Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature: For Kids of all Ages and their Mentors.

Rowntree, Noeleen

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature: For Kids of all Ages and their Mentors. Jon Young, Ellen Haas and Evan McGown. Washington, USA: OWLink Media, 2008, 407 pp. ISBN: 1-57994-019-6

21st century living continues to see the movement of people into urban areas thus increasing human disconnection from the natural world. Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature--For kids of all ages and their Mentors builds upon the work of Richard Louv author of "Last Child in the Woods". The "coyote" in this book has been used as a metaphor for how we can reconnect and build positive relationships with nature, with ourselves, and with others. Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature identifies the power of natural places in drawing out the innate talents of individuals by using the routines of connection with nature. This book encourages us to make the time to develop meaningful relationships between ourselves and nature and offers practical activities through which we can learn about, and learn to value, natural places.

The ideas in this book are based in nature education and seek to engage people directly with plants and animals. It demonstrates a deep understanding of strategies and approaches that are helpful in mentoring others. The book has twelve chapters, structured as a Mentor's Manual, thus providing a framework for educators interested in using this approach.

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature introduces core routines that form the basis of this educational approach, providing a variety of suggested strategies for educators to use for each routine and sharing a variety of learning combinations. Educators can learn much from reading the core routines, and many will see ways of incorporating these routines into their repertoire of practice. The identification of core routines for learning articulates the need for and value of being in nature. Engaging in the core routines for individual learners will enhance their personal learning and provide the foundations of the continuing and ever revealing process of each learner moving through the cycle of experiences, reflecting, questioning and then experiencing, reflecting and questioning. While it is the personal journey that creates new connections, it is the skill of the mentor or teacher that helps shape the learning. Achieving this new knowledge is an artful process that taps into the natural passion of humans.

The book also reminds us of the things that children love to do when playing, with narrative used throughout the book to unpack the "how" of creating this learning for our children. The book successfully reminds us of the passions of children. I like the reference to brain patterning and the skills of journaling that help the brain connect the language parts of brain to sensory experiences. Practical examples of reflection being used as a powerful tool for learning are also included.

Although this book is written from the North American nature based education perspective, the essence of the approach has relevance for all educators, including non nature-based educators.

Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature really describes good teaching--one where you focus on the learner and their interests, using the natural world to help the child learn and discover not only the natural world but their strengths and talents. It is positive and provides strategies for children to discover their talents. The book outlines stories and activities that set up and inspire continual practice and good learning habits. The book provides a context for why we need this approach for learning and unpacks the elements of core routines, specific teaching strategies that assist learning, and suggests flow learning and program management strategies. It also provides guidance on designing a range of learning programs (from one hour to five days) that move through the process of inspiring, activating, providing mental focus and sharing and reflection. Personally, I would like to use more locally relevant names as some of the names of activities I feel would not resonant well with Australian students. Possibly this would only require some creative name changes for the activity or simple adaptations of the program so it is culturally relevant. The essence of the book would work universally with children.

I recommend this book to all educators to challenge their thinking and see the power of using nature and the out of doors classroom for learning for all students. For educators who do work outside there are many suggested activities for you to add to your repertoire. I also like how the authors encourage teachers to go on their own journeys, integrating what they value as educators, and highlighting the fact that teacher's work is always a work in progress--ever changing and moving forward. This book offers a valuable educational approach for learning--an approach that has been overlooked by schools but has the potential to make a real difference to student learning.

Noeleen Rowntree

Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre (Education Queensland)

Reference

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books.