Thanks to generous support from the Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, paperback and ebook editions of Teaching in Nature's Classroom are available for free to educators around the world.

Best Practices in Garden-Based Education
In a garden we are able to cultivate children’s love of learning, their appreciation of healthy food, and their connection to the natural world. With vision, commitment, and some good hard work, educators and families around the globe are ripping up pavement, sowing seeds, and growing garden classrooms because they believe children need to be engaged by hands-on learning in a context that matters to them. They need to know how delicious fresh healthy food can be; and they need to know, right down in their bones, that they are part of a vast and beautiful web of life.

And so, in schoolyards and community spaces across the country, a movement has been born. As a result, new questions have emerged. Chief among them: how do we best use these gardens to achieve our goals and provide all children with the best possible experiences? In Teaching in Nature's Classroom: Core Principles of Garden-Based Education, Nathan Larson shares a philosophy of teaching in the garden. Rooted in years of experience and supported by research, Larson presents fifteen guiding principles of garden-based education. These principles and best practices are illustrated through engaging stories from the field. The book features vivid paintings by mural artist Becky Redelings and connections to the research literature provided by Alex Wells and Sam Dennis of the University of Wisconsin Environmental Design Lab.

The Edible Schoolyard Network has partnered with us to offer our readers a garden-based learning online forum. We welcome you to 
share your stories and experiences that illustrate the various principles we discuss in Teaching in Nature's Classroom.

Here are some questions for you to consider:

––>  How do you engage kids in meaningful fitness in the garden? 

––>  Have you built a diverse learning community? How did you do it?

––>  How have you made connections to home and community through garden-based learning activities?

––>  What kinds of activities cultivate a sense of wonder with kids in the garden?

––>  How do you set kids up for success through garden-based learning activities?

We also look forward to learning about new resources that demonstrate the evidence base of the 15 principles presented in Teaching in Nature's Classroom. Your feedback through participation in our garden-based learning online forum informs and enhances the conversation among educators, researchers and other practitioners, and helps the garden-based learning movement continue to grow. We look forward to hearing from you!