Nature Pedagogy is a way of being with nature. It is an inclusive pedagogy that guides daily practice beneath many models of education, such as bush kindy, nature kindergartens and nature play. The practice of Nature Pedagogy changes in response to the climate, culture, community and curriculum. 

It influences the relational way you are with children and the rest of the Earth, the intentional opportunities you facilitate, or indeed the sustainable way you live. We are an integral part of the natural world and all the elements of fire/light, earth, air and water exist—whether children play in the middle of Sydney, or in the Simpson Desert.

A significant part of this nature-based relational planning cycle is documented with children, for children, using Floorbooks® in a responsive and flexible way. Learn more about Claire Warden’s Floorbooks approach, which encourages children to contribute to a holistic documentation. 

We all live in a range of climates around the world, and although globally there is a sense of ecosystem envy where we would like more particular leaves, or types of rock, we really need to understand and work in harmony with the ecosystem that we reside in. 

Occasionally, factors outside of our control may make it unsafe to be outside. Nature Pedagogy embraces nature inside and outside a building, so the location can ebb and flow in response to the physiological and psychological needs of the group.

In addition to online learning modules, Claire Warden is an accomplished writer and researcher. Browse all books by Claire Warden on the ECA shop.

Nature Pedagogy is not one model, but a series of principles and values that guide adult pedagogy. This in turn impacts the environments we create for children and families. When children live and play in environments that care for the rest of the natural world, internal values emerge, some of which align to family and community. Nature Pedagogy provides the values and vision for generations of children so they can come to understand and feel their relationship to other living and non-living things. It moves away from an over-reliance on activities to a way of living and being that extends beyond traditional areas of education to engage in real-world learning. 

Dr Sue Elliott’s webinar, Early Childhood Education for Sustainability: Now or never, a time for urgent change explores this concept further.

As with any pedagogical approach, Nature Pedagogy is full of subtle human engagements, relationships, thoughts, ideas and behaviours. As adults, we need to be reflexive in our work to consider if we need to develop a wider range of skills to place nature at the heart of our practice. No professional development program can teach you everything you need to know about a topic, and it’s important to always strive to continue learning. Additional resources you may find helpful include:

• The Research in Practice Series title, Ways of thinking, acting and relating about sustainability by Tracey Young and Sue Elliott.
• The Everyday Learning Series title, Everyday learning about being adventurous by Neville Dwyer.
• The online learning module Outdoor learning by Siobhan Hannan

Claire Warden’s Nature Pedagogy modules, Learning through nature are now available through the ECA Learning Hub; explore more here.

Thank you to Dr Claire Warden and the team at Mindstretchers Academy for collaborating on this newsletter.