The one thing I would change

What kind of education is most vital for our kids?

Recently, I had the pleasure of offering some stories as one of three speakers on the annual John Paul Memorial Lecture, presented by Trust for Nature, which focused this year on the human-nature connection (you can watch here). The final question I was asked by the senior ecologist Nicki was ‘If there was one thing that you could change that would improve people’s nature connection, what would it be?’ I often get asked a similar ‘one thing’ question during speaking gigs and I focused to hear the question afresh. Of course it won't be one thing that turns the tide of disconnection, but what would I start with?

The muse gave me an answer immediately:  I would make it policy that one schooling day a week would be bush school - with learning outside and immersed in nature. It felt so right to say it. My imagination filled with images of kids alive: the satisfied smiles of the team as fire emerged from their hands, building shelters and foraging for berries. Make it Monday! And see how it ripples out into the rest of the week.

My answer didn’t come from nowhere. I have begun researching care and future schooling for my 2 year old and keep balking at the idea of a child being surrounded primarily by human dominated landscape. Regular daycares made me feel claustrophobic. I couldn’t imagine little River going around and around in circles on the bare grass with a wheelbarrow all day. He likes to roam far and wide! He loves hands in moss and pulling bark off tree trunks to reveal slug and bug and exclaiming at the colours of lorikeet or the swoop of swallow. This is the age where connection takes root. He is wired for it and care options seem wired for containment.

After the lecture people kept bringing it up in conversation. Will, one of the participants on the Nature Based Leadership Training bounded over to me on our lunchbreak fired up by my answer and his own "bringing it back" campaign to make it policy that schools have at least 10% of the grounds as indigenous vegetation. “I want to see Fairy Wrens return to schools.” he says passionately. “Creating habitat for our non-human kin and richer, more diverse and interesting places to be for kids." 

Makes sense. Will has been visiting local politicians to plant the seed, so to speak. It’s become his personal project as part of the year long training. As he spoke I could feel the potential for change palpable. It’s this kind of passion that has always been the fuel for change. It starts with one person, and grows like a tide until a tipping point occurs. And it’s ripe too, in these times of disconnection. He planted a seed in me yesterday too… ‘Are you still a writer?" He prodded. "Are you going to write about it?’ I laughed but here I am responding to his invitation, the seed cracking out of its pod and starting to grow.

What kind of education is most vital for our kids these days? Greater academic prowess? Or something more feral and free?

With Wild Love,

Claire