Second Nature 2026

Second Nature 2026

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8:00am CDT

Check in and Welcome Table Discovery Center Morning Activities Discovery Center Front PatioSean Shaffer • Joyce Hemphill • Josie Scheinholtz

9:00am CDT

Welcome and Introduction Savannah

9:20am CDT

Keynote Address SavannahJessica Fong

10:45am CDT

All the Classroom's a Stage TBD - OutdoorMadeline Cole Books Break Barriers! The Blueberry Awards, the Best Kids' Nature Books! TBD - IndoorMartha Meyer • Betsy Bird Beyond Access: An Adult-Centric Approach to Removing Barriers to Play TBD - IndoorKisa Marx Cultivating Partnerships for Inclusive Learning in Garden Spaces TBD - IndoorEmma Walter • Ann Halley • Hannah Grant Designing for Play: Environmental Affordances that Support Imaginative and Expressive Play TBD - IndoorDr. Divya Sood • Hailey Shah • Susanna Eskandar • Chrissy Schoepf Not a Stick! But was a Stick: making toys and tools from sticks TBD - OutdoorSean Shaffer Where Learning Breathes: Infant learning outdoors TBD - HybridJenny Guavara • Emily Braunsky

11:45am CDT

Lunch and Author's Tables Bison Pavilion

12:45pm CDT

Nature Play: From Toddlers To Teens TBD - IndoorBrenda Rivera • British-Amber Thomas Exploring Connections Between Children, Spirituality, Nature, and Community: A multifaith, multidisciplinary dialogue TBD - IndoorDave Becker • Dr. Sheila Williams Ridge • Margie Pines • Gina Roxas • Michael and Amelia Howard Breaking Barriers: Navigating Policies and Procedures TBD - IndoorIlana Marczak • Valerie DeMeritt Creating Nature Art with Natural, Reusable and Repurposed Materials TBD - OutdoorJenna Downing Designing for Discovery: Hands-On Nature Play Aligned to Illinois Early Learning Standards TBD - OutdoorDr. Lindsay Maldonado • Stacy Niemiec Oh, Deer! : Exploring Trees & Me and Growing Up WILD Curriculum TBD - HybridKarly Tumminello • Brekke Bounds The Classroom Prairie: Restoring Early Childhood Education TBD - OutdoorPeter Dargatz

2:00pm CDT

Embracing Nature: Integrating Outdoor Learning Principles into Education TBD - OutdoorAlysa Meeks • Emily Smith Imagination in Action: Teaching Conservation Through Play and Storytelling TBD - OutdoorEmily Shatoff Nature Within Reach: Supporting Home Childcare Providers in Meaningful Outdoor Practice TBD - IndoorSuzette Salmon Adopt a Tree: An Accessible, Multidisciplinary Project TBD - HybridMelanie Stewart-Clarke Loose Parts Possibilities : How Natural Materials Spark Young Imaginations TBD - IndoorMarni Nissen Olmstead • Amy Marie Ewaldt Navigating a Changing Climate in Early Childhood Programs TBD - IndoorDr. Sheila Williams Ridge Water Coloring with Natural Pigments TBD - HybridRenee Costanzo

3:00pm CDT

Return evaluations, Continuing Education and Gateways Discovery Center

Second Nature 2026

From $95.00