Connecting Children with Nature
A life-long naturalist and educator, Michael Dunn dreamed of starting and running a special kind of program aimed at re-connecting people to nature. His dream came true in 2001 with the launch of the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning. Offering experiential and place-based programs, the Centre reaches out to urban youth, school children, international students, adults and elders. Through direct hands-on activities in terrestrial and inter-tidal ecosystems, the mission is to nurture an ecologically-literate citizenry, individuals who understand the principles of ecology - how the planet works - at a very profound level and how to apply them to make human society sustainable. However, not unlike many small not-for-profit organizations, GICEL, as it is affectionately called by those close to it, struggles to overcome many challenges, not the least of which are financial.
For more information, go to:
Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning: www.gicel.ca
Center for Ecoliteracy: www.ecoliteracy.org
Association for Experiential Education: www.aee.org
The Last Child In The Woods/Richard Louv: www.thefuturesedge.com
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