Elena is the founder and lead educator behind Nelson Nature School. Growing up barefoot in rural New Zealand, she carried her childhood love of the outdoors into a teaching career that spans Barcelona, Finland, Yangon and Wellington. After working at Outward Bound she decided to action her deep-rooted belief in the power of nature to nurture. Elena talks with Nelson Magazine about guiding young learners toward confidence, compassion and a lasting connection with the natural world.
In an increasingly digital world, why do you think people are craving a return to nature?
Because nature regulates us. It pulls us back into our bodies and our senses. The fast pace of modern life leaves little room to be present, but standing under a canopy of trees does it instantly. I think people are realising that wellbeing isn’t a luxury – it’s a foundation.
How do shared outdoor experiences help children develop empathy, cooperation and emotional regulation?
The first point to mention here is that natural settings tend to lower physiological strain (reduced stress hormones, steadier heart rate...) compared with busy indoor environments. This lowered stimulus supports our social and emotional regulation. The second point to bring up is the value of shared goals and accomplishments. It’s incredible how much more interesting our projects become when someone else is in it with us! When tamariki need a peer to help lift a log, negotiate a shelter design or respond to a friend’s frustration it creates a lived experience and a more meaningful relationship.
In your view, what does learning in a natural environment offer that a traditional indoor classroom cannot?
There is incredible mahi happening in indoor classrooms. Learning in a natural environment permits integrating those learnings in a real-world context, exposing tamariki to new experiences and giving them time to follow personal interests in ways that are tricky with the higher number of students in classrooms. At the Nature School we work with kids one day a week embodying goals that schools generally share: supporting tamariki to be deeply happy and healthy, who are interested in the world, problem-solvers who feel empowered and confident in themselves, who are critical thinkers and good communicators. And yes, we also get to teach those more nature-specific things like place-based identity, foraging, kaitiakitanga and whittling, boosting their motor skills…
Why do you believe managed risk – like tree climbing, tool use or navigating uneven terrain – is essential to healthy development? One of my most vivid childhood memories is of a friend and I jumping off a structure to test the cardboard wings we’d made. Supported “risky play” directly connects with our perception of our capabilities and how to react to change and challenges, it helps us dare to do big things when we become our adult selves. I want to help this next generation fly!
