ABSTRACT
Ken Winograd provides conceptual grounding of the core topics in the volume, the challenge to help children to reconnect with the natural world; place-based education; teaching peace; child and youth activism; and explicit support of children's emotions and resilience. It presents a model for 'environmental identity development', reflecting the idea that what teachers do to engage children in environmental education should, always, reflect their development readiness. This chapter shows the diverse ways in which children develop their environmental identities alongside parents, caregivers, educators, siblings, and peers during the early years of life. Starting with Trust in Nature as a foundation, children are propelled to find their own sense of Spatial Autonomy and develop Environmental Competencies through sustained meaningful encounters with the natural world. The chapter argues that Trust in Nature plays an essential role in children developing a positive and healthy environmental identity.
