Spring is in the air! Get re-energized for the end of the school year at this Outdoor Teacher Retreat, hosted by the Birches School! This special event brings together experts in the field of nature-based learning to share ideas and practices with a variety of hands-on sessions with options for educators in both upper and lower levels alike.   

ANBE will provide a professional development certificate at the conclusion of the event which can be submitted to Mass. EEC for six (6) continuing education hours in the State of Massachusetts. If you are travelling out of state, please check with your local Department of Ed. to confirm eligibility for clock hours. 

Please dress for the weather, as most 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. 

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, and others working with children of all ages in programs that prioritize nature-based experiences. 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, and more.

Workshop Descriptions

Student-driven Climate Action

with Melissa Hansen

Help your students take attainable climate action with confidence. As participants, you will engage in practicing effective routines to help students understand climate change and review how to recognize evidence and cause & effect. Search for local evidence of climate impacts and use tools to organize actions for solutions to support students as teams using their individual superpowers.

Going the Distance: Math Lessons in the Natural World

with Rina Zampieron

Did you know nature is a giant math playground? Develop your students' math skill through playful activities that build on concrete math principals like sequencing of events, comparing and contrasting objects, and counting. Learn to categorize, order, and make sense of the world around you using mapping and charting skills.

We Contain Multitudes: Emergent Curriculum and the Reggio-Emilia Approach

with Mo Abdalah

How can you use Mother Nature as a springboard for multidisciplinary learning? Participants will learn, through discussion, how there are many “ins” within nature to a wide variety of learning subjects, even DEI. This session will have a concentration on how effective documentation can serve to deepen pedagogy and curriculum and provide reflection opportunities for student and teacher alike.

Seasonal and Emergent Opportunities for Science Learning in your Nature-Based Program

with Sarah Thornbrugh

Together we will explore the tenets of informal science education through a lens on nature-based learning, and consider the opportunities available for integrating science learning into your daily rhythms. We will consider barrier to accessing science learning, the role of experiential education and outdoor settings, and share ideas and inspiration for scalable projects and programs for learners of all ages and abilities. After this session, we hope that you will feel empowered to weave science and STEM opportunities in to your programs.

...and more coming soon!

Meet Your Presenters!

Rina Zampieron (she/her) - Program Manager of Early Education at Mass Audubon

After teaching in a nature-based preschool classroom for 14, Rina began working with early educators across the state to support the implementation of nature-based learning into their classrooms. Rina has presented at conferences across the country and believes that all young children and their teachers can get outside. She helped created the deep impact program SEEDS, which is designed to help schools transform their practice to regularly incorporate nature into their existing programs.

Melissa Hansen (she/her) - Program Manager of Early Education at Mass Audubon

Melissa Hansen has worked at Mass Audubon coordinating PK12 school programs and facilitating teacher Professional Development since 2003. She works closely with the school administrators to steward relationships and develop impactful programming within the metro west communities. Melissa completed a professional learning institute run by the U.C. Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science BEETLES Program in delivering outdoor education practices and pedagogy. She earned a BS from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and earned her MS from Lesley University.

Mo Abdalah (he/him) - Founding Member and Nature-Based Preschool Teacher for The Nest at Wheeler

Mo has been a teacher at the Wheeler School since 2011. From unconventional beginnings, he has focused on nature-based early childhood education since 2019, becoming a founding member of The Nest, located at Wheeler's forest campus, known as "The Farm" in 2020. Regarding pedagogy, Mo is professionally inspired by the words of Loris Malaguzzi and his perspective on teaching as less of an imparting of knowledge and more of a walk in a vast forest, guiding children through mutually unknown territory. In that way, Mo considers themselves to be a field guide who helps children steer their own ship, facilitating children's' journey through themselves and assist in making connections to the world around them–with a bit of humor, of course.

Sarah Thornbrugh (she/her) - Owner and Educator at Conchitas Outdoor Learning and Play

Sarah is a founding educator with Conchitas Outdoor Learning and Play, a community organization offering low/no-cost nature play and outdoor learning for children ages 0-6 and their families on Cape Cod, MA. She has a background in conservation and informal science education, and work within the environmental and climate justice sectors towards equitable nature access for all. She is a huge science nerd and advocate for child-led and play-based education, and mother of 2 young children.