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Programming

DCDEE Naturalizing NC Childcare

DCDEE Naturalizing NC Childcare

Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter School

Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter School

Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar

Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar

Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS) – Train the Trainer

Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS) – Train the Trainer

Play Chastain

Play Chastain

North Carolina Division of Child Development Early Education

North Carolina Division of Child Development Early Education

Kids Together Playground

Kids Together Playground

Greenspring Montessori School

Greenspring Montessori School

Ross Park Playful Learning Forest

Ross Park Playful Learning Forest

Kids in the Woods at Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve

Kids in the Woods at Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve

Conestee Nature Preserve: Nature Playscape

Conestee Nature Preserve: Nature Playscape

Social Media Mining to Inform Park Use and Public Health Decision-Making

Social Media Mining to Inform Park Use and Public Health Decision-Making

Moore Montessori Community School (MMCS) teacher workshop

Moore Montessori Community School (MMCS) teacher workshop

02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

LET’S GET OUTSIDE! Providers

LET’S GET OUTSIDE! Providers

Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar

Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar

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NLH December

Research Brief: Impact of Naturalized Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments

Research Brief: Impact of Naturalized Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments

Designing Early Childhood Outdoor Environments Certificate

Designing Early Childhood Outdoor Environments Certificate

Growing IN Place Symposium 2018

Growing IN Place Symposium 2018

Nilda Cosco, PhD

Nilda Cosco, PhD

Early Childhood Design Institute 2017

Early Childhood Design Institute 2017

My Place by The Bay: Prepared Environments for Early Science Learning

My Place by The Bay: Prepared Environments for Early Science Learning

2017 Early Childhood Design Institute, Architecture and Landscape Architecture for Early Childhood

2017 Early Childhood Design Institute, Architecture and Landscape Architecture for Early Childhood

Children’s Garden, North Carolina Botanical Garden

Children’s Garden, North Carolina Botanical Garden

The Montessori School of Winston-Salem, NC

The Montessori School of Winston-Salem, NC

First Environments Early Learning Center

First Environments Early Learning Center

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD3)

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD3)

DCDEE Naturalizing NC Childcare

Shape NC

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VIEW DISCLAIMER

The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities assume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.

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Raleigh, NC 27695-7701


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children smelling herbs in garden with teacher

Growing Up with Nature

Creating environments for healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come.

- NLI Mission

For 25 years, the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) has applied community-based, equity-driven design thinking to create healthy, natural play and learning environments. The NLI Resource Hub offers a collection of free public resources dedicated to supporting the development of biophilic play and learning environments where children can grow up caring for the planet and each other. These resources encompass landscape design, research, professional development, and information dissemination.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Categories?

Design Sites

Real-world places where NLI has provided professional landscape architecture design assistance.

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Infosheets

Two to four page documents about implementing and maintaining nature-based play settings.

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Interactive Apps

Web-based teaching tools and virtual experiences about exploring and designing nature-based play settings.

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Leaflets

Single-page documents about activities for children and caregivers in nature-based play settings.

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Natural Learning at Home

A month-by-month newsletter series about nature-based activities for children and families at home.

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Programs

Comprehensive projects that combine design assistance, research & evaluation, professional development, and dissemination & communications.

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Publications

Printed and published books and resources about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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Research

Published scientific research about nature-based design, childhood, behavior mapping, and more.

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The Green Desk

A blog series responding to NLI’s most frequently-asked-questions.

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Videos

Videos created by NLI and our partners about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Tags?

Affordable Settings

Elements of outdoor learning environments that can be built and deployed at a low cost, but with a great impact.

Community Engagement

Families, partners, neighborhoods and cities that help outdoor learning environments thrive and grow.

Fundraising

Information for raising resources to build and maintain outdoor learning environments.

Gardening

Resources about growing plants and all the different ways it benefits young children.

Healthy Eating

Fruits and vegetables, trying and tasting, growing and eating. Learn how young children can be excited to eat nutritious food.

Outdoor Installation

Building and constructing outdoor learning environments can be challenging. Find resources to guide your project.

Outdoor Management

Maintaining and sustaining outdoor learning environments is vital to their long-term success. Learn about managing environments.

Outdoor Safety

Risk management in play areas is critical for certification and regulation. Learn how to create safe spaces and address concerns.

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The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities as­sume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without lim­itation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.