The Children at Play Network was pleased to host Rebecca Minnick, Executive Director of the Louisville Nature Center (LNC), and LNC Education Programs Manager Olivia Kaiser for a tour of Bernheim Forest’s Playcosystem and to talk about our common goal to make outdoor free play accessible for all children.
“There is much overlap in our missions, so we value the opportunity to learn from each other, share with each other, and inspire each other,” said Minnick. “Collaboration helps us achieve great things.”
The LNC, located across from the Louisville Zoo, provides opportunities to connect with, learn about – and PLAY – in nature in an urban setting. The LNC also has a nature playground and is now home to the Swallowtail Forest School.
“I like how you always talk about research in your planning,” she said. “Of course, the main reason we created the forest school was because of research showing that repeated exposure at an early age to the outdoors, particularly in unstructured play, leads to a conservation ethic.”
Free play outdoors has many benefits for children’s healthy development and long term leads to a healthier relationship with nature.