About

A lifetime ago, circa 2006, a group of Early Childhood Educators, Landscape Architects, Teachers, and Administrators began meetings at Discovery Children’s Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba to network and learn more about the building of Adventure playgrounds in the city and province. Those who attended shared resources, design ideas, and funding source tips. Meetings expanded to include topics like gardening with young children and other Nature Education themes. The ideas snowballed until there was an average of 70 people attending every meeting with new folks joining all the time. As an extension of the Nature Action Collaborative, started at the World Forum, this group was dubbed the Manitoba Nature Action Collaborative for Children or MNACC.

A reoccurring concern at MNACC meetings was; after having established that putting nature education back into the lives of children was critical but how could that goal be accomplished if the educators themselves do not have biophilia? It was decided that the best way to alleviate this problem would be to host a Nature Summit that would provide opportunities for educators to learn about and become inspired by nature so that they can pass this inspiration and experience on to the children that they work with. The organizers avoided titles using the words conference or convention because their intentions were to have participants to have a role in the learning, informally; encouraging all to share their knowledge as equals.

In 2008 a group of these Manitoba Educators attended the World Forum NACC (Nature Action Collaborative for Children) conference at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska, where they met with Nature educators from all over the world to discuss their own observations, challenges and victories. The Manitoba educators returned energized and inspired; ready to plan the very first Manitoba Nature Summit. 

The first Nature Summit was held September 10, 11, and 12, 2010 at Camp Manitou. It was a weekend full of interactive workshops and events designed to educate and connect attendees with their sense of wonder around the natural environment. There were opportunities for delegates to mingle and learn about others that are doing similar work. In response to the overwhelming positive feedback from Summit 2010, a second Nature Summit was held September 14-16, 2012. Followed by Summit’s in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2024. At the end of each Summit, attendees are provided with a short survey asked if they found the keynotes and workshops relevant and helpful for their job, how satisfied they are with logistics such as accommodations, food, venue, activities, and their chosen workshops. 

Notable keynotes from past Summits include: Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who started the Environmental Children’s Organization at age 9!; Lenore Skenazy, America’s Worst Mom (self-proclaimed!), The Dragon Family of Yellowknife, Jim Duncan of Discover Owls, and Niigaan Sinclair, writer and activist. Along with unforgettable workshops such as: birding in Manitoba, gardening with young children, outdoor fire cooking, edible plants in Manitoba, fishing with children, mud day, wild walks, geocaching, paper-making, nature journaling, dogsledding, building mud kitchens, dressing for Manitoba Winters, whittling, and tool work with children to name only a few!

The Manitoba Nature Action Collaborative for Children still has quarterly meetings to network and discuss nature playgrounds and a variety of other nature education topics.