Erickson, Jennifer2017-05-022017-05-0220172017-05-02http://hdl.handle.net/1828/8051Time spent outdoors in natural environments is essential to the healthy physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and spiritual development of children. Furthermore, time spent in nature helps to develop environmental stewardship in children, a necessity given the current state of the environment. Despite these benefits, children are spending increasing amounts of time indoors. Schools are in a unique position to help address this deficiency through nature-based education. My project details a comprehensive plan to develop a nature-based learning site and educational program at Lochside Elementary School. This plan addresses the major barriers that keep teachers from using the outdoor environment for educational purposes and seeks to alleviate these through education and supports. Furthermore, it considers all the major partners within the educational system in hopes of effecting change that is realistic and sustainable.enAvailable to the World Wide Webnature-based educationenvironmental educationplace-based educationproject