Imagine our children playing outside in our public parks and not glued to televisions and computers! This may sound revolutionary or even threatening to some people. In reality it is just natural, it is a “nature pre-school,” hopefully coming to your neighbourhood.
As part of its nature education mandate, Comox Valley Nature will be hosting one of the founders of the rapidly growing nature pre-school movement in Canada, Dr. Enid Elliott, Bateman lecturer and recent winner of BC Nature’s Daphne Solecki award. The “nature preschools and kindergartens” movement has been spreading all across Canada, at an astonishing rate. While this ground-breaking educational opportunity has been received enthusiastically throughout the Lower Mainland and the Victoria area, and yearned for by young families, it remains a concept poorly understood by daycare operators and even resisted by vested interests.
Dr. Enid Elliott is an early-learning and childcare instructor at Camosun College and the University of Victoria. The Daphne Solecki Award recognizes her outstanding contributions to nature education for children. She delivered this year’s Robert Bateman Lecture at the Centre for Dialogue. She discussed how active engagement and immersion outdoors allows children to connect deeply with nature through play and experience traditional ways of knowing.
Here in the Comox Valley, the proposed Mack Laing Nature ‘Tree’School , which is supported by both Project Watershed and Comox Valley Nature, is an outdoor educational program that is designed to offer a unique early childhood learning experience for 3-5 year old children at the Mack Laing Nature Park. Expanding on the BC Ministry of Education’s Early Learning Framework, the emphasis of the program will be on a nature and play-based curriculum and will encourage preschoolers to engage their environment through art, music, games, physical activities and group learning. This is an exciting new educational opportunity that moves beyond the limitations of traditional daycare.
Dr. Elliott will be presenting a talk on the educational principles of nature education “Taking Preschool Outdoors: An Adventure in Community and Learning”. This presentation will share the work done to develop and implement Canada’s first Nature Kindergarten at Sangster Elementary School in the Sooke School District. In this kindergarten program, children spend all morning (every morning, whatever the weather) outside experiencing a growing sense of wonder, improved health and fitness, mental and emotional development, awareness of the environment, and an appreciation and understanding of traditional ways of knowing with Nature as co-teacher.
This lecture will take place at the Florence Filberg Seniors Centre at 7pm September, October 19 2014.
Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society affiliated to BC Nature consisting only of unpaid volunteers. CVN fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing free weekly guided hikes for members, and a free monthly walk open to the public. The society also undertakes a variety of environmental projects. Aside from its main activity as a non-profit, Comox Valley Nature also supports specialized groups ( Birding, Botany, Conservation ,Garry Oak Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Photography and Young Naturalists Club) all of which have separate monthly activities. Membership in BC Nature and Comox Valley Nature is $30 per adult and $40 for a family.
Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest environmental societies on the North Island. Meetings and lectures of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings and guided walks are open to the public, including children and youth. Lecture is free, though a $4 contribution from non-members is appreciated. New memberships are always welcomed.
Anyone interested in this lecture or participating in CVNS activities can also contact Loys Maingon (CVN President) at 250-331-0143.
