The Child in Nature
by Shazia Bandeali
“We must study the correlation between life and the environment. In nature all is correlated. This is the purpose of nature. Nature is not concerned just with the conservation of individual life or with the betterment of itself. It is a harmony, a plan of construction. Everything fits into the plan: rocks, earth, water, plants, man, etc.” - Maria Montessori
I remember the nature walks, natural museum visits, and the gardens we planted together as a community at the Montessori school I attended during my early years vividly. We had a beautiful garden outside our classroom full of fruit trees and rose bushes. We spent many afternoons in the garden working on addition charts on some days and enjoying community meals on others. Learning to love and protect nature has been an inherent part of my personality since then and has been my inspiration in my subsequent endeavors in gardening and environmental stewardship.
As an educator, I am passionate about cultivating wildlife habitats as well as outdoor environments that inspire children to engage with nature. Creating a wildlife habitat not only serves to beautify our outdoor environments, it also helps protect endangered species. The butterflies, birds, and bees fly from one flower to another and take on their cosmic task of pollinating. Pollinators are essential for our ecosystem to survive and thrive. Gardens and wildlife habitats not only provide a habitat for these endangered species, but they also help us restore the delicate balance and order in nature that is much needed.
When children learn to take care of their outdoor environment, they develop a lifelong love for nature and this not only caters to their developmental needs but also offers an opportunity for them to carry on with the task of preserving nature. Creating an outdoor environment that supports wildlife is a starting point toward environmental stewardship and helps build character in children. They learn to take responsibility for their community and their surroundings. In my Primary community as well as in Montessori communities around the world, organic gardening with fruits and vegetables, composting, recycling, and learning to conserve natural resources such as water with drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting continues to be an integral component of our community work.
This spirit of preservation and conservation tends to then extend far beyond the walls of the classroom. Children carry this love for nature with them to their homes and communities where they enjoy gardening with their families including grandparents, uncles, and aunts. I have heard this many times in my interactions with families that their child simply loved growing strawberries and watermelons in the school garden and how this is what they talk about the most when they get home.
Nature inspires awe and wonder in children. It provides infinite opportunities for children to see, hear, touch, and smell what is around them. It helps spark so many wonderful conversations and opportunities for play. Research suggests that spending time outdoors is very beneficial for the minds and bodies of children. It provides a real setting for children to explore their environment while taking appropriate risks, engage in collaborative endeavors with their peers, and promotes physical fitness among many other benefits. According to Dr. Montessori, ‘There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest. Something emanates from those trees which speak to the soul, something no book, no museum is capable of giving.’
Cultivating this love for nature and working to preserve and conserve our environment is a significant aspect of education today. Additionally, the significance of following the natural development of the child plays a vital role in the learning outcomes we expect in our work as parents and educators. Children have an innate love for nature and thrive when given the opportunities they need to explore it in their daily experiences. This helps foster a deep engagement within them with relation to their environment. Recent studies in mitigating climate change suggest that there are natural pathways to achieve desired goals and that nature can play a huge role in this mitigation. Instilling this love for nature in children and learning to thrive with it can go a long way in our efforts for maintaining sustainability on our planet in addition to the vast array of benefits this provides for supporting the natural development of children.
© 2021 Shazia Bandeali
Shazia Bandeali
Shazia is a Montessori alumna, an AMI 3-6 Guide, and a student in MINT’s AMI 6-12 Diploma Course who currently works at Lumin Lindsley Park Community School in Dallas, TX. She lives in Plano, TX with her two boys and is pursuing her Master’s in Education at Southern Methodist University with a specialization in Urban Schools and Early Literacy.
