My family took a wonderful vacation this year - to a National Park!  Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado) is a wonderful place for kids to connect with nature, learn about wildlife and understand how important it is for each of us to help preserve…

When people think of nature, too often the only images that come to mind are distant, expansive places like Yellowstone Park and the Grand Canyon, or even more remote wilderness like Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This is a grave mistake. Viewed through the wildlands lens, nature is something you might visit at best a couple of times a year while on vacation. Yet nature is everywhere—in our backyards, schoolyards, and gardens, thrusting skyward through sidewalk cracks and chirping…

http://www.dahndesign.com/2012/08/30/cosmic-sightseeing-part-1/

There's no surprise that connecting kids to nature results in scientific questioning.  Why do some birds stay here in the winter?  What animals hibernate?  Why is there ice on the window?  Here are 5 Hands-on Ways to Teach Science Concepts to Kids!

http://www.dahndesign.com/2012/08/23/three-seats-of-stone/

I am travelling to Sweden on Sunday to take part in training in Outdoor Environmental Education - Teaching and learning out of doors. I am looking forward to developing a programme when I return to Ireland and sharing a little bit about it when I return on here. Is there anyone on the network here who is going on the same training?

Some of you may remember posts from The Cabin Path.  For many years, I had children's art/nature workshops. Sadly, I no longer have those workshops.  There is still that "fear factor" in nature, and since it involved my backyard (52 acres), there were liability insurance rates and risks.  I miss them and the all of adventures we had exploring, looking, learning, and creating!

Over the weekend, I discovered "Blue" mushrooms!  They are easily indentified, edible, and  a fun way to…

If asked to name a book that has been truly influential in terms of endangered species awareness and basic ecological enlightenment, I'd probably answer ...

The Lorax and More: Books for Kids

The passion I have for the natural world has been with me as long I can remember. I have been sharing this passion with my students for fifteen years. What better way to attract wildlife than through landscaping? Walk through any neighborhood and 98% of the flora you see is from another country or continent. Much of this provides little wildlife value. It only makes sense to plant the plants that our native fauna have coevolved with over many thousands of years.  California is a Mecca…

http://www.greenheartsinc.org/uploads/Nurturing_Nature_Play_--_Ten_Tips_for_Parents.pdf

Hope these tips from Green Hearts will be of value to CNN followers!

Salmonberries - Field Notes from Kodiak

My family and I have been thoroughly…

http://www.dahndesign.com/2012/08/02/if-a-rainbow-falls-in-the-forest/