How to incorpor­ate nature into your teaching: a Q&A with Michèle Banks

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.

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.

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.

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.