Webinar with Jill Bienenstock, Director of Education, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds

Dive into the benefits of outdoor unstructured free play and learn how it supports the foundational skills needed for literacy to flourish. The aim is to enhance your current strategies used to support reading and writing in the early years and beyond. Participants will understand how and why gross motor skills developed through child-led play to support the foundational skills of literacy, explore and expand outdoor activities on their playground that promote the foundational skills of literacy, evaluate current outdoor activities and experiences with an 'Outdoor Literacy Checklist', and learn how to expand language arts outside by using natural materials and loose parts.

Jill Bienenstock is an early childhood educator who puts her expertise to use as the Director of Education at Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds. With over 30 years’ experience of which more than a decade was spent as an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) at children’s rehabilitation hospital, Jill focuses on ways to extend curriculum outdoors, noting how imperative it is for child development. Her goal is to make outdoor learning and play simple, fun, and memorable for both children and educators. She is inspired by the young people she works with and enjoys finding creative ways to transform outdoor ‘roadblocks’ into learning opportunities for all.

Webinar with Daniel Ramirez, Senior Manager, Gen:Thrive - EcoRise

Environmental literacy, green schools, children in nature, climate education, e-STEM, environmental justice. Across the U.S., there is a plethora of organizations offering resources for K-12 students with the vision of cultivating empowered, sustainability leaders and healthy, green, equitable schools. Under this shared banner, there is a significant opportunity to join forces and build a data-driven strategy for collective impact.

Gen:Thrive is a collaborative initiative providing shared data and technology tools to accelerate sustainability education and advance health, equity, and climate resilience in K-12 schools. Housed within EcoRise, the Gen:Thrive team is working closely with NAAEE and State Affiliates to map environmental education (EE) service providers across the U.S. and examine issues of social vulnerability, environmental pollutants, climate risk, health, workforce development and green infrastructure. A central goal of the project is to use these technology tools and data visualization to explore local community needs, identify partnership opportunities and drive new resources to communities that need it most. Discover how Gen:Thrive's tools can help you build out programs that target your communities' specific needs.

Webinar with Ky Harkey, The Visitor Experience

Folks love Park Prescription Programs, so why are they so hard to launch? Nature is the fourth pillar of health, and park prescription programs help engage patients with nature for positive health outcomes. This webinar will explore a step-by-step blueprint to launching and leading successful Park Rx initiatives. Attendees will learn strategies for identifying and engaging healthcare champions, leveraging evidence to support the health benefits of nature, and creating accessible, impactful nature experiences for patients. By the end of this session, participants will have the templates and tools to (1) build meaningful partnerships with local health advocates, (2) communicate the proven health benefits of regular time in nature, and (3) support medical professionals in sharing a five-part plan for connecting patients to nature.

Webinar offered at 2:00 Central on May 21, 2025

Ticket Sales will end on May 20, 2025

Webinar will be recorded

A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants prior to the event

Registration: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/texaschildreninnaturenetwork/launching-park-prescription-programs-a-step-by-step-guide

Webinar with Laura Tadena, Community Engagement Librarian, Austin Public Library

Join us to explore how Austin Public Library is building nature into its services through StoryWalks as part of its Nature Smart Libraries initiative. In this webinar, we will provide an overview of how the library established four permanent StoryWalks, including one with a Braille overlay, through support from a Texas State Library and Archives grant. These StoryWalks combine outdoor literacy with nature-based experiences, offering accessible and engaging ways to connect with the environment.

We’ll also discuss how the library continues to grow this initiative through its internal StoryWalk committee, pollinator gardens, thoughtful collection development, and strategic partnerships. By the end of the session, you will understand the steps for creating and launching StoryWalks, learn how to incorporate nature into library services and programming, and discover strategies for maintaining inclusive, community-driven initiatives that encourage a connection to nature.

Webinar at 2:00 and 7:00 on June 4, 2025

Ticket Sales will end June 3, 2025

Registration: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/texaschildreninnaturenetwork/storywalks-and-nature-smart-libraries-at-austin-public-library

Webinar with Warinda Harris, Organizer, Central Texas Interfaith (CTI)

Central Texas Interfaith (CTI) is a non-partisan broad-based coalition of over 50 congregations, schools, health clinics, workers’ groups, and social service organizations in the 10-county area of central Texas. Founded in East Austin by its oldest institutions of color, we have created systemic change for over 35 years through institutional organizing.

As part of the People, Parks, and Power (P3) Initiative and in partnership with Austin ISD, CTI has been organizing to address inequities in access to and enjoyment of green spaces in Austin, with particular attention to the City’s historically underserved communities. Over the past two years, CTI has conducted over 100 house meetings (small group conversations) and over 2,000 one-on-one relational meetings with community members and stakeholders. We've listened to residents in East and South Austin speak about how they relate to outdoor spaces. Based upon community responses, CTI unveiled its Our Open Spaces campaign and adopted an agenda of issues related to green space advocacy:

• INCREASE PUBLIC ACCESS TO PARKS AND GREEN SPACES

• ENSURE SAFETY IN OUR GREEN SPACES

Webinar with Kevin Lanza, PhD, Assistant Professor, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin, TX

Climate change is considered the greatest health threat of the 21st century, and children are particularly susceptible to its impacts. Join Dr. Kevin Lanza, the Director of the Health Equity Action Together (HEAT) Lab, as he shares research findings on the relation between extreme heat on physical activity levels of children, and the different strategies that can lower temperatures and promote safe physical activity. Research covered in this webinar is based in economically disadvantaged, Latino communities in Central Texas with a focus on households, bus transit systems, school routes, and schoolyards. Specific learning outcomes include understanding 1) the relationship between extreme heat, health, and social equity; 2) the association between extreme heat and physical activity levels of children; and 3) the influence of trees and other urban heat management strategies on physical activity levels of children.

Registration $10. Members can always register for FREE - learn more about membership

Webinar offered at 2:00 Central on July 16, 2025

Webinar with Christian Alvarado, Manager of Peer Learning, Children & Nature Network

Nature is essential in enhancing mental health and emotional well-being, cognitive development, and healing from trauma. In 2023, the Children & Nature Network (C&NN), National League of Cities, and KABOOM! launched Nature Everywhere Communities, an initiative designed to advance equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn, and play. Based on over 10 years of supporting coalitions across the U.S., Nature Everywhere Communities helps local leaders assess community assets and barriers, align strategies with shared goals, and implement actions that expand nature access.

The Nature Everywhere Communities Action Challenge is a self-paced opportunity where participating teams gain access to toolkits, equity mapping data, and peer learning opportunities while receiving local and national recognition for their efforts. It’s also a great way to celebrate and amplify the progress your community has already made. This webinar will highlight key strategies for assessing community needs and identifying opportunities to expand nature access, featuring insights from a Nature Everywhere Accelerator Community in the Rio Grande Valley. Attendees will learn about specific actions within the Action Challenge that support their work, including engaging local leaders to champion nature initiatives, developing partnerships across sectors to strengthen their team, and implementing community-driven actions that create lasting change.

Webinar with Kay Jenkins, Environmental Education Programs Coordinator, SFA Gardens - Stephen F. Austin State University, Department of Agriculture

The Bugs, Bees, Butterflies, and Blossoms Festival is held annually by the Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) Department of Education Studies and SFA Gardens in partnership with the Texas Forestry Association and the Texas A&M Forest Service. Hundreds of SFA students have gained experience teaching in an outdoor setting, while tens of thousands of school children have benefited from the curriculum-based, hands-on science activities. This multi-decade environmental education collaboration is producing a multi-generational impact. Many of the teachers who bring their classes to the event attended it as a child and hosted activities as a pre-service teacher. Participants will be inspired to develop long-lasting partnerships in their communities to support the professional development of current and future educators in environmental education.

Registration $10. Members can always register for FREE - learn more about membership

Webinar offered at 2:00 Central on August 13, 2025

Webinar with Lavanya Selvam Alli, Board Member, Parents’ Climate Community

Lavanya Selvam Allia is a neurodiverse Mom (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) of a neurodivergent child (Autism Spectrum Disorder) working in the environmental advocacy space. Coming from a neurodiverse family, Lavanya has come to appreciate why her family tends to view the world a little more intensely than other people.

Emerging research shows that neurodiverse individuals tend to have more sensitivity towards issues of justice and equity. Neurodivergent people often strongly empathize with social and environmental injustices in our society because of the frustrations and struggles they experience when trying to adapt to largely neurotypical social conformities. Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who is Autistic and has OCD, is a prime example: her neurodivergent thought process brought about revolutionary changes to the worldwide climate movement.

In this webinar, designed for neurodiverse and neurotypical attendees, Lavanya will explore how neurodiverse individuals (of all ages) can channel their unique thinking and perceptions towards the betterment of our natural world. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of how neurodiversity can positively disrupt the status quo thinking in the conservation space and lead to meaningful ecological reforms and equitable solutions for addressing environmental and climate crises.

Webinar with Russ Carson, PhD, Founder & Principal, Community Impact Collaborative

Data is not just about numbers; it’s about the impact those numbers represent to your constituents. Impact storyfinding enables us to uncover the central insights hidden in data, and impact storytelling allows us to communicate these stories to drive change. Whether its organizational leaders deciding on funding priorities or educators advocating for more nature-based play, well-told impact stories are key to demonstrating the tangible, meaningful outcomes nature-based experiences have on children. This session will show how to transform data into powerful stories that engage and inspire different audiences to take action to support or enrich nature-based programs for children. Come ready to leave with practical guidance and tested tricks to make impact storytelling work for you.

Registration $10. Members can always register for FREE - learn more about membership

https://www.texaschildreninnature.org/give/membership

Webinar offered at 2:00 and 7:00 Central on October 1st

Ticket Sales will end on September 30, 2025

Webinar with Debra Kellstedt, DrPH, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Family & Community Health

Children only spend minutes a day outside but spend between 7-11 hours a day on screens. Families report they spend less than an hour of quality time together per day during the week. How children and families spend their time has contributed to a number of physical and mental health challenges.

The Get Outside! program is an AgriLife Extension program that aims to help Texas families boost their health, happiness, and time together by being more active in nature every day. In BINGO-card format, this program employs evidence-based strategies to increase time outside, increase physical activity, and increase quality family time. Families can check off and record a variety of suggested activities that they do together in the great outdoors—everything from making mud pies to hiking through the forest.

In this webinar, Dr. Debra Kellstedt, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Assistant Professor & Health Specialist, will highlight key components of the Get Outside! program and share takeaways from the program pilot phase. Tune in to learn methods for moving health and nature research into practice and to discuss the ins and outs of program design and implementation.

Webinar with Kristy Rangel, former Head of Professional Learning with the City of San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA program and Consultant

Americans are spending about ninety percent of their time if not more indoors, with children being no exception. The mental and physical benefits are compelling, so why are we not seeing a turn in this staying indoors trend? Even when outdoor access is created and built, in some areas the space still sits unused. Curious about why this might be, I learned that for many families there are some common, generalized obstacles standing in their way. This session will address these repeated concerns, provide research, and sound evidence on how to address parent education on these topics. This session will be useful for anyone in a position to speak to parents or adults who are care-taking young children on the importance of taking children outdoors and hacks for the obstacles in the way.

Kristy Rangel is the former Head of Professional Learning with the City of San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA program serving early childhood education throughout the city and is now independently specializing in facilitating workforce development in young adults, organizational health, and the art of effective communication for leaders. She is an avid lover of the outdoors and has been advocating for outdoor learning in schools for the past 25 years.

Webinar with Rachel Caldwell Hill, MA | ᏣᎳᎩ, Ph.D. Student, University of Texas at Austin

Osiyo! Join the Central Texas Cherokee Township to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. We'll share some traditional Cherokee stories, introduce the traditional Haudenosaunee Three Sisters gardening techniques, share about our community garden efforts throughout Central Texas, and have plenty of time for questions. Participants will come away with some Native American stories and indigenous gardening information they can incorporate in their programming to connect children and families to the natural world and Native American heritage.

A Zoom Link will be sent to registrants before the event.

Ticket Sales end on November 18, 2025

Webinar will be recorded

Texas Children in Nature Network Members can always register for free - Become a member HERE

Webinar will be on November 19th at 2:00 Central

Registration: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/texaschildreninnaturenetwork/lessons-from-the-three-sisters-garden