In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, many children are growing up without meaningful experiences in nature.
Most modern parents fondly remember childhoods spent outdoors, while their own children increasingly remain inside; according to a 2023 study, nearly 40% of preschool-aged children play outdoors for less than one hour on weekdays.
This “nature deprivation” is likely driven by a number of factors from increasing screen time to a simple lack of access to natural spaces. In Berks County, 40% of children live further than a 10-minute walk to nature.
Yet at the heart of Berks County, Pennsylvania, a quiet but powerful movement is underway. On trails, in gardens, and among the trees, children are rediscovering both the natural world and themselves through Berks Nature’s Preschool and Eco-Camp; two programs inspired by the startling nature deprivation occurring across our nation and in our own backyard of Reading, where many families have limited access to safe green spaces and opportunities for environmental learning.
This isn’t just about encouraging kids to get some fresh air. It’s about rewriting the story. Serving children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the Nature Preschool and Eco-Camp are intentional, inquiry-driven experiences designed to cultivate curiosity, build resilience, and spark a lifelong connection to the environment.
The goals of Berks Nature’s Preschool and Eco-Camp are ambitious but essential: to nurture not only a love of nature but also a sense of responsibility toward it. Whether students are exploring ecosystems, learning about biodiversity, or picking up litter on a nature walk, every activity carries a larger message. Even small hands can help shape a better world.
To ensure these goals are more than aspirations, Berks Nature partnered with Drexel University to evaluate the impact of the Preschool and Eco-Camp. Drexel’s research team, leaders in early childhood education, explored two key questions:
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To what extent are the preschool and camp focused on nature and the environment?
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To what extent are they preparing learners for environmental stewardship?
The study mirrored the programs themselves: hands-on, thoughtful, and thorough. Using tools like the Connectedness to Nature Index, biophilia interviews, and teacher reflections, researchers uncovered inspiring insights into how children were connecting with their environment.
A Clear and Consistent Focus on Nature
Nature-based learning is the keystone of every classroom at the Berks Nature Preschool. In fact, 100% of interviewed staff emphasized a deliberate environmental focus. The Early Childhood Environmental Education Rating Scales (ECEERS) supported this; Berks Nature’s Preschool scored an impressive 88% demonstrating an intentional and comprehensive focus on nature across our campus, curriculum, and philosophy.
A Genuine Connection to the Natural World
Spend a day alongside a preschooler at Berks Nature, and you’ll see children not just learning about nature but forming a relationship with it. Whether it’s rescuing a slug or defending a dandelion for the bees their connection runs deep. According to the Connectedness to Nature Index – which measures a child’s attitudes of enjoyment, empathy, responsibility, and awareness towards nature – Nature Preschool students consistently scored higher than their peers who had not attended the school. In one-on-one Biophilia interviews, 18 out of 22 children expressed a heartfelt connection to nature, often highlighting simple joys like collecting leaves, spotting birds, or playing in the mud.
Living and Breathing Environmental Stewardship
The lessons learned don’t stay at school and parents are taking notice. Parents report children singing songs about removing invasive plants, picking up trash without prompting, and making thoughtful choices about what they consume at home. It’s no surprise that 91% of Eco-Camp parents said they would recommend the program to others! These everyday actions reveal the true heart of stewardship and how these attitudes spread from trails and classrooms into homes and neighborhoods.
“The results of the Drexel evaluation reaffirm the heart of our work at Berks Nature Preschool, connecting children to nature in meaningful, lasting ways. We’re incredibly proud to see the impact of our programs reflected so clearly in the data,” said Allison Mackley, VP for Education at Berks Nature.
While the official study concluded in 2024, Drexel University’s evaluation offered recommendations to help Berks Nature grow and move forward, including the following:
Annual self-assessments using the ECEERS to ensure quality and track growth;
- Enhanced professional development for teachers and counselors in nature-based education;
- Stronger family partnerships, offering tools to support environmental learning at home;
- Standardized learning outcomes that ensure all children gain a solid ecological foundation; and
- Continued pre- and post-year Biophilia interviews to measure growth in stewardship.
This collaborative approach helps Berks Nature stay agile and responsive, always working to improve for students, families, and the planet.
At Berks Nature, education doesn’t happen within four walls. It happens in the mud, the treetops, and along the winding trails at Angelica Creek Park. The Preschool and Eco-Camp are raising a generation of children who don’t just know the names of trees. They know what it means to care for them. They are learning that their choices matter and that they have the power to make a difference.
Thanks to the support of families, educators, and partners like Drexel University, Berks Nature continues to lead the way in nature-based education. These programs don’t just create memorable days outside; they plant seeds of stewardship that will last a lifetime.