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Episode 3: The Catalyst Effect - Why Early Childhood Educators Hold the Key to Sustainable Futures

Series: The First 2,000 Days: Building Brain Architecture and Sustainable Futures

Welcome to the final episode in our series exploring how child development and sustainability are the same story viewed from different angles.

Over the past two episodes, we've examined the extraordinary neuroscience of the grounding years and the troubling extinction of outdoor childhood. Today, we bring these threads together to reveal why early childhood educators have such extraordinary leverage to create sustainable futures.

In this episode:

We begin with a deceptively simple question: When does a person's capacity to care about the planet actually begin? The answer might surprise you. Through the story of Joseph and his shadow investigation, we explore what a catalytic effect actually means and how quality early childhood practice, when situated in relationship with the natural world, is already the most powerful form of sustainability education possible.

We address the misconception that holds many educators back, revealing the three interconnected domains of sustainability and why you're already working across all of them every single day. From growing vegetables to the ripple effects that extend far beyond your garden gate, we examine how your influence accelerates change at multiple levels.

We tackle practical concerns head-on. What if you don't feel confident about your own relationship with nature? Where do you start when global challenges feel overwhelming? How can one educator possibly make a difference? And we share stories that demonstrate just how powerful children are as change agents right now, including Bronwyn's son requesting a water tank for his fourth birthday and a child who convinced a cafe owner to replace plastic straws within one week.

Why This Matters:

Your daily choices are creating ripples that extend well beyond what's immediately visible. Every interaction where you model curiosity, every moment you encourage gentle handling of living creatures, every experience where children work together to care for growing things, you're simultaneously building cognitive, social, emotional, and environmental capacities.

The Message:

You are not just preparing children for school or providing care while families work. You are architects of possibility, working during the years when foundations are laid that will support or limit what becomes possible across

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Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Series: The First 2,000 Days: Building Brain Architecture and Sustainable Futures

This is the second episode of three: The Extinction of Experience - Why Nature Connection Matters for Sustainable Futures

Listen to our series exploring how child development and sustainability are the same story viewed from different angles.

In the last episode, we examined the extraordinary neuroscience of the grounding years. Today we explore a troubling pattern: the outdoor childhood is vanishing, and this compression is happening during the exact same critical window when children's brains are most malleable.

In this episode:

We reveal the stark statistics behind what environmental educator Robert Pyle calls "the extinction of experience" and why this self-perpetuating cycle threatens environmental futures. From sensory richness to loose parts play, we explore what children actually lose when they lose contact with nature—and it's far more than just fresh air and exercise.

We examine the concept of biophilia versus biophobia, and why the same critical window that matters for brain development also matters for nature connection. Through compelling research and Bronwyn's own childhood stories of camping in the Flinders Ranges, we discover why people protect what they love—and they love what they've experienced directly during this formative window.

We address what works and what doesn't, including the problem of premature abstraction and why teaching four-year-olds about melting ice caps can create anxiety rather than connection. Then we explore the alternative: a developmentally appropriate nature connection that builds love first, with knowledge following naturally.

Why This Matters:

With children spending 40 to 50 hours a week in early childhood settings, your outdoor space, your comfort with insects, and your willingness to let children get muddy are shaping whether children develop biophilia or biophobia during the window when their relationship with nature is forming.

The Message:

Every opportunity you provide for children to experience themselves as part of nature, not separate from it, plants seeds that may grow into environmental stewardship—and planetary regeneration—for decades to come.

Next Episode: The Catalyst Effect - Why Early Childhood Educators Hold the Key to Sustainable Futures

Connect with us:

• Project Sustainability Collective website www.projectsustainabilitycollective.com.au
• Early Years Sustainability Facebook G

Support the show

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Episode 1: The Grounding Years - Why the First 2,000 Days Matter for Child Development

Series: The First 2,000 Days: Building Brain Architecture and Sustainable Futures

Welcome to the first full episode of our new series exploring the profound connection between early childhood development and sustainability consciousness.

In our introduction, we presented the fundamental premise: child development and sustainability are the same story viewed from different angles. Today we begin with the first of three interconnected questions: Why do the early years matter for child development?

In this episode:

We explore the extraordinary science behind why this particular window matters so profoundly—from the construction happening at lightning speed in developing brains to the critical processes that determine which capacities strengthen and which fade away. Using the metaphor of a river red gum seedling establishing its root system, we examine what "grounding years" really means and why timing matters more than you might think.

We address the age-old question of nature versus nurture with encouraging research that reveals the extent of educators' influence. Through compelling evidence from landmark studies, we discover what happens when children's environments change during this critical window—and why the quality of early childhood education isn't neutral.

Finally, we explore holistic development and what it means to support the whole child. Through practical examples from everyday early childhood settings, we reveal how children's different developmental areas work together, with profound implications for both immediate learning and lifelong capacities.

Why This Matters:

The warm responses, thoughtful environments, and rich experiences you provide aren't just supporting development—they're building the neural architecture that will support human flourishing and environmental consciousness for decades to come.

The Overarching Message:

You are not just early childhood educators. You are architects of the future, working during the most powerful developmental window.

Next Episode: The Extinction of Experience - Why Nature Connection Matters for Sustainable Futures

Connect with us:

• Project Sustainability Collective Website: www.projectsustainabilitycollective.com.au
• Early Years Sustainability Facebook Group

Your work during the grounding years establishes foundations—neural, relational, emotional, environmental—that

Support the show

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.