Resources & Inspiration
The People, Programs, and Ideas that Inspire Us
There are many voices in the outdoor learning conversation, and many have inspired and guided us along the way. Below are the people, programs, and ideas that help us shape the program we want to bring to life.
Journalist, Author of "Last Child In the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder"
Richard Louv is a talented journalist and writer who has become a common name amongst the nature schooling community. It was in reading this book that we realized the multi-dimensional impact of an increasing disconnect with the natural world -- and knew we had the skills and passion to help change that story for children in our community.
Author
We all need some creative inspiration, and Laura Grace Weldon is one of those for us. She is a wonderful writer, and often dives deep into topics of self-guided learning, nature schooling, and supporting creativity in children.
Naturalist, Educator, Biologist
John Muir Laws has built a wealth of knowledge and resources for nature journaling and nature education. It was in the discovery of his book, How to Teach Nature Journaling, that we began to put together a curriculum we knew would make a unique program.
Champion for Creativity and the Arts in Education
The late Sir Ken Robinson  left a profound mark on education, and with us. He was champion for creativity in schools and education, calling to attention the vital need for preserving creativity -- for children's bodies, minds and spirits. As he said in his 2006 TED talk, Do Schools Kill Creativity?: "We have to be careful now that we use this gift [of human imagination] wisely ... The only way we'll do it is by seeing our creative capacities for the richness they are, and seeing our children for the hope that they are. Our task is to educate their whole being so they can face this future. By the way, we may not see this future. But they will. And our job is to help them make something of it."
Developmental Psychologist, Author
Peter Gray is a developmental psychologist who has studied extensively the impact of play on learning. His book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier More Self Reliant & Better Students for Life, is one of the mainstays of our philosophy and approach to education. Our focus on emergent learning fosters the development of our students natural curiosity, playfulness and inquisitiveness.
Nature-based curriculum for Math and Reading
Wild Learning, started by Rachel Tidd, was one of our first resources for nature-based math and reading curriculums. Wild Learning has remained a source of inspiration for us as we plan and develop curriculum for our students.