This day of outdoor workshops will help ground you as we embrace the changes of Spring with young children. Join experts in the field of nature-based early learning to share ideas and practices with a variety of hands-on sessions to choose from including: Mindfulness, Spirituality, and Nature-Based Education; Spring plant walk with identification; needle felted crafting with wool; children's garden activities and more. Hosted at ANBE's outdoor 'lab' forest school, Notchcliff Nature Programs is based at Glen Meadows Retirement Community near Towson, MD. This day will take place 100% immersed in nature outdoors!

ANBE will provide a professional development certificate at the conclusion of the event. Please dress for the weather, as 100% of this training takes place outdoors, rain or shine. Coffee/tea with lite breakfast and lunch is included, but remember your canteen for drinks throughout the day. Pending MSDE approval for six (6) clock hours of professional development!

Note: We strive for zero waste during our events; please bring your canteen for drinks.

Who Should Attend?

This training is ideal for educators, caregivers, parents, and others working with young children ages 2 to 8. Our participants work in all kinds of settings, from nature-based schools and forest kindergartens to public schools, traditional preschools, HeadStart programs, child care settings, homeschooling, and more.

Workshop Descriptions:

Mindfulness, Spirituality, and Nature-based Education

with Anura Desai

This course explores the integration of mindfulness, spirituality, and nature-based practices in fostering holistic child development. Participants will gain an understanding of how these elements contribute to the emotional, cognitive, and social growth of children. Through interactive nature-based activities and personal mindfulness practices, teachers will develop the tools necessary to implement these principles in their own lives and classrooms. By the end of the course, educators will be equipped with strategies and activities that cultivate mindfulness and spirituality, enhancing their ability to support children in their development.

The Wild Spring Has Sprung!

with Daje Reeder of The Eco Experience

Animals are waking up all around us! Take a trail walk through the forest as we look and listen for life after winter stillness. Together we will sample activities that are perfect for young children who are discovering life cycles of birds, insects, and amphibians in spring!

Spring Plant Wander

with Bodhi Vasilopoulos, Founder of Nature's Love and Wisdom

Nature is abundant with food, medicine & more yet we have forgotten our ancient ways of working with the botanical and fungal relatives growing all around us. Learning about wild foods takes some time and focus but in the process we are rewarded with greater health, happiness, resilience and connection to the natural world. In this walk we will cover topics such as:

• Plant and mushroom identification
• How to harvest sustainably and prepare different wild edible foods throughout the seasons
• Basics of botany, mycology, field herbalism and medicinal preparations
• Planting & propagation techniques
• Agroforestry principles & practices
• Temperate ecology and more!

Little Hands - Big Growth

with Cathy Allen

Explore practical knowledge, a hands-on planting activity, and discussion around the emotional, cognitive development and social skills when implementing a class room flower garden.

Notchcliff Nature Programs Overview and Site Tour

with Chelsea Genco, Director of Notchcliff Nature Programs

Take a walk around ANBE's lab school! See the Seedlings, Forest Preschool, and Homeschool Co-op classrooms and learn about our day-to-day programming. Ask questions and get inspiration for your own nature classroom. 

Crafting Stories with Wool: Exploring the Art of Needle Felting

with Lesley Romanoff

Discover the connection between storytelling and wool craft in this hands-on session on creating story scenes and characters through needle felting. Historically, wool dolls and felted figures have been cherished as tools for storytelling, education, and play, embodying the narratives of their makers and the small hands holding them. Needle felting, a technique that emerged in the early 20th century, transforms loose wool into intricate, sculptural forms, offering endless possibilities for crafting characters and props that bring stories to life. Participants will learn how to combine this tactile art form with storytelling to create unique, hand-felted figures that spark imagination and connection. Whether you're an educator, artist, or parent, this session will inspire you to weave your own stories through the magic of wool.

Meet Your Presenters!

Anura Desai (she/her) - Mindfulness and Spirituality Trainer

For over a decade, Anura has been teaching yoga and mindfulness in Early Childhood Education settings to over 500 children a week in the Baltimore area. She developed specialized tools that focus on regulating behavior and emotions, which are now used in circle time, transitions, and quiet time to create calm, engaged classrooms. Anura is also an MSDE-approved trainer for the state of Maryland, offering trainings to educators on how to incorporate these techniques into their classrooms.

Daje' Reeder - Founder of The Eco Experience

Daje' Reeder is fascinated by nature's beauty and wonders from random sightings of hawks on highway light post to illuminating full moons! She studied Environmental Science at Towson University earning her Bachelor's in Environmental Science with a concentrated on biology in 2018. She started her post-grad journey in Environmental Education at Irvine Nature Center working with homeschool, school age and preschool students for 4 years. She spent her summers working and teaching at urban farm, Backyard Basecamp for 2 years. During her teaching experiences she started her own venture and business, The Eco Experience providing outdoor focused community events. Currently, she is working with Baltimore County Recreation and Parks as Community Supervisor providing her love for nature, programming and community connection to her community!

Bodhi Vasilopoulos (he/him) - Founder of Nature's Love and Wisdom

Bodhi is a passionate forest gardener, herbalist, naturalist, and teacher. His teaching explores the intersection of foraging, agroforestry and food systems with ecology, activism, and cultural transformation. He offers immersive, educational and transformational workshops, retreats and courses. Bodhi also helps manage Forested, a regenerative food forest farm and education center working to expand forest agriculture in DC and Maryland. With a BS in environmental science and engineering, multiple technical certifications, and a decade of experience working with the land, he applies the skills and knowledge he has acquired towards his service to life on Earth. 

Lesley Romanoff - Takoma Park Cooperative Director and Lead Teacher

Lesley Romanoff is a dedicated educator and advocate for community-centered learning, serving as a leader at Takoma Park Cooperative Nursery School. Passionate about outdoor education and fostering connections among children, parents, and educators, Lesley emphasizes the transformative power of play, storytelling, and hands-on exploration in early childhood development.

Chelsea Genco (she/her) - Notchcliff Nature Programs Director and Forest School Guide

Chelsea is a passionate advocate for child development with a direct focus on nature-based education. A homeschool mom of two and the Director of Notchcliff Nature Programs, the "lab" forest school of ANBE, she blends her deep love for the outdoors with her expertise in child development. Having camped throughout her life, from her early years to her time as a camper and CIT at Genesee Valley Camps, she has always believed in nature's power to nurture creativity, resilience, and curiosity in children. Chelsea is committed to fostering hands-on, experiential learning environments that support holistic development and a lifelong connection to the natural world.

More presenter bios coming soon!