Flipping Through Nature: Supporting Self-Guided Environmental Learning

Flipping Through Nature: Card Decks to Guide Outdoor Exploration are an innovative set of tools that can be used to engage learners in connecting with nature in unfacilitated outdoor settings. Each activity, available in both English and Spanish, directs learners to either closely observe a commonly-found part of nature (e.g., leaves, lichen) or practice using an outdoor exploration/connection tool (e.g. magnifiers, photography, nature journaling). They follow a research-based model to engage learners in meaning-making and utilize various transferable strategies to promote equitable, inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive learning experiences (e.g. focusing on skills that are accessible across a wide age range, creating opportunities for intergenerational learning; using broad questions that don’t rely on learners having previous nature experiences in order to answer). Learners nurture their personal relationships with the outdoors and practice curiosity tools that promote independent learning in any context. Field test results were striking: over 95% of field testers said learners were able to quickly use the materials with zero or only a minute or two of introduction. A 90 minute hands-on format will allow presenters to share key findings from national field testing as well as the activities’ equity-promoting design principles and will allow audience members to experience one to two Flipping Through Nature activities, engage in generative discussion, reflect on their learning, and apply learning to other contexts. Participants will choose one activity that is particularly relevant to their work and explore it in small groups. They will then discuss what strategies/elements they noticed within the activity that support independent learning and promote an equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environment. Later, participants will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, questions, and observations with people who experienced a different activity. Presenters will expand on the equity-centered strategies utilized by the activities and, lastly, participants will reflect on their learning and how to apply their learning to their own programs. This session will increase participants’ capacity to design learning experiences that result in a more equitable environmental education field and connect people of all ages and backgrounds to nature regardless of setting.