Page 10 - NatureStart Network

County Forest Preserves, Lincoln Park Zoo, Logan Square urban setting. Chapter 4 explores some of the challenges
Neighborhood Association, Neighbor Space, North Park in encouraging family participation in nature activities
Village Nature Center, Shedd Aquarium, University of and shares best practices and success stories. Chapter
Colorado, Vera Meineke Nature Center at Spring Valley, 5 relays the importance of partnership and provides
and Wild Indigo. guidance for creating the best collaborations. Chapter 6
continues the story of collaboration with advice about
how to not only to create, but sustain vital partnerships
and programs. And Chapter 7 peers excitedly into the
crystal ball, imagining the promising future intersection
where nature, early childhood learning, and urban living
connect. Because we strongly believe learning should be
experiential and FUN, each chapter concludes with a
nature play activity to try yourself!
In this book, we’ll share the story of the NatureStart
Network – programs, success stories, anecdotes, valuable
resources, and more. We hope this book will challenge
and inspire you. We hope you, too, will be spurred to
integrate nature play into classrooms, schoolyards, and
neighborhoods. We hope you will be excited to find
ways to make your local natural areas accessible and
available to urban dwellers. We hope as you engage in
work connecting children and families with nature, you
recognize and nurture the nature that exists in cities, and
engage the unique strengths and challenges of families
living in marginalized urban neighborhoods.

NatureStart Network participants shared their
experiences and lessons, and attendees discussed
partnering to provide nature play opportunities for urban
families. They considered ways to expand the audience
for family nature play: tips for implementing nature play
within organizations; strategies for reducing fear of nature
among families; ways to use resources that already exist
in communities; the importance of reinforcing the value
of nature play; and how to overcome real and perceived
barriers to providing nature play opportunities.
The presentations and discussions that took place
during the symposium are the foundation of this e-book.
Chapter 1 shares the importance of connecting children,
especially city dwellers, with nature. Chapter 2 explains
NatureStart and the NatureStart Network. Chapter 3
discusses why nature is so important to us all and shares
best practices for how to create nature play activities in an

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