✅ Embracing Fire as a Loose Parts: Safely Exploring Fire Play with Children (Carla Gull) Explore the potential of fire as a loose part, as well as needed safety parameters needed for fire play. In this practical, exploratory session, lean into fire as part of risky play, skill building, and safety awareness!
📍Location: Lakeside of Evergreen Hall

✅ What’s in Your Wagon? (Ferncliff Staff) Join the ferncliff nature preschool staff as they share what a typical "wagon" classroom entails. They will share about curriculum materials, sanitation practices, teacher and student needs, and more.  If you are looking to start taking your classroom outdoors you will leave this session with concrete ideas to make that happen!
📍Location: Outdoor Classroom #2

✅  Adapting Outside: Bringing Nature to Everyone (Marshall Dickey) Interested in offering your nature based preschool to children with "Special Needs"? Striving to be more inclusive? Nervous about not being ready or equipped? In this session we will work to build a Mindset of being open to kiddos needing accommodations/ adaptations and building a Tool to troubleshoot hurdles we may come across. 
📍Location: Evergreen Hall

✅ Tea Time: Slow Routines and Connection (Rachel Parker) Learning happens in the slow moments too.  This session will walk you through an intentional gathering of the group for tea and snacks.  We'll discuss how to hold the ‘container’ for students and what it looks like to create intentional outdoor moments of service, kindness, and learning during what can often be a stressful part of the school day.📍
📍Location: TBD

✅  Doing the deep work: Exploring Another Layer of Inside, Outside, & Beyond (Dr. Rachel Larimore) The Inside, Outside, and Beyond are learning spaces, but also a metaphor for how people relate to coworkers, children, families, and nature. In a mix of whole-group and small group discussions, we’ll explore how we can do the inner work ourselves, as well as support our team to dig more deeply to show up more fully as educators and teammates.📍
📍Location: Evergreen Hall

✅  Death, Decay, and Decomposition (Carla Gull) Death, decay, and decomposition are normal parts of life cycles in the natural world, such as when leaves wither and drop, flower petals wilt, or we find a dead insect on a walk. What lessons are to be learned about, in, with, and for nature when we lean into death, decay, and decomposition in a natural context? Understanding death in nature can help build social and emotional skills and resilience as we get to know the natural rhythms of life in our settings.
📍Location: Lakeside outside of Evergreen Hall

✅  Family Connections in a Nature Based Program (Rachel Parker) -  In this session we will share practical strategies used to foster strong relationships with families at Ferncliff, including seasonal family events, regular communication tools, and intentional touchpoints that invite parent engagement. She will also guide an open discussion where attendees can share their own methods for connecting with families, encouraging a collaborative exchange of ideas and inspiration. This session aims to support educators in deepening family involvement and creating a sense of community rooted in shared values and outdoor learning.
📍Location: Brown Meeting Room

✅  The power of children & place for planning: Implementing Emergent Curriculum (Rachel Larimore) It sounds counterintuitive, but an emergent curriculum requires intentional planning. Especially if the goal is an emergent curriculum that is rooted in play and driven by children’s interests. This session will focus on intentional planning that connects play to children’s interests, events happening in the natural world, and broader curricular goals.
📍Location: Evergreen Hall

✅  Math in Nature (Marcy White) In this session, we'll explore the extraordinary connections between math and the natural world. First, we’ll activate our own curiosity as we consider year-round nature possibilities for young children. Then, we’ll take a closer look at two stunningly powerful ways that emergent learning with nature supports mathematical thinking!
📍Location: Brown Meeting Room

✅  WildCrafting with Preschoolers - (Ferncliff Staff) An intro into preschool bushcraft and Safe tool use. Tools aren't just for the adults, preschoolers can use tools too! In this session we will cover 5 areas of basic bushcraft skills that you can bring back to your classroom.
📍Location: Outdoor Classroom #2

✅  Navigating Hazards: Developing Policies & Procedures for Safe Outdoor Experiences (Rachel Larimore) There are many safety considerations when taking children outdoors, particularly when going beyond the play area. This session will discuss potential hazards and how to manage the risk of those hazards. We’ll discuss site- and benefit-risk assessments in order to establish policies and procedures.
📍Location: Evergreen Hall

✅  Organic Art - (Cindy Quiroz) Learn how to create art and use supplies only from the natural world.  From paints and dyes, to natural brushes, you will be harvesting art materials from the forest in no time!
📍Location: Outdoor Classroom #2

✅  Bringing Nature Into Your Outdoor Play Area (Rachel Parker) Are you looking to move away from expensive equipment and sterilized playgrounds?  Are you wanting to spend more time outdoors and provide opportunities for more open ended play and nature connection? In this session we'll discuss easy ideas on how to bring nature into your playground or outdoor play space.
📍Location: Brown Meeting Room

✅  "But I still have questions about..." (Rachel Parker & Rachel Larimore) Even after two days of rich learning, questions remain! In this reflective closing session, participants will break into small, facilitated groups to explore the lingering questions sparked by the conference. 
📍Location: Evergreen Hall