Children & Nature Network President and Co-Founder Dr. Cheryl Charles will present “The Ecology of Hope: Building a Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature” at 7 p.m., Monday, April 26 in French Memorial Chapel to kickoff the sixth-annual Academic Showcase at Hastings College. All Academic Showcase events are free and open to the public.

The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reconnecting children and nature that Charles co-founded with Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.” This April is the third annual Children & Nature Awareness Month designated by the Network to inspire families, educators, health care professionals and more to create special community events that get children and adults outdoors and into nature.

Dr. Charles speaks about the growing disconnect between children and nature as well as the benefits of getting children into the outdoors - for their health, success and happiness. She addresses the importance of civic and community health and ways to foster collaborative community-building efforts. Charles offers practical suggestions for action by those who are concerned about the nature of childhood, the health of communities and the future of the Earth.

Dr. Charles is a member of the World Conservation Union’s Commission on Education and Communication and Co-Chair of the IUCN’s Education for Sustainable Development Working Group, a worldwide effort involving 80 nations and more than 1000 non-governmental organizations and businesses. She served for nearly 20 years as founding National Director of Project Learning Tree and Project WILD, which are among the most widely used environment education programs in North America for K-12 educators. In addition, Charles has been owner and managing partner of Hawksong Associates, a consulting firm specializing in innovation and educational program development with emphases on interdisciplinary curricula and diffusion of innovation, since 1978. She has received numerous awards for her leadership. 

Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.

For more information, contact Dr. Dan Deffenbaugh at (402) 461-7340 or Dr. Mark Hall at (402)461-7481.