ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Camille T. Dungy ponders ways that adults can integrate nature experiences into their everyday experiences with children. She highlights ways in which very young children notice and interact with the natural world, and how these are both augmented by and differ from the ways in which the adults who care for them interact with nature. She discusses the integration of rich, adult language into nature-based experiences as well as the importance of children’s nonverbal ways of building meaning. Through examining her own experiences in sharing nature-based experiences with her infant, Dungy illustrates the importance of movement between adult-led exposure to varied experiences and child-led focus on the particulars in nature that fascinate them.
