Ensuring Every Child in Maine Has Access to Outdoor Early Education

Who We Work With

Early Educators

Public Schools

Government

Organizations

Become a Member

We are an inclusive statewide network made up of early childhood stakeholders: early childhood professionals from early care and education programs, elementary schools, community partners, higher education, and state offices and policymakers, as well as philanthropy and families with young children advocating for Early Childhood Nature Based Learning in classrooms across Maine.

MaineECO Network

Our Services

MaineECO's primary services is connection to a network of people who see the value in, have experience with and are available to support getting young children outdoors. Often we provide this connection in the following ways…

  • We can help you find trainings, online webinars, workshops and conferences focused on a variety of outdoor nature based topics.

  • We can connect those just getting started in this work with experienced ONB educators for informal and supportive relationships.

  • For more direct, focused and one on one support we have a network of ONB consultants ready to work with your site directly.

  • We are connected with and sponsor certificate or degree programs such as Forest School Association trainings, Wilderness First Aid and Higher Education sites.

Gear Mini Grant

Having high quality gear, regularly accessible, is cited as a top barrier to getting young children out into nature consistently. MaineECO is working to address this barrier by offering programs of assistance to purchase gear and collect data from the Maine early childhood community to advocate for their sustainable change in bringing quality outdoor gear to every classroom.

What Is Outdoor Education and Nature Based Learning?

Nature-based learning (NBL) is an educational approach that engages children with the natural environment and natural elements as a pathway for learning. Although NBL often occurs in natural settings, it can also occur in built environments where natural elements are added to promote learning and skill development.

In practice, nature-based education includes: extensive time outdoors each day in all types of weather, integration of outdoor experiences in children’s learning both indoors and outdoors, authentic, local nature represented in the curriculum, a natural outdoor play area rich with materials children can use in many ways for meaningful play and exploration and time spent in natural areas beyond the boundaries of the fenced play area .