This entire month we talking about Teaching and Learning Outdoors.

HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, we are talking with Clare Nugent, founder, and owner of Ferntop Nature Preschool in Tennessee. The focus of this important conversation centers around...

• The Ferntop School Story
• The integration of How Empathy, Wonder, Community, and Play
• Elements & activities that inspire wonder & curiosity.
• Where Clare finds her inspiration for nature-based curriculum.
• What's blooming at Ferntop Nature School and how they weave outdoor elements into their outdoor curriculum & programming.
• The use of fire.
• How Ferntop incorporates music into everyday outdoor learning.
• A Day at Ferntop for Educators.

MEET CLARE NUGENT:

My earliest memory of nature is gardening with my grandmother. As a child, this garden seemed massive, with many paths and places to ramble. In reality, it was a 10 x 5 rectangle with a central path down the middle. Regardless, it was a magical space that forged relationships with nature that have lasted a lifetime. 

Home-educating my own children provided hours of outdoor exploration, and it was during this time that I realized the power of nature in a child’s life to inspire their play and imagination. I began developing programming for groups, schools, and museums that combined music, movement, stories, and learning that revolved around the natural world and the seasons. I was trained in New York with Musikgarten, a rich music and movement curriculum that uses elements of nature in its music, and began my education in child development and early childhood education. 

FERNTOP NATURE SCHOOL:

Widowed in 2010, I moved my family back to Tennessee, where I was born and raised, and opened up the first licensed nature preschool in the Southeast. I bought a farm and turned the barn into a school. I took classes to become a Tennessee naturalist so I could better understand the flora and fauna of my area. The areas around the farm became our classroom. At that time, the field of nature/forest education in America was in its infancy, so I traveled to Scotland and England, where outdoor schools are common and thriving, for intensive study in outdoor education. I began training and speaking at conferences around the Southeast about nature education, and the possibilities it holds for children and families. Ferntop Nature School is currently in its 9th year of operation and provides programming to children ages 3-10 years, and hosts events/training for educators, parents, therapists, and anyone seeking to understand deeper how to learn WITH nature, not just IN nature. 

• EMAIL: [email protected]
• WEBSITE: www.ferntopnaturepreschool.com/

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OUTDOOR CLASSROOM RESOURCES:

• The Outdoor Classrooms CIRCLE Membership
• The Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
• Seeds of Inspiration for Outdoor Learning Card Deck