Developing one's environmental identity can be as simple as going outside, but it does not end at going outside.
Below, we have organized a collection of place-based activities according to theme and topic.
These place-based activities encourage learning from and within the local environment. Some of these activities are well-known classics, while others may be new to you. These activities are intended to get people outside and interacting with the natural world. It's through these interactions that we develop our environmental identities. The process of EID may be lifelong, and so we have provided suggestions on how to implement these activities with both children and adults.
Child agency is an important element of both EID and place-based education (PBE), and so these activities are designed to support children's interests and creativity. Remember to allow space for participants' authentic interactions with the natural world, even if they seem unrelated to the activity at hand. Responsiveness to the interests and actions of your learners should be at the heart of these learning activities.
Nurturing EID through Place-Based Activities
Nature Journaling
Journaling provides a valuable way of exploring, expressing, and collecting thoughts about an environment. We share three different methods of nature journaling for all ages.
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are timeless for a reason. These activities encourage independent exploration, critical thought, and problem-solving. They are also easily applicable and can be implemented in any setting from a playground, to a park, to a nature reserve.
Tracking the Seasons
Week to week, and sometimes even day to day, we can observe new waves of seasonal change sweep over the landscape. When we become more aware of these changes, we become more in tune with our local environment.
Art in Nature, Art from Nature
Artistic interpretation and expression can be powerful methods for connecting with the natural world. Used in conjunction with PBE, art can provide new ways of reconnecting with the natural world, the human community, and ourselves.
Developing Cultural Connections to Place
This section provides an example of a mini-educational unit designed to encourage ecological, cultural, and historical place attachment in elementary age children, centering Indigenous understandings of land.
This project is funded by the National Science Foundation. Award # 1753399, CAREER: A longitudinal study of the emotional and behavioral processes of Environmental Identity Development among rural and non-rural Alaskan children