Dinesh Abenayake, Chinthani Wickramasekara
As we are trying to uplift the future of Earth by letting children kiss their very own ground full of trees, grass, souls, and breathing water, I stumbled upon this quote which raised my heartbeat and gave me heebie-jeebies. Poetically written by Louv (2008, p. 123) “Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.” This is where we came up with this fruitful idea of “Evo as a Developer of Sustainable Forest Education for Children ” for our DBS Project.
Evo, the first forestry school in Finland, has carried the essence of the Finnish forests for more than one and a half centuries, stacking up traditional and modern knowledge. If these trees could express their thoughts, they would be the first to speak out loud the hidden, echoing memories that Evo shares with nature. It’s not just a place with the beauty of the forest; whoever steps into Evo unconsciously embraces the soul of nature with purity. Conservation and sustainability are not just words at Evo; they are the fuel that runs the entire system. A diversified, nature-rich environment, quality educational content, and forest experts are some of the bonuses that flow with Evo’s glory. Reading the first book of nature with Evo would be the most valuable and rock-carved core memory for a growing child.
learning methods of children
According to Bransford, Brown, & Cocking (2000, p. 14), “Children are not passive recipients of information; they actively construct their own understanding through interactions with their environment and the people around them. Effective teaching involves creating opportunities for children to engage in meaningful activities that promote exploration, discovery, and problem-solving.” Educating children must be interactive, and environment based. Experiential learning, and play-based learning are considered the most effective ways for children to learn. In a nutshell, all activities that stimulate curiosity, discovery, exploration, and critical thinking lead to a meaningful learning experience. On the other hand, immersing the future generation in the wonders of nature is directly connected to the sustainable approach of conserving natural habitats, managing resources, and mitigating climate change, ensuring a better future for all.
What We Found Out
Our research and interviews have revealed valuable insights into the current state of children’s relationship with forests and the importance of forest education. Interviews with local preschools and elementary schools revealed that children in rural areas already have a close bond with the forest, often reflected in their daily activities and discussions. Teachers emphasized the importance of sharing their own meaningful relationship with the forest to instill environmental values in children.
For instance, responses from Lammi Preschool show us the children’s curiosity about forest-related entities, such as animals, trees, plants, and the vastness of the forests. This curiosity is a very helpful tool to engage them in learning forest-related topics. Furthermore, the Häme Regional Council highlighted Evo’s potential as an ideal location for sustainable forestry education, with existing facilities that could be utilized more effectively, and noted opportunities for cooperation with various organizations and the positive impact on Kanta-Häme’s regional image.
We collected data from thirty-one immigrant families with a survey contained eleven questions related to nature and their children. All of them strongly believe the connection between children with nature is tremendously important for children’s mental and physical development.
Where are we now?
With our approach and the data gathered, we have decided to implement our learnings for the betterment of children. We will bring these methods to reality in the future through Nature Walks and Forest Exploration, Tree Planting Activities, Introduction to Forest Care, Learning Through Games and Play, Nature Crafts Using Natural Materials, planting the idea of Climate Change, and Highlighting the Importance of Conservation will not stop there; we aim to bring this project into the future by developing a potential development plan. Our main goal is to create a map of a proposed route for children and possibly lead this to a funded project. We hope the world will give us a strong hand to take the first step of our long journey!
References
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press.
Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
