Session Descriptions

Rooted in occupational therapy and nature connection, the NatureLed Approach is a model created by occupational therapist Kathleen Lockyer to support healthy physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development through intentional time with nature. Using the NatureLed Approach, a nature connection program was piloted as a Tier 2 intervention for a group of ten fourth-grade students at a rural public school in southern Wisconsin. This doctoral capstone project argues that connection to nature is one of the most meaningful childhood occupations and that school-based occupational therapists can utilize the NatureLed Approach in tiered interventions to support optimal physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development for their students. 

Presenter: Clare Weible, OTD, RxOutside/NatureLed

Clare is a recent Doctor of Occupational Therapy graduate from UW-Madison. In the fall, she will begin working as a school-based occupational therapist for CESA-3. For her doctoral capstone project, Clare implemented a nature connection intervention at a public school to support healthy development and well-being. She is also a nature connection mentor through Wild Harvest Nature Connection. Clare is interested in how nature connection supports sensory integration, regulation, mental health, mindfulness, and belonging. Originally from Eau Claire, WI, Clare spent her childhood with her 5 older brothers climbing trees, running through the woods, and playing in the creek. Clare loves to hike, camp, travel, read, sing, and dance. You will always catch her stopping to smell the flowers!

Did you know that the Madison Metropolitan School District owns over 300 acres of designated School Forest property outside of the town of Verona?! If this is a surprise to you, come learn more about the Madison School Forest and all the opportunities that await you and your students! This session will cover types of programs available, age requirements, cost to schools and community groups, free bussing (MMSD only) availability and what you need to know when planning your field trip! We'll have photos, examples of lessons and more! The Madison School Forest is an opportunity for both MMSD teacher use and community rentals/programs.

Presenter: Liz Just, Recreation Specialist, MSCR

For the past 6 years Liz Just has enjoyed working for Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) to connect youth and adults to Environmental Education opportunities through field trips, community programs and summer camps. Before working for MSCR, Liz began her career in Environmental/ Experiential Education by working as an Outdoor Paddling Guide for a Twin Cities based organization. After guiding Liz took a position working as a Outdoor Facilitator at an Outdoor Center in Western Massachusetts before returning home to Madison, WI. Outside of work you can find her playing ultimate frisbee, recreating outdoors with her dog, or baking yummy treats. 

In this presentation we will discuss Wisconsin Ecolatinos’ work in environmental education and climate change awareness among the Latino community, emphasizing their unique vulnerabilities and contributions. We will focus on the importance of culturally sensitive approaches that resonate with Latino values and traditions and the need for strategic outreach to vulnerable populations to create a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Presenter: Cristina Carvajal, Executive Director, Wisconsin Ecolatinos

Cristina Carvajal, a passionate advocate for environmental justice, is the founder and Executive Director of Wisconsin EcoLatinos. Cristina has a background in Engineering and actively participates in the Sustainable Madison Committee and the Fitchburg Sustainability Plan Advisory Committee. Additionally, she was part of the Lake Monona Waterfront Ad-hoc Committee. In recognition of her significant contributions, Cristina was named one of Wisconsin's 40 most influential Latino leaders by Madison 365 in 2023, and she received the Live Forward Award 2023 from Sustain Dane. Born in Colombia, Cristina has lived in several cities, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Janesville, WI, before making Madison her home.

This session will offer hands-on skill building for teachers, showing options for nature journaling structure AND helping build drawing skills. Learn how this is another effective way for kids to connect with nature!

Presenter: Carolyn Byers, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance 

Carolyn Byers has been educating with Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance since 2014 and is currently the Education Director. She has a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and loves to get kids excited about nature. Any lessons that combine science, art, nature, and kids is extra wonderful! Her current favorite bird is the Black-billed Cuckoo, followed by any and all sparrows. 

Join Dexter for an engaging bird walk where he'll share tips and tricks that will allow you to start having more success and fun when you go birding and offer advice on making your birding events more inclusive and welcoming. Dexter firmly believes we need more equity and inclusion in the birding community across the board. That was their inspiration and spark to start the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin. Their birding club is a community of People of Color and Allies working to combat access and inequality in the birding community in the State of Wisconsin. They hope to collaborate and encourage other birding organizations across the country to do the same. Birding is for everyone, even you!

Presenter: Dexter Patterson, Co-founder BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin

Dexter Patterson, also known as the Wisco Birder on social media, is an educator, multimedia professional, and co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin. His energetic "You Ready? Let's Go!" videos showcasing birdwatching adventures have captivated millions on Instagram.

At UW-Madison, Dexter teaches Documentary Photography for the Sciences, Intro to Digital Video Production, and Social Media for the Life Sciences. He is passionate about promoting inclusivity in outdoor activities and sharing the joy of birds and birding with others.

Creating ephemeral art with found plants is a lovely way to interact with nature. During this session, we will create a collaborative outdoor weaving with plants. By engaging our hands, our mind switches away from analysis and species identification, and switches into production mode, allowing senses to sharpen. While senses are sharp, we actually observe more detail and learn with our right brain- physical and other aspects of plants that  complement left brain learning. At the same time, we relax into collaboration and cooperation with our peers, enjoying what we create together.

For those who would like to, we will also be nature journaling to process some of what we absorbed, sketching the plants, the activity, the day. Gently engaging the left brain to honor the collaborative art and distill learnings on paper.

We will reflect on the benefits of using methods that encourage quiet observation and engagement that deepen learning and and discuss some challenges and strategies for teachers working to integrate such practices into classroom culture.

Presenter: Sonya Sankaran, Science Illustrator and Muralist

I specialize in nature and science themed mural art and illustration, with acrylics as my primary medium. I also delight in crafting installations with foraged natural materials that move me to assemble them as an ode to their ephemeral nature.

I have had the privilege of working for organizations from the Monteverde Conservation League in Costa Rica to the Monterey Bay Aquarium of California and the Ashoka Trust for Ecology and the Environment in India.

Back in my home town of Madison, Wisconsin, I have reached diverse communities as a consultant for Madison Parks, Public Health of Madison and Dane County and Dane County Parks. My role in those teams has been to seek inclusive strategies and designs that reflect the communities they serve.

As an artist, ecologist, and educator, I focus on the strong relationship between nature and health. I create art that promotes conservation and enhances human and environmental well-being through a connection to nature.

We'll take a walk to meet wild edible plants and to talk about the roles foraging can play in connecting kids (and grown-ups) more deeply with nature, promoting investment in care for the land, and contributing to a delicious and nourishing diet.

Presenter: Andy Gricevich, Wild Food Educator, What Got Gathered

Andy Gricevich is the founder of What Got Gathered, LLC, which makes strange food nobody needs and everyone seems to like, focusing on fermented and foraged ingredients. He also leads regular Wild Food Wanders with people of all ages in and around Madison. He has done all kinds of work around nature connection, food, theater, music and poetry. 

Discover how to adapt a folktale for the science, ecosystem, social-emotional skills, and awarenesses you want to build. Explore incorporating storytelling into Land Acknowledgments (without appropriating stories from other cultures) and using story prompts to increase awareness and build curiosity.

How do you inspire children who spend most of their outdoor time walking to the bus to find wonder and curiosity in nature? How do you encourage children who see woods as scary and dirty to get down on their hands and knees to explore? 

Story. 

Storytelling is our oldest technology. It improves comprehension and content recall; it develops vocabulary and language fluency, but storytelling is so much more than its power to teach literacy and science. 

Storytelling builds imagination. Imagination is necessary for empathy and problem solving - be it empathy with ecosystems, trees, and spiders or other people; be it problem solving for climate crisis or on the playground. 

In this interactive, hands-on workshop we will use storytelling to deepen our connection to Earth. We will build curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. You will learn to tell a story, teach storytelling, and understand why it matters. 

Presenter: Coral Conant Gilles, Storytelling Naturalist

Coral uses storytelling to inspire curiosity, empathy, and connection with ourselves, each other, and the natural world. She believes this is at the heart of healing ourselves, our relationships, and our local and global communities of human and non-human beings.

Coral brings folklore, original tales, fictional natural history, and personal stories alive with traditional, oral storytelling. Coral’s storytelling and hands-on nature connection programs come to schools, summer camps, preschools, libraries, storytelling festivals, conferences, community groups, etc. for single events or a series of events. She also runs a fully outdoor, nature connection after school and summer program called OASIS - Outdoor Adventure Steeped in Story. They spend hours playing in the woods, building forts, making fire with primitive techniques, climbing trees, playing games, etc. and they always bring it back to story. They connect their experiences to story through folktales, stories of their explorations, the stories they witness on the land, and their imaginings of what is happening and has happened in the world around them. Coral has storytelling programs, hands-on nature connection activities, workshops, and community events for all ages, 3 years old to adults. 

Coral lives in Teejop, land taken from the Ho-Chunk, more commonly known as Madison, WI.

Plastic Panic is an education kit that models the journey water takes at a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) through a series of hands-on steps around a tabletop model. Learn about our microplastic pollution problem, and discover what happens to the pollutants as they enter and pass through a WWTP. 

Presenter: Anne Moser, Education Coordinator and Sr. Special Librarian, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Anne Moser is Senior Special Librarian in the Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Education Coordinator for UW Sea Grant Institute. Since 2008, she has managed a small library focused on freshwater science with an emphasis on the Great Lakes and the water resources of Wisconsin. As education coordinator, she manages the hands-on experiences, training and education resources that promote Great Lakes literacy for formal and informal educators and their learners

Most of her own programming revolves around outreach and education to lifelong learners interested in aquatic and Great Lakes sciences, from preschool age through retirement. She participates in events such as preschool story times at public libraries, a tall ship sail around Lake Michigan with formal educators and presentations to the public on the Great Lakes issues.

Join Ruthanna for an overview of Urban Triage's agriculture programs and optional field trips. 

For more information on Urban Triage's Agriculture work, see Ruthanna's article "URBAN TRIAGE’S SUPPORTING HEALTHY BLACK AGRICULTURE PROGRAM"  in the Willy Street Co-op Reader or visit Urban Triage's website. 

Presenter: Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke, Agriculture Program Manager, Urban Triage

Ruthanna is the Agriculture Program Manager at Urban Triage, overseeing all agricultural programming with expertise and dedication. She holds a BA in Bio-Medical Science from the University of Wisconsin River Falls, graduating in 2017. Following her undergraduate studies, Ruthanna volunteered with the Peace Corps, serving as an Agriculture extension agent for over two years. During this time, she gained valuable field experience and enhanced her knowledge of sustainable agriculture practices.

In addition to her fieldwork, Ruthanna has cultivated her scientific skills through various roles in laboratory settings and Animal Care. These experiences have deepened her understanding of biology and its practical applications. At Urban Triage, Ruthanna utilizes her diverse background to develop impactful programs that advance the organization's agricultural initiatives.

Overall, Ruthanna's journey from academic study to international service has equipped her with a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, enabling her to effectively lead agricultural initiatives and drive positive change within her community.

Attend this session to discover the steps to conducting an accessible energy audit with your students. In this session you will learn to use energy tools you and your students can borrow from KEEP to conduct a school energy audit.  We’ll share with you the forms your students can fill in as they conduct your school’s audit and give you tips and tricks for executing a successful audit your students can use to suggest energy conservation measures that can be implemented in your school.  You’ll sneak in math, literacy, science, and civic engagement as your team of students help measure your building’s carbon footprint. Energy audits are an important part of both Green & Healthy Schools Wisconsin recognition and Renew Our Schools. Information about both programs will be shared.

Presenter: Wendy Stelzer, Energy Educator, KEEP - Wisconsin's  K-12 Energy Education Program

Hi! I look forward to meeting you at my session.  In my position with KEEP I provide PK-12 formal and non-formal student audiences in statewide energy conservation and clean energy initiatives delivered through school programming and community outreach events. I also coordinate KEEP's Energy Educator of the Year Awards. I earned a B.S. from Michigan State University in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, then taught high school Biology and Chemistry. In my free time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially when it includes running, hiking, cross-country skiing, gardening, or rock hounding.

Engage your students in sustainable actions by playing the online, interactive game Cool Choices. Cool Choices is an online game that rewards students for participating in sustainable actions both at school and at home. Students will compete against each other to take action ,gain points and win prizes. Green & Healthy Schools has facilitated this game in K-12 schools all across WI since 2014. The goal of this program is to provide an environmental education resource that turns one time actions into daily habits over the course of 6-weeks. At the end of the game, teachers can see how much waste, water and energy was saved by playing the game and schools that played will automatically be a seedling school, on their way to becoming green ribbon certified. Learn how to register and play the Cool Choices game in your classroom this fall and take part in making your school green and healthy. 

In this workshop I will be giving a 15-minute overview of the Cool Choices game including the different modes of play, the resources provided including tutorial and instructions along with the timeline for implementation. I will then show educators how to register for the game and join a team. Once players are set up on their phone or computer, we will be playing a short demo game where players will compete against each other to gain points. The winner of this demo game will receive a small prize from Green & Healthy Schools and all participants will be encouraged to sign up to play Cool Choices in their schools this fall.  

Presenter: Xia Lowery, Program Coordinator, Green and Healthy Schools 

Many schools and teachers are changing their approach to literacy instruction in response to the science of reading movement. This shift does not mean we have to abandon outdoor learning!  In this workshop, participants will actively explore practical ways to practice phonemic awareness phonics, teach morphology and vocabulary, support reading and language comprehension, and encourage richer writing. Learn how the outdoor learning environment near your school can provide an authentic context for beginning readers and writers and provide experiences that are essential for building language and reading comprehension.

Presenter: Rachel Tidd, Author, Doctoral Student, Wild Learning, UW- Stevens Point

Rachel Tidd is the author of the book Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors, the K-5 Wild Math® and Wild Reading curricula series.  Prior to founding Wild Learning®, Rachel gained extensive teaching experience as an elementary and special education teacher and through homeschooling her two children. She is a doctoral student in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. She holds a Master’s in Elementary and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. You can find her at discoverwildlearning.com and on Facebook and Instagram @discoverwildlearning.

We will analyze texts that address environmental topics and how to make them accessible for students in late elementary and middle school who are acquiring English as an additional language.

Presenters: Diego Roman, Assistant Professor at UW Madison & Angela Lake, Instructor, PhD Student at UW Madison

Learn about the creation and sustenance of Lake View Elementary Elementary School’s Outdoor Classroom, including the importance of children’s voices and energy, what happened then and what has been learned over time, as well as gain resources and understand how to sustain an outdoor classroom space.

Presenters: Susie Hobart & James Kersten, MMSD Teachers

Explore solarpunk concepts of a liberated future with a deep connection to nature as you creatively imagine a more equitable future through an art form of your choice. Then, discover some concrete organizing steps that you can develop to connect with others and bring your visions to life! 

Presenter: Karen Polnitz, Families for Justice

Karen Polnitz (she/her) is a Lenca writer, performer, organizer, and educator who enjoys growing alongside each new group of people she is able to guide in exploration. She holds a B.A. in Playwriting and Spanish from UC Santa Barbara and an M.A. in Teaching from Fresno State University. She has served as an arts, high school, and spirituality educator for the last decade, organizes and supports social justice efforts in the Teejop (Madison, WI, Ho-Chunk Land) area through Families for Justice and within her virtual job based out of Fresno, CA (Yokuts Land). 

Put on your engineering hat and join us for a mini KidWind Challenge! In this hands-on session, you’ll preview ready-to-use lessons for integrating renewable energy into your teaching space; design, build, and test wind turbine blades; and learn about the free resources available to help you teach about climate solutions in engaging, inquiry-based ways. 

Presenter: Allison Bender, Outreach Program Manager, Wisconsin Energy Institute, UW–Madison & Samara Hamze, Outreach Program Manager, KEEP

Allison joined the Wisconsin Energy Institute at UW–Madison in 2018. She has a background in environmental education and has worked as a naturalist in several state parks across Wisconsin and Minnesota. At WEI, as Outreach Program Manager she coordinates a wide variety of educational programming and works with scientists and researchers to translate their work into hands-on activities, lessons, and events for learners of all ages. 

Samara joined KEEP, Wisconsin's K-12 Energy Education Program, in July 2020. As program manager, she maintains and builds partnerships that strengthen energy education throughout Wisconsin. She is trained as an ecologist and is equally passionate about nurturing carbon sinks (conserving natural spaces) as she is about reducing carbon emissions, especially through the adoption of clean energy practices and technologies. She has lived and learned around the world but keeps grounded through yoga, cross-country skiing, and time laughing with friends and family.

Turn every walk into a Game of Detection. We will use outdoor clues to find your way, predict the weather, locate water, track animals, and other forgotten skills. 

Presenter: Nick Harnish, Director of Education, Badgerland Girl Scouts

Nick Harnish is a results-oriented program director skilled in supervising teams of staff and volunteers, event management, and program design. He has proven success in overseeing cost-effective and high-quality programs and is adept at managing all facets of program operations, including administration and outreach. Nick is well-versed in multi-tasking to achieve challenging goals and has extensive experience in managing well-run operations and achieving solid results over a 10+ year career. 

His passion for youth development has been imperative to the advancement of the Girl Scout experience in Wisconsin. As the Director of Education for Badgerland Girl Scouts, Nick has established and implemented the system of curriculum development and programming execution of K-12 programming and critical adult-focused certification and enrichment courses within the council, as well as collaboratively built and strengthened relationships and partnerships with neighboring Councils and dozens of youth-supporting organizations. 

As a master resilience trainer who is also certified in mindfulness-based stress reduction and social and emotional learning, Nick understands the ever-growing importance of these crucial skills and is dedicated to educating and certifying as many youth and adults as possible, starting this journey with military youth.

Nick is an accomplished Eagle Scout and US Army Veteran who holds degrees in sociology and criminology as well as political science and government, graduate certificates in both public humanities and non-profit management, and a master’s degree in human ecology. Nick also serves on boards for Wisconsin Hero Outdoors and Veterans for Airsoft and is a camp consultant for numerous Wisconsin camps. 

Our human bodies and nervous systems evolved outside, and thus are aligned with natural cycles, patterns and rhythms (i.e. seasons, time of day, energy of each part of the day). 

Learn how to mentor and create programming that is in sync with these cycles and patterns of the natural world. Inspired by Jon Young's 8 Shields Model, Kati and Moira will guide the group through meaningful connection to self, others and the more than human world. They will be using a Nature Connection Card Deck to assist in facilitation that they have created as a teaching tool for mentors, guides, families and anyone interested in nature. 

Expect to walk away with fresh ideas, inspiration and an increased sense of confidence in what you already bring to the field of outdoor learning.

Presenters: Moira Farrell, Founder/Owner of Hike and Heal Wellness & Kati Fernandez Lambert, Founder/Owner of Coyote Fire Arts Illustration

Moira Farrell (she/her/hers) is a Wellness Teacher in Public Education, as well as through her business Hike and Heal Wellness. She received her BS in Kinesiology with certifications in Adapted Physical Education and Health Education from UW-Eau Claire. Moira has over 15 years of experience facilitating outdoor adventures, team building and leadership development. She is a certified Yoga instructor, Reiki practitioner and loves to help people find a shortcut to meditation through forest bathing and sound healing. Her mission is to inspire personal growth through deep nature connection and mindful play for all ages. Moira thrives in community, loves a good dose of live music and can often be found playing outside with her family. 

Kati Fernandez Lambert (she/her/hers) is a children’s illustrator and artist. She received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has publicly exhibited both her fine art and illustrations. She has a background in Nature Connection mentoring across the lifespan, outdoor and after-school enrichment programming for young people, as well as a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kati is the founder/owner of Coyote Fire Arts, offering classes and workshops at the intersection of creativity and nature. If she’s not painting or drinking coffee, she can be found tracking wildlife with her family at the pond behind their home on occupied ancestral Ho-Chunk territory.