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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

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

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

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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.