(Policy/Systems Change, Nature Connection/Mindfulness; all ages)

Through hands-on outdoor activities, we will explore how to honor reciprocal relationships with nature, including how we relate with ourselves. We will consider how the ways we relate may have been influenced by colonization and how to shift toward reciprocal, regenerative, and sustainable perspectives. Together, we will engage in practices that encourage and strengthen our innate intuition, bringing us into alignment with our own true natures.This work is informed by Indigenous scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer who asks us to consider: how can we be a gift to the land? This session will offer space and experiences for us to explore our own answers to this question. Activities can be adapted for all ages. All are welcome.

Presenter: Ellen Sims, Executive Director, Healing Roots Collaborative, Inc

Ellen Sims (she/they) is the Executive Director of Healing Roots Collaborative, a non-profit working to restore right relationships between humans and the natural world through collaborations, reciprocity, and gratitude. Ellen was born as a white-bodied person on the ancestral lands of the Cherokee, S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee), and Miccosukee people in what is called Tennesee, and now with her spouse and child in Teejop, the Four Lakes region of the Ho-Chunk Nation (Madison, Wisconsin). Growing up, Ellen spent most of her free time playing with imagination in the woods and in the creek, scaling rock walls in her backyard, and building structures from materials found in the woods. Nature was and is the place where Ellen feels most at home. With a vision to care for the land, formal education in ecology, botanical medicine, bodywork, and arboriculture, and personal experience healing from an autoimmune disease, Ellen is committed to supporting the collective effort needed for life-reconnection and land-based healing in these times.

(Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; early childhood, preschool, lower elementary)

What if a stick, a bucket, or a pile of pinecones held the key to deep, meaningful learning? In this hands-on session rooted in nature-based education, we will explore how universal play schemas emerge in outdoor play and how they guide children’s cognitive, social, and physical development. Discover how simple tools and natural loose parts can spark wonder, curiosity, and collaborative learning in nature-rich environments. Be ready for some hands-on loose-parts engagement and leave with renewed inspiration, practical ideas, and a deeper trust in the power of nature and play.

Presenter: Christie Moser, Founder/Owner, Naturing in Madison

Christie Moser, Founder & Owner of Naturing in Madison, loves exploring the outdoors with her two kids and re-experiencing the magic of childhood through their eyes. Christie has a MS in Art and Design History, is a Wisconsin Master Naturalist, and has a Nature-Based Teacher Certification from the Association for Nature-Based Education. She is deeply passionate about child-centered play, wildcrafting, and fostering life-long connections with our natural world.

(Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; all ages) 

Every child deserves the opportunity to explore, play, and learn in nature. In this interactive session, participants will examine the health, educational, and societal benefits of nature play, alongside the systemic and cultural barriers that prevent equitable access to green spaces. Learn about the Nature Everywhere Initiative and collaborate on strategies to expand outdoor play opportunities at your school and in your community. Together, we’ll reflect on a powerful question: If every child had equitable access to natural play spaces, how would that transform their learning and connection to the world?

Presenter: Autumn DeMet--Nature Everywhere Program Manager, Aldo Leopold Nature Center;  Justin Svingen--Public Health Planner, Public Health Madison & Dane County

Autumn DeMet is an educator and experiential learning specialist with a background in curriculum design, outdoor leadership, and community engagement. She is currently the Nature Everywhere Program Manager with Aldo Leopold Nature Center. She holds degrees in Art and Education and has led programs across South America and Africa. Passionate about environmental stewardship, she advocates for inclusive, accessible outdoor spaces that connect people to the natural world.

Justin Svingen is a public health planner at Public Health Madison & Dane County and has a lifelong passion for increasing equitable access to parks, open spaces and natural areas. With a background in psychology, transportation coordination and environmental planning, Justin specializes in the convergence of the built environment and public health. At Public Health Madison & Dane County, he contributes to the Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, leverages GIS for spatial analysis and program improvements, and integrates public health principles into collaborative efforts with planning, parks, and community-based organizations.

Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education, Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; Climate/Energy, Policy/Systems Change; all ages)

In this session titled “Cultivating Resilience: Integrating Cultural Diversity and Climate Adaptation in our School and Community Gardens” we are going to explore socio-cultural aspects that humans bring to the school garden, the role of plants within the gardens and the ecosystems they provide to non-human life, and considerations about how diversity provides resilience to climate change.  This session is going to be interactive. 

Presenter: Claudia Irene Calderón, Teaching Faculty, PhD., Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at the University of Wisconsin

Dr. Calderón is an affiliated professor at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and a Teaching Faculty in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at the University of Wisconsin –UW. Dr. Calderón uses participatory approaches to facilitate agroecological transitions. With extensive transdisciplinary experience at the intersections between gender, indigeneity, health, and agroecology, she is committed to re-centering ancestral ways of knowing, bridging epistemological divides, and foster the respect for nature to foster sustainable food systems. She promotes diversity in the garden and supports pre-school and school gardens in the Madison area.

(Environmental Education, Climate Energy; preschool and elementary)

Outside learning benefits children's well-being and contributes to healthy development. It helps children make connections to nature which can eventually lead to environmental stewardship and developing conservation practices. This workshop will provide participants with multiple ideas of how to help children make connections to nature during time spent in the outdoors and will offer activities teachers can bring into the classroom. Each core subject area can be addressed during outdoor learning time. Through different activities, children use critical thinking skills as they explore science in nature. They use math skills as they count and graph. They use literacy skills as they write and research about nature and use art as a way to express themselves. 

Presenter: Cheryl DeWelt, Environmental Education and Garden Manager, Madison Children's Museum

Cheryl DeWelt is the Environmental Education and Garden Manager at Madison Children’s Museum. Cheryl has been at the museum for 15 years and has over 30 years of experience educating about nature, permaculture, and the environment. In addition to her work at Madison Children’s Museum, Cheryl has a myriad of experience, including being the owner/director of a nature based child-care, working as a naturalist guide, and developing curriculum and exhibits at Wisconsin’s Cave of the Mounds. Her personal and professional pursuits are driven by a desire to connect children with the natural world and promote environmental stewardship. Cheryl develops and facilitates programs in environmental education, permaculture, gardening, healthy eating, eco-literacy, and art, and helps design and fabricate exhibits at Madison Children’s Museum. She earned her degree from UW-Madison and holds a permaculture design certificate. Cheryl is also a visual artist who works with COB, wood, metal, and fibers. 

(Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; upper elementary and middle school)

Dane County Parks Get Outside! program focuses on equitable and inclusive access to environmental and outdoor education. Through the Get Outside! Program, Dane County Parks strives to provide nature-based programming to youth who may not have access to our parks, natural areas, or environmental education on a regular basis. The goal is to build long-term relationships with youth through local community center partners and create brave spaces for youth of all backgrounds and abilities to explore nature through hands-on learning and positive experiences. In this session, learn how this program was developed over the past 6 years to now serving over 5 community centers with over 700 experiences in 2024. We will also share lessons learned and where the program is now.

Presenter: Lael Pascual, Engagement & Visitor Services Manager  & Angela Rivera, Education Coordinator, Dane County Parks 

Lael Pascual, serves as the Engagement and Visitor Services Manger for Dane County Parks, the largest park system in the state of Wisconsin. Lael is dedicated to creating safe, inclusive places and programing in parks. In her current role, Lael oversees environmental and outdoor education programs, park enforcement, the volunteer program, public information, and general visitor services for all Dane County Parks. Lael has a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Harvard University, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional. 

Angela Rivera is the Education Coordinator for Lussier Family Heritage Center. Angela spent the last 19 years in various education roles, including formal education as a middle school teacher, Outreach Specialist for a waste district, and multiple outdoor education roles. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a master's in Environmental Conservation from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. 

(Climate/Energy; middle, high school, all ages)

Our climate is changing, and the changes are impacting how we work, play, eat, learn, and move. But we’re not sitting by watching it happen, we’re amplifying the voices of those who are asking questions, exploring new possibilities, and taking steps to address the problems we face, both locally and globally. In this session we’ll share snippets from pilot episodes in Field Notes on Climate, a new PBS Wisconsin Education series for middle and high school learners. We’ll dig into how we can sustain the foods we love to eat, and get our wheels turning with school bike programs. We'll use these snippets to spark group conversations to learn with and from each other about how we teach and learn about our environment and changing climate, and the actions we're taking at school, at home, in our communities, and beyond.

Presenter: Mia Forslund, Education Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin Education

Mia Forslund is an Education Engagement Specialist with PBS Wisconsin Education. In her role, she collaborates with team members, partner organizations, and educators to develop and share educational media resources for Wisconsin educators and learners. She grew up in Wisconsin and loves that she now gets to work on projects that reach Wisconsin classrooms and communities and offer opportunities to learn something new every day.

(Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; elementary, middle, and high school)

Need more nature-centered games for your outdoor learning programs? These games will be fun, engaging, use minimal props and teach about the earth. Games presented can be modified for folx between 4-75 years old! There will also be a card deck highlighted that I am (in collaboration) in the process of creating to increase participant buy-in and inspire/assist the nature mentor in you. Join this session if you're looking for fresh ideas, energy, stress-reduction, group connection and a dose of laughter. 

Presenter: Moira Farrell, Owner / Nature Connection Facilitator, Hike and Heal Wellness

Moira has been a professional facilitator and leadership consultant since 2010. She loves writing curriculum, nudging people on their path, live music, family, deep conversations and the Wisconsin wilderness! With certifications and experience guiding yoga (kids and adults), kayaking, leadership development, ropes course programming, forest bathing and having a bachelor's degree in Physical Education, she brings a wealth of knowledge around the topic of well-being. She teaches K-2 Physical Education in MMSD and owns a small business called Hike and Heal Wellness where she runs camps, retreats and workshops for people across the lifespan. Her mission is to inspire personal growth through nature connection and mindful play. She uses the 8 Shields Mentoring Model developed by Jon Young to align her teaching with the rhythms, cycles and patterns of the natural world. You are invited to be in community with Moira at the ECO Summit! You'll find she is playful, intuitive, caring and passionate in her facilitation as she helps connect people more deeply to themselves, each other and the more than human world. 

(Food Justice/Sustainable Ag, Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; all ages)

Food IS culture! In this session we will dive into ways to engage youth in hands-on explorations of food and culture that create spaces for youth to share their own cultural foodways and to learn about the diversity of food cultures in our community. We will discuss the importance of community collaboration, share some examples of easy recipes you can make with youth, and offer an opportunity to participate in making a recipe together using a variety of age-appropriate tools including a bicycle blender!

Presenter: Sarah Karlson, Director of Urban Agriculture Education-Madison South, Rooted, and Forrest Smart, Assistant Farm & Education Manager, Rooted

Sarah Karlson is Rooted's Director of Urban Agriculture Education-Madison South.  She comes to her work at Rooted from Oakland, CA where she began her work in food justice and urban agriculture in 2005. She continues this work at Badger Rock, managing the 2-acre Badger Rock Urban Farm and Badger Rock Community Garden and provides gardening and culinary-based education opportunities. She has a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies, an MA in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Communities with an emphasis in Ecological Agriculture and a WI teaching license in 6-12 Life Sciences. She has 20 years of experience working with youth and community of all ages in outdoor education, garden-based education and food justice. Sarah is passionate about gardens as a tool for education, food access, joy, connection, and building community resilience at the intersection of food, racial, environmental, and educational justice.

Originally from Wausau, WI, Forrest Smart attended UW-Stevens Point where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Wellness. Looking for his next opportunity, he moved to Madison WI to seek out more experience and got his start as a Garden Educator and volunteer worker at multiple sites within Rooted, and recently joined the team at Badger Rock. Working with Rooted, he has gained a new passion for educating and working with youth of all ages, especially around topics such as healthy habits, wellness, nutrition, and food sovereignty. Forrest is Native American belonging to the Bad River Band of Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk Nation, and Forest County Potawatomi tribes of Wisconsin. His culture and traditional ways are very important to him, along with this identity. He has many hobbies and loves the outdoors, but his biggest passion is snowboarding in the winter. When it’s not winter, you’ll find him hiking, traveling, going to traditional ceremonies, seeing live music, or visiting with friends and family all around WI.

(Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; middle, high school, and adults)

What happens when students learn about food not just from textbooks, but directly from farmers, chefs, and local changemakers? Learn how educators from Capital, East, and Shabazz High Schools partnered with REAP Food Group on a National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant to connect the local food system to their classrooms. Educators will share how they connect students with community voices and hands-on learning opportunities, both through and outside of the grant. Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen existing efforts, this session offers creative ideas for building school-community partnerships and real-world inspiration for linking education to the local food movement.

Presenters: Kelli Semrau, School Social Worker, Capital High School; Brian Counselman, Teacher and PBL Coordinator, Malcolm Shabazz City High School; Emily Sonnemann, Family and consumer Science Teacher, East High School

Kelli Semrau (she/her) is a School Social Worker at Capital High in the Madison Metropolitan School District. In her role at Capital, which is a choice (alternative) High School, she works closely with students experiencing transitions/homelessness, cross systems involvement (court, foster care, etc), and students looking for a different pathway to graduation. Kelli completed her BA in International Studies at the University of Wisconsin and worked for a number of years running After School programs and Tutoring programming within MMSD. She went back to school to pursue her Masters in Social Work (MSW), again at the University of Wisconsin. Her favorite things about School Social Work are watching students grow in their skills, self-advocacy and independence. 

Brian Counselman is teacher and project based learning (PBL) coordinator at Malcolm Shabazz City High School. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education biology, broadfield science, and English as a second language (ESL) from UW - Madison, as well as a master’s in experiential education from UW - La Crosse. Brian’s hope, passion, and motivation as an educator is to expand the classroom (literally and metaphorically) to incorporate the issues, spaces, people, and experiences in our larger community so that students can engage with authentic problems and solutions as they exist in the real world. 

Emily Sonnemann (she/her) is a Family and Consumer Science Teacher at East High School in Madison. Emily fosters deep connections between her students at East and the broader community, helping lead initiatives like the student-run Food4U pantry, the Bike Repair Club, and East's Mountain Bike Team. She incorporates culturally relevant and real-world examples in her lessons, inviting local business owners to her classroom, exploring sustainable cooking methods, supporting farm-to-table initiatives, and highlighting cultural traditions. She was recognized with a 2025 Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship for her commitment to equity, student voice, and hands-on learning. Emily holds a BA in Psychology from Hope College and a Master's in Teaching from Cardinal Stritch University. Her work is grounded in the belief that schools thrive when students are empowered to lead and when education extends beyond the classroom into the heart of the community.