NC State University | College of Design | Natural Learning Initiative
6th Annual Childhood Outdoors Design Institute
Design for Children IN Nature 2008 | SPEAKERS & TITLES
August 7-9, 2008

Registration http://ncsudesign.org/content/index.cfm/mode/1/fuseaction/page/filename/child.html

Challenges and Opportunities for Creating Green School Grounds
Cam Collyer has been the Director of the Evergreen's award-winning Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Program since 1997. He has overseen the establishment of a national network of school ground design professionals, the creation of a large suite of print and web based publications, the establishment of pioneering partnerships with schools boards across Canada and the distribution of over $1 million in grants to schools. Cam has also acted as a consultant to the development of a program supporting the redevelopment of school grounds in Havana, Cuba. A qualified teacher, Cam graduated in Environmental Studies from Trent University and in Outdoor and Experiential Education from Queen's University. He has worked in a variety of public and private educational settings including the North York Board of Education, the Canadian Outward Bound Wilderness School, and Peterborough's Kawartha World Issues Centre. Cam is a regular presenter at conferences, universities and in the media on topics of school ground greening, environmental education, and the connection between children and nature. Cam is currently coordinating the design of the children's play and learning areas for Evergreen Brick Works.

The Benefits of Playing in Nature: Research Findings and Common Sense
Nilda Cosco, PhD, is the Education Specialist at The Natural Learning Initiative and Research Associate Professor in the College of Design, NC State University. Dr. Cosco holds a degree in Educational Psychology, Universidad del Salvador, Argentina and a Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture, School of Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot Watt University, Scotland. She has an interest on the impact of outdoor environments on health outcomes such as obesity, sedentary lifestyles, attention functioning, and well-being. In January 2000, Dr. Cosco co-founded the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), College of Design NC State University. As Educational Specialist, she has responsibilities for design programming and research of outdoor areas for children with and without disabilities.

Public Gardens: Growing Healthy Children
Nancy Easterling, MSW, HTM has a Masters in Social Work and is a professionally registered Master of Horticultural Therapy. She is currently the Coordinator of Horticultural Therapy and Family/Children Programs at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, UNC Chapel Hill, NC, and President of the American Horticultural Therapy Association.

Landscape Design for Healthy Child Development
Robin Moore is Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Natural Learning Initiative, NC State University. Professor Moore is an urban designer and design researcher, specializing in child and family urban environments that support healthy human development, informal play, and nonformal education. Originally from England, he holds degrees in architecture (London University) and city and regional planning (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). His publications include, "Our Neighbourhood is Like That!" in Growing Up in an Urbanising World (2002); “Healing Gardens for Children,” in Healing Gardens (1999); Natural Learning (1997); Plants for Play (1993); the Complete Playground Book (1993); and the Play For All Guidelines (1987, 1992). He is an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Health Promotion and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the on-line journal, Children, Youth and Environments. In 2001, Robin was recipient of the Great American Gardeners, Landscape Design Award, from the American Horticultural Society.

Participatory Design Process
Julieta T Sherk, RLA, ASLA, is a registered landscape architect and the Design Assistance Coordinator for the Natural Learning Initiative. She earned her Masters in Landscape Architecture from NC State University and has been practicing since 1983.Julieta is dedicated to working with clients to create natural, stimulating places that enhance of the health of families and children as well as the environment and community as a whole. She is particularly interested in the use of plants as design elements and believes in the critical role they play in improving and enhancing the human/natural experience. To this end, she is interested in opportunities to preserve and protect natural and historic resources while incorporating living infrastructure such as green roofs and bio-retention gardens. Julieta is an adjunct professor in the NCSU Dept. of Landscape Architecture, where she teaches a variety of studios to undergraduate and graduate students. She also teaches the Site Planning and Construction Materials and Methods course. Julieta has been involved in a broad range of local, national, and international projects through her landscape architecture practice, JTSLA. She works for both public and private clients on commercial, resort, mixed-use, and residential projects.

Does Nature Matter? The Natural Environment and Children's Well-being
Nancy M. Wells, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis and a member of the graduate faculty in the Horticulture Department at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. As an environmental psychologist, Dr. Wells studies people's relationships to the built and natural environment through the life course. Much of her work focuses on how exposure to the natural environment influences children’s health, functioning, and environmentalism. Dr. Wells is interested in how the environment can contribute to children’s resilience by bolstering cognitive functioning, enhancing psychological well-being, promoting physical activity, and combating obesity. In both her research and her teaching, Dr. Wells strives “bridge the gap” – between research and practice, policy, and design. NC State University | College of Design | Natural Learning Initiative

The Elements of Play
Prairie Ridge Eco Station for Wildlife and Learning, Museum of Natural Sciences

Outdoor Activity Facilitators

Leonie Labistour is the Development Manager of Playwork Partnerships at the University of Gloucestershire and has 11 years of working in Playwork Education and Training. Prior to this, she worked as a playworker and playscheme coordinator for disabled children for 7 years. Leonie has contributed to a suite of playwork training and qualifications spanning entry level to higher education and has a particular interest in environmental playwork, which combines her love of all things to do with children and the great outdoors.

Dr Martin Maudsley works part-time for Playwork Partnerships as their Outdoor Play Development Officer - championing opportunities for children to play in outdoor spaces and with natural elements. In 2005 he put together Playing on the Wildside - a best practice guide providing information, ideas and resources on environmental playwork. In 2006 he jointly authored (with Stuart Lester) a comprehensive review of children’s natural play: Play, Naturally. He has recently developed and written a new playwork training course ‘Playing with the Elements’. Martin also works regularly outdoors as a professional playworker, trainer and storyteller, and has an enduring childhood passion for wild adventures in wild spaces.

Daniel Rees-Jones also works part time for Playwork Partnerships as the Outdoor Play Development Officer, particularly focusing on the work of play rangers across the UK. He has recently researched and written a level two training course called ‘Playing on the Range’ developed to support play rangers and others who work with children and young people outdoors in open access play provision. For the last five years Dan has also been a practicing play ranger, working for the award winning Bath and North East Somerset play ranger project and last year wrote the Play Ranger Guide – an essential resource for anyone who wants to set up open access play projects to provide opportunities for children and young people to be challenged, take risks and have fun outdoors.’ Dan is connoisseur of outdoor fun and has an impressive collection of dangerous toys.