Introduction to Environmental Education

by Corina Person Minniti, Education Director

This article will review the basics of environmental education. There are several things that each and every person can do on a daily basis to teach children, and themselves, how to connect with the natural world.

Focus on love and positivity.

In the world today, there are so many big and heavy issues that need to be addressed, and many of them are environmental. Leave those issues for later! There is a time and a place for bringing up these issues with your children, and it’s worth waiting to have that conversation until they are of an appropriate age. Your children will have plenty of time to be adults and face these issues then, so for now just let them walk through the world with wonder and curiosity.

Connection and sense of place.

At the very basis of environmental education is connection. It’s really hard to feel motivated to protect something you have no connection with. If we take our children outside and create meaningful connections with natural spaces and objects, they are going to feel driven to protect and advocate for those spaces. Here in the mountains we are so lucky to have an abundance of access to nature, and even if you don’t have that there is truly nature everywhere. Bring your child to the big tree on the corner by the grocery store, visit the neighborhood park, or even enjoy a patch of grass next to the sidewalk. We don’t have to bring our children to exotic places and show them all the animals they might read about in a book, those things are often abstract and not something they have a direct connection to. The line of ants you found on the ground the other day, that’s nature too! That is something your child can watch and wonder at - that is connection. Join your children in these spaces and shift your focus from the wider world and instead find the small things happening around you. This is not only good for your children, but it’s also great for you.

Wonder and curiosity.

Approach the natural world with wonder and curiosity. You can always learn something new, and even the smallest things can be exciting. “Oh my goodness, look at this little tiny sprout coming up through this crack, that is AMAZING!” A line like that will probably get most children’s attention; and, enthusiasm is pretty contagious. Even if it is something that you and your children see on a regular basis, you can use it as an opportunity to connect and learn. Watch and observe the wonders around us and then go home and do some research online or in a book about what you saw. Together, you will learn so much about our environment!

You don’t need to be an expert!

Many people might think I don’t know anything about ecology, I can’t teach my kids. But really, you don’t need to be an expert. In fact, being a novice along with your children opens up so many possibilities. It’s perfectly okay to say “I don’t know” when it comes to nature. Also, it’s really fun to come up with your own names for plants and animals to teach your children to observe and be creative. Here’s an example: there is a big tree at the corner of the road and you and your child have no idea what kind it is. Go and look at it and ask your child to name it based on one of it’s features. Let’s say your child decides to call it “Bluey,” (they love the show and there is a bluish tint to the needles). Bluey becomes something you look at everyday when you drive by, and you and your child take notice of any changes. It doesn’t matter that you and your child have no idea what kind of tree it is because you are growing to love it while learning about that one tree through observation. Maybe later you’ll learn that it’s a blue spruce and you and your child will forever always know what a blue spruce looks like thanks to the connection you have with Bluey. 

Have fun and use your own skills.

Reframe the way you look at the world around you and have fun observing the little things, even if you’re not with your children. I am constantly telling my kids “guess what I saw today!?” and sharing the amazing experiences I had throughout the day. If you love music, then listen for the bird songs; if you love art, then bring home the interesting leaf you found; or, maybe you love math, so count the number of red-leaf trees you saw. Use your own passions and skills to connect to the environment and with your child.

The most wonderful thing about environmental education is that there is no age limit! It doesn’t matter if you’re 9 month or 90 years old, the natural world can be explored. Have fun!