It all started in a classroom

Hi, I’m Natalie. When I started teaching first grade over a decade ago, I knew that I wanted to help my students connect with nature. They were spending 95% of their day cooped up inside, sitting at a desk and looking at screens, unaware of the amazing natural wonders sitting right outside the door. It wasn’t right.

I was inspired by the Forest School programs in Europe, which take the traditional classroom and turn it on its head by educating young children outside in nature. The results? Increased attention spans. Greater collaboration, creativity and problem solving. Improved social skills, language development, motivation and concentration, and physical skills. Higher academic performance. I was sold.

There was just one problem

The programs and resources I could find were mostly targeted at preschool age children, with virtually nothing for older school-age kids.

So, I set out to develop my own program, one that could be adapted to work in any elementary school setting. I dubbed my program Forest Fridays and embarked on a grand experiment in taking 20 six- and seven-year olds into nature for several hours each week.

Many muddy and exhausted weeks later, I knew I was onto something.

My signature program, the Year-Long Nature Immersion Curriculum, along with my bestselling ebook, Teaching Outside, have helped hundreds of teachers get their students out into nature. My first print book, The Handbook of Forgotten Skills, was published to great acclaim in 2023.

Much has changed in the world and my life since I started Nature Natalie. Instead of having my own classroom, I now spend my days helping other teachers develop their own outdoor education programs. And when I’m not doing that, I’m with my two kids finding new and exciting ways to explore the natural world close to our home.

Over 10 years after my first Forest Friday, the outdoor education movement has become ever more popular, and Nature Natalie has evolved into a hub not just for classroom teachers, but for homeschooling parents, grandparents, babysitters, and “regular” parents (myself included!) who want to get their kids outside more.

Whatever your motivation, I’m glad you’re here.