About Susan
Monarch Butterfly in the forest of Vermont
I live in New Haven, CT after many years living close to Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Connecting children with nature is my passion. I grew up in an urban neighborhood on the edge of Boston. I lived in an apartment building and my connection to place was from playing inside a hollow hedge against the brick facade, and from climbing the tree in the parking lot. These places gave me a sense of joy, of peace, of my own special place. As an adult it is hard to imagine that those places are more than "just a bush," but I strongly remember being behind that bush and it was a magical realm, almost within a shimmering curtain of ordinary reality. Quiet time up in the tree with my book, feeling the tree sway in the wind, was enough to instill a lifelong love of the natural world.
Most nature programs currently available for children are quite structured, and parents are accustomed to tangible results and proof that the child "learned" something. This causes great pressure for children, and many don't even know how to play any more without adult coaching. It's very important to give children an unstructured magical experience where they can get into the zone of pure play, and interact with nature. The point is not to 'teach' the kids with lectures, but rather allow them to teach themselves by playing in the natural environment without interruption. If a teachable moment of plant identification (eg.) comes up naturally, we do discuss the scientific facts, but parents should understand that academics are not the primary objective of play time.
As an AMS-certified Montessori teacher, I am careful to guide a child, model good behavior, and step back when the child walks his own path. In 2003, I wrote my masters thesis on how playing in nature influences the total development of the child, encompassing physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Thus began my work towards enabling children to connect with nature.
Playgrounds are mostly devised for exercising the child's gross motor skills. During my research I've become sharply aware of the lack of interaction children have with nature. Even trees within a playground tend to have little fences around them. My dream is to work with landscape architects, botanists, and children to design more natural elements that can be sustainably incorporated into playgrounds.
Most nature programs currently available for children are quite structured, and parents are accustomed to tangible results and proof that the child "learned" something. This causes great pressure for children, and many don't even know how to play any more without adult coaching. It's very important to give children an unstructured magical experience where they can get into the zone of pure play, and interact with nature. The point is not to 'teach' the kids with lectures, but rather allow them to teach themselves by playing in the natural environment without interruption. If a teachable moment of plant identification (eg.) comes up naturally, we do discuss the scientific facts, but parents should understand that academics are not the primary objective of play time.
As an AMS-certified Montessori teacher, I am careful to guide a child, model good behavior, and step back when the child walks his own path. In 2003, I wrote my masters thesis on how playing in nature influences the total development of the child, encompassing physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Thus began my work towards enabling children to connect with nature.
Playgrounds are mostly devised for exercising the child's gross motor skills. During my research I've become sharply aware of the lack of interaction children have with nature. Even trees within a playground tend to have little fences around them. My dream is to work with landscape architects, botanists, and children to design more natural elements that can be sustainably incorporated into playgrounds.