What happens when kids put down their phones and step into the wild?

Jen Skilbred knows firsthand. She’s the assistant director for environmental education at Group for the East End, where her job often means leading students off the pavement and into forests, fields and shorelines to discover the region’s plants and wildlife. Last year alone, Group for the East End reached more than 2,270 students across the East End.

So earlier this year when Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide ban on student cellphone use during the school day, Skilbred saw an opportunity to extend that phone-free time beyond the classroom by getting kids outside and reconnecting them with nature.

This week, the editors are joined by Skilbred to talk about what happens when young people discover the magic of the natural world.

“Let’s make real life more interesting than screens,” Skilbred says. “We live on the East End, and there are so many beautiful outdoor spaces.”

CHRISTOPHER SCOTT PHOTO