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Preschoolers and kindergarteners are unique creatures, generally bursting with curiosity, creativity and energy. Lots and lots of energy! With children that age so eager to explore, learn and move their bodies, it might be a good time for parents to sign them up for a nature-based program, where kids can learn while getting the fresh air and exercise they need. 

Brendan Sloan Clarke, an educator and nature guide, is partnering with the City of Arcata’s Recreation Division to offer Cub Tracks – a nature-based education program for children ages four to six, where children get to learn by connecting with their local natural environment, something Clarke says is very important for children of that age. 

“I think [nature-based education] is important at every age,” Clarke told the Outpost in a phone interview earlier this week. “Specific to four-to-six-year-olds, there’s a lot of amazing biological growth happening. Something like 90 percent of the brain is developed by age six.”

Clarke

Clarke has been teaching for 15 years and has spent more than a decade working in nature-based education. Like it sounds, nature-based education focuses on learning through interacting with nature and incorporating natural elements into the curriculum. Nature-based education – sometimes called outdoor education or nature-based learning – is becoming an increasingly popular model for early childhood education, with more  outdoor preschools sprouting up across the country. Some schools and daycares started meeting outside during the pandemic, when it was a safer way to gather, and have continued the practice because of how well the children respond to increased outdoor activities.  

Living and educating all around the country, from the East Coast, to Chicago, to Southern California and the Bay Area, Clarke came to Humboldt County after he was offered an opportunity to work with the Yurok Tribe and bring more nature-based education to the Klamath Trinity Unified School District. Of course, Clarke loved the natural beauty of the area – a perfect place to pursue his passion, and eventually relocated to the area with his wife and four-year-old son and is working to offer his nature-based education programs to different parts of the county. 

Cub Tracks, offered through the City of Arcata, is a four-week program that meets at the Arcata Community Forest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The childrens’ time will be spent both indoors at the Redwood Lounge and outdoors in the park and on the forest trails. Activities will include things like playing games, sharing stories and crafting using natural materials. For example, Clarke will teach the children to make cord out of plant fibers. 

Of course, one of the main focuses is spending time outdoors and the children will spend a lot of time going on “wanders” through nature. Clarke explained that unlike a hike, a “wander” focuses on letting the children explore their surroundings and allows them to move at their own pace. They will learn names of flora and fauna and important things like what plants are edible, but also focus on feeling connected with the surroundings.

“We’re not focused on a destination, but rather on letting curiosity guide what we do,” Clarke told the Outpost. “We gently steer [the children] toward observing, listening, touching, tasting, feeling – in a way that’s less about information and more about intimacy.” 

Clarke is working on a larger scale program called Inspire Education, which focuses on intertwining education with nature connection and social justice issues. Eventually, Clarke hopes to open a school with a K-12 curriculum that supports “education for whole communities and a healthy planet…designed to foster social equity and climate resilience.” You can learn more about Clarke’s program vision on Inspire Education’s website. 

The first session of Club Tracks will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 7, with more sessions being added in the future. The program can hold eight children, and when we last spoke with the City, the enrollment was completely open. The cost is $720 for local residents and $732 for non-residents. That may seem like a hefty fee to some, so the City can help by offering a 30 percent discount to income-qualified families. You can sign up for the discount through the City of Arcata’s Youth Development Scholarship program. If you qualify, the 30 percent scholarship will apply to all the youth activities offered through the City of Arcata. 

You can find more info and sign up for the Cub Tracks program here.