Healthier, Happier, Smarter: Wisconsin Voices on the Power of Nature

Lakeview School in Madison is redefining what learning can look like through its Nature-Based Learning Opportunity program, and in this episode, Principal Nu Vang-Vue, Physical Education Teacher James Kersten, and Occupational Therapist Deborah Craig share the profound impact that getting kids outside has on their growth and development. From fostering cooperation, confidence, and a sense of belon...

Reconnecting people and nature - that is the goal of Urban Nature Connection. Timothy Scott, executive director of Urban Nature Connection based in Milwaukee, experienced a family crisis which set his life off kilter. After seeking help through therapy and trying medications that didn’t work for him, he found peace through nature. What started simply as cutting the grass and gardening, has quickly...

Learning to play outdoors is a learned skill that every child should be able to develop. In today’s episode Weslie Cymerman, founder of Outdoors We Learn (OWL), shares her journey from a nearly 20 year career teaching in the classroom setting, to the creation of her outdoor youth programming. She offers her philosophy of how allowing the opportunity for children to experience nature, and fostering...

In this episode of Healthier, Happier, Smarter, hosts Jaeden and Xia sit down with the Chippewa Falls Green Team — seniors Zoe, Chloe, and Ellie — to explore how student-led environmental action is transforming their school and community. The trio shares how their mostly student-driven group secured drone pilot licenses, wrote grants to fund a solar panel installation at Camp Nawakwa, and brought...

Outdoor learning is a strategic approach to increasing student engagement, strengthening literacy skills, and building connections within a school community. Educator and administrator Dr. Justin Nies shares how Magee Elementary School in the Kettle Moraine School District implemented a year-long initiative to bring learning beyond the classroom. He explains how outdoor spaces can be used intentio...

A sense of awe might be one of the most powerful teaching tools we have. In this episode of the Happier, Healthier, Smarter Podcast, we’re joined by Mary Michaud, educator, public health professional, and certified horticultural therapist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She shares how her deep connection to nature shaped her career and inspired her to create outdoor learning spaces, while...

Season 1 of Healthier, Happier, Smarter: Faces and Places of Wisconsin Environmental Education takes listeners across Wisconsin to explore how environmental learning comes to life in classrooms, communities, natural spaces, and cultural landscapes. Through conversations with educators, youth leaders, public health professionals, and community organizations, we highlight the many ways people are co...