Growing Seedlings Podcast: Learning how to listen, foster imagination, and emphasizing the significance of reintroducing unstructured, natural play through educating children.
Authors: Kaitlin Windrem, Camilla Bian and Frances Ramsay – AP & 2nd year Masters of Landscape Architecture students at the University of British Columbia.
Over the past decades, the use of rubber pads and plastic equipment has started to seem less than ideal for children’s play and development. In this podcast episode we will dive into how ecological play offers an experiential approach to learning about the environment and encourages children to come up with imaginative actions. Children are better equipped to overcome challenges such as addressing complex environmental issues and finding novel ways to interact with their environment. Children who grow up with these experiences are likely to develop a sense of responsibility and a strong foundation of environmental awareness, critical thinking, and sustainable practices that contribute to their adaptability in the face of climate change.
MEET OUR GUESTS
Feier Chen is a certified Early Childhood Educator (ECE) and Infant Toddler Educator in Vancouver, BC. She has been working as a ECE for 6 years and is currently working on her Master of Education at University of British Columbia in the Early Childhood Education Cohort. Feier is passionate about the place-based educational approach that creates and nurtures a welcoming outdoor learning environment that invites young children and educators to learn collaboratively and build connections with nature.
Susan Herrington is a professor at University of British Columbia with the Landscape Architecture program. She holds licensure as a landscape architect in both the United States and Canada, and her extensive research in children’s landscapes focuses on the underestimated impact of landscapes on children’s emotional, social, cognitive, and physical well-being. Through her project, “Rewilding Play: Kids in the Park,” Susan guided SALA students in conceptualizing outdoor play areas for childcare facilities and public spaces, whether within existing parks or as extensions to new ones, in collaboration with the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Parks Board. Herrington also developed the Seven Cs guidelines for children’s outdoor play spaces, which have been adopted in various communities worldwide.
Bridgitte Alomes is the CEO and founder of Natural Pod, a learning solutions company based in British Columbia. Her expertise is crafting superior learning spaces using well-designed, sustainable furniture crafted from eco-friendly materials meant for educational spaces. With a strong emphasis on environmental consciousness and stewardship, Bridgitte advocates for innovative approaches to education. Additionally, she hosts Natural Pod™ LIVE, an online streaming talk show where she engages with education leaders. Through insightful interviews, they delve into personal narratives surrounding the challenges and opportunities of creating exceptional learning settings (link to the episodes here). The show serves as a platform for exploring novel approaches shaping the future of education with firsthand insights from those driving change.
[link to the Podcast audio segment]
RESOURCES
Academic Research
Herrington, Susan, Ivana Lexa-French, and Mariana Brussoni. “Rewilding Play: Design Build Interventions.” Education Sciences 12.10 (2022): 653.
Broom, Catherine. “Exploring the Relations between Childhood Experiences in Nature and Young Adults’ Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours.” Australian Journal of Environmental Education (2017), 33(1): 1-14.
Brussoni, Mariana et al,. Landscapes for play: Effects of an intervention to promote nature- based risky play in early childhood centres. Journal of Environmental Psychology 54 (2017) 139-150.
Brussoni, Mariana, and Susan Herrington. Beyond Physical Activity: The Importance of Play and Nature-Based Play Spaces for Children’s Health and Development. Springer Science and Business Media New York (2015)
Hahn, E. R. (2021). The developmental roots of environmental stewardship: Childhood and the climate change crisis. Current opinion in psychology, 42, 19-24.
Relevant Projects
For Okinawa B’bob nylon netting project click here (1994)
For California Academy Of Sciences – Wander Woods click here (2022)
For Mukanthi Nature Playspace click here (2018)
For Elmfield Nursery click here (1990)
For The Garden click here (2000)