What we Do

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."

— William James

Niños y naturaleza

connecting children with nature to give them wings to fly

discovering nature through the eyes of a bird

Niños y Naturaleza is a unique place-based program developed by Audubon de México that takes public school children, grades 3 to 5, on a journey of discovering the world of nature through the eyes of a bird.

Inspired by the words of educator David Sobel,  we designed our program to nurture love – of life, of animals, of our planet, of one another and themselves – and blended it with the natural sciences and creative arts, storytelling, gardening, and outdoor adventures to encourage their sense of wonder, curiosity and understanding and develop their empathy for all living beings.

Our goal is to help our youth form a caring connection with nature and the values and skills that will empower them to become active contributors to a healthy, sustainable society – for the sake of their future and for nature itself.

If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.

— David Sobel

Making Connections with Nature

To open our eyes to the wonders of nature, our hearts to the life that is taking place all around us, and our minds to following our curiosity and imagination.

Becoming a Bird

To deepen our empathy for all living beings by imagining life as a bird and discovering our commonalities, interdependencies, purpose and meaning.

Planting and Tending School Gardens

To create living laboratories for hands-on learning where we can explore, test, examine and observe; build practical skills and knowledge; and experience the rewards of stewardship, responsibility and teamwork (and flowers, fruits and vegetables too).

Expressing Ourselves Through Creativity

To help us to express what we know and how we feel about nature and what we are discovering about the world around us. To learn to be more observant and present in the moment.

our approach

Discovery

We spend a lot of time outside exploring the world around us, using all of our senses to observe, touch, smell, taste, and listen to nature. We develop new skills, like planting and tending a garden, counting birds for science and organizing a cleanup campaign. We go on field trips to enlarge our experiences of the world and to meet people who are working to help nature and our society thrive. We promote questions to encourage curiosity and problem-solving, and apply writing, math, and science skills to a real-world context. 

 

Empathy

We view the world through the eyes of a bird to discover our commonalities, the differences that make us special and the value that people and wildlife add to our world. We create works of art, keep journals, play games, and tell stories that help us form emotional connections with wildlife and to encourage a caring spirit. We apply these lessons to building closer relationships with the nature world.

Empowerment

We engage in transformative experiences to develop our sense of belonging; our understanding of our value as an individual and community member; and recognition that our contributions CAN and DO make a difference in the world.

Community

We emphasize the value of teamwork by working cooperatively to plan, plant and care for school gardens, creating a play, and painting a mural together. We make time for personal expression; encouraging ideas and feelings and opportunities to share their experience with others. We develop leadership skills by sharing our knowledge and skills.

OUR SCHOOLS

Escuela Nueva Senda

Nueva Senda was one of Audubon’s first Niños y Naturaleza schools, starting in 2015.  There are 225 students attending the school which is located in the community of San Luis Rey, high on a hill to the north of Centro.

Escuela Montes de Oca

Montes de Oca school is situated at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Presa Obraje. Audubon’s Niños y Naturaleza program has been operating at the school since 2016.

Become a Member

Become an Audubon member and make all the difference in the world to the youth participating in our Niños y Naturaleza program.

Be a Volunteer

Our staff can always use a hand. Do you like to build things, dig in the garden, have an artistic talent, take photos? To learn more contact us at audubondemexico@gmail.com

In-kind Donations

Oh boy! 

Ask us for a list of our current needs by emailing us at audubondemexico@gmail.com

Resources

View this interesting video of an interview with Richard Louv, journalist, author and founder/chariman of the Children & Nature Network.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Our monthly newsletter will keep you up to date on our scheduled events, our work, and features monthly nature-related articles.