How to incorporate nature into your teaching: a Q&A…

Sky view of a mountain range covered by large forests.

Michèle Banks is a nature enthusiast. She has taught everything from kindergarten to adults in New Brunswick, Québec, New Zealand, and England. But no matter the age group, she’s always made sure to incorporate a bit of nature in her teaching. Michelle is currently working on her Ph. D which focuses on sustainable outdoor recreation, place-based learning, conservation, and gender equity.

In 2022, she was employed at the University of Cumbria, England, as an Honorary Research Fellow. She established a research project and collected data on Nature Connectedness and Sustainable Outdoor Recreation, in the Workington area. The research investigated barriers and proposals to increasing connectedness with nature at the local level.

We met with her to discuss the importance of encouraging students to connect with nature and get her insight on the best ways to do so.

Why take your students out in nature?

How did you learn about Ocean School?

I came across Ocean School during lockdown in 2020. I involve students in nature in my teaching and incorporate experiential learning. So, I thought, how can I replicate that during the lockdown? What resources are out there for me to use that would get students involved while at home? And so that's how I came across Ocean School. [The first activity I discovered] was a 360-degree video. I thought, “Wow! The kids are really going to like this.” I then used Anatomy of a cod for my biology class. When we came back post-Covid, I reused it because I was taking some of my outdoor pursuit students ice fishing in my ice fishing shack. I wanted to teach them what we would be fishing. We then had to clean our fish, and they could figure out some of the internal organs beforehand.

Also, for somebody who has taught mainly in French for most of my career, to have [Ocean School] resources so accessible [in French] is just a godsend. It provides those resources, very concrete resources, that wouldn't normally be easily attainable. Many of the sources are local to our region which is easier for students to appreciate.

Why do you think it’s important for students to connect with nature? What positive impacts can it have on them?

I've always got my students outside and, in the woods, because studies show that we learn much better when we are outside. There's the sense of relaxation, stress reduction, reduction of negativity, healthier fresh air... It's been proven that just being in nature has a very calming effect. I have witnessed that students become empowered just by doing activities and making observations while outside. I have witnessed that students become empowered just by doing activities and making observations while outside. But as well it gives the students a hands-on experience. I know that it's a lot more work to take kids outside, to get them involved and to keep them involved. But it's so important that they have experiential experiences, to feel, to smell, and to hear their experiences. It becomes part of their learning. When they are out and living it, students become interested rather than sitting in the classroom and memorizing, let’s say, the scientific names of different species. It is much more fun to don a pair of hip-waders, to sein a pond, to collect a species, and then identify it.

Michèle Banks stands arm-in-arm with her students in a pond. They are all wearing fisherman's overalls.

What would be the best way to encourage students to connect with nature?

I think the instructor must be passionate and committed. For example, if I was a welding teacher, I would have to be passionate about welding. I think if you are taking your students out in nature, you must be innately passionate, and then it encourages the students to become involved. It doesn't matter if they're in kindergarten, or if they're adults, they're going to get that energy from the instructor and experience the teacher’s passion for what they're doing. Even if they are simply going outside, and being peaceful in nature, that is important for well-being. They may never remember the math or the biology or the outdoor pursuits, or any of the science, which I taught, but at least they will remember to just get outside, breathe, and relax.

Rocky shore on Fogo Island in northern Newfoundland.

But how to do it?

If you had one main piece of advice for teachers who want to bring more nature into their curriculum, what would it be?

Work with other teachers. When a teacher has a good idea, support them and work with them. Encourage them and advocate to the administration for them because they're often a leader in their field. They will do good for the students and get [other teachers] involved as well. Working together and supporting each other: it's a lot easier than doing it on your own. My experience is there’s usually one teacher at every school that is the lead teacher for outdoors. If you can jump on that wagon together and not be competitive, it's easier. It is for the students ultimately.

A wide wetland landscape at the foot of a conifer-covered mountain. In the distance, four people stand in the tall grass near the water.

For teachers who don't have the resources or the time to organize bigger activities outside, what can they do?

I taught in inner cities, like Montreal, internationally, and in New Brunswick. I was often surrounded by pavement. But you can go out, and as you're walking along the pavement, you can teach secondary succession by looking at the cracks, observing the grass and the new wildflowers that are growing there. You can have the students observe. I volunteered with women who are more socially and economically deprived. It's in the center of the city, but we go out to a very small green space, and we walk around that green space observing things that they may have overlooked. These are adults and they comment: “Wow! I never noticed this!” It's very simple, but it does take more work, and you must be willing to put the time in to get the results out.

Image of a river passing under a bridge in an industrial area of British Columbia. A beach borders the river on the left.

Can you share a story of one of the best outdoor activities/experiences you had with your students?

If I may, I would like to share two memories! I like to give students opportunities that they wouldn't normally have. When I was working in an elementary school, there was a brook that flowed near the school. Due to development, it was going to be filled in, diverted, and essentially destroyed. I approached the principal and asked if the students and I could become involved in saving and protecting the brook. She was very supportive. I approached the students and asked, “Would you like to do this?” They were keen to go outside, learn, and essentially feel empowered. So, we made maps, and physical drawings. They calculated the perimeter and they observed and recorded the species in the brook. They took on the project! They presented their findings to the city council, and the brook was protected!

My second story occurred at a high school. I was the Community Coordinator for the 19^th Ducks Unlimited Wetland Centre of Excellence in Canada. It was a volunteer position and a great deal of work. My students, DUC, and I built a viable pond, and an ecosystem gradually developed over 5 years. We have a wonderful, outdoor environmental classroom which we use to sein for macroinvertebrates, observe different flora and fauna, and for recreation, both summer and winter. This natural centre affords us an area in which we coordinate outdoor activities for the school environment and for the community. It was a huge undertaking, and students benefitted greatly from this experience.

I think it is important to energetically incorporate sustainability education, outdoor recreation, and land-based experiences into my teaching profession.