes of providing you and the souls around us with the same level of healing and rejuvenation.