time they were provided as children by their caregivers, to explore nearby nature. Time to play, to romp and to discover fosters initiative, independence, stimulates creativity and promotes resiliency.


Engaged Action Everyone, no matter their age or ability, can do something


positive for the environment. Tending a garden, raising but- terflies, caring for a natural area, reducing our energy con- sumption, are just some of the simple ways we empower our youth to make a positive impact in their own community. From an Indigenous perspective, acting with responsibil- ity means responding with our abilities (response-ability). Remember the idea of agency. Kids can solve a problem provided they are given the right tools and strategies for their age. Every positive action leads to a sense of hope. And every bit of hope is empowering. As kids grow older they can begin to explore the idea of sustainable living: reducing their carbon footprint, investigating alternatives to fossil fuels, learning about product life cycles and issues of social justice.


How to Nurture Stewards It is important to recognize that children at different ages


respond to the environment in markedly different ways. Well-meaning educators may want to talk to small chil- dren about the imminent dangers of climate change and the effects of global warming, but small children simply don’t have the cognitive faculties to process such large and multi-dimensional issues. Instead, like ever widening fields of self, children first discover their bodies, their senses and the environment immediately around them. As they become older, they recognize cause and effect, action and reaction. They discover empathy and compassion. Older still and they recognize that they are embedded in a community of people


and other living things. As teenagers they begin to be ready to understand larger, more complex issues facing their com- munity and beyond. As mature teenagers they can take on issues of social and environmental justice. The Pathway to Stewardship Committee used the results


of their research and the themes gleaned from their inter- views to develop a Stewardship Framework. The Pathway to Stewardship Framework articulates a number of steward- ship principles and suggestes ways to implement these for children from early childhood to the teenage years. Nur- turing stewards is a proactive undertaking. Building on a sense of wonder and awe, educators can start by modelling empathy and respect for all life. At each stage, children need opportunities to develop their spirit, heart, mind, and body. As children begin to learn about how the world func- tions, they understand the impacts that people can have and they explore solutions to challenges within their com- munity. As youth develop leadership skills by participating in local action, they develop confidence, a sense of agency and belonging. Engaged stewards arise when we teach our children to know, love, understand and protect the very land they stand upon. This is a call for educators, parents, community leaders


and youth groups to coordinate their efforts in order to take collective responsibility for fostering stewardship. Every community has its own resources and opportunities for envi- ronmental education. Every community has its environmen- tal challenges. And despite best intentions, environmental education initiatives are often delivered in an ad hoc and siloed manner by individual schools and/or by individual organizations. At times, efforts are duplicated. At other times key stewardship developmental opportunities are missed. One way to begin is by forming a stakeholders group and developing a collaborative approach among community


GREEN TEACHER 113 Page 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52