Georgia Magazine - October 2022 - 26

Families learn about it through word of mouth, and the students
have come back year after year.
" This is my dream job, " Timberlake says. " I love to come
to work. "
Children lead the way
Angie Jenkins also is living her best life. She is in her sixth
year of operating Kennesaw Mountain Nature Preschool in her
backyard at the base of Kennesaw Mountain. The 30-year
educator has researched nature schools since she was an
undergraduate at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Her teaching philosophy has always valued a child's interests
and ideas.
The nature preschool and Forest Kindergarten is placebased
and play-based. Children ages 3 to 6 lead the way with
their interests and curiosity about the world around them.
" Nature is not used just as a backdrop, " Jenkins says. " We're
really immersed in nature. We study nature and pay attention to
the seasons. We're learning from the land. "
Jenkins takes the children to Kennesaw Mountain several
times a week to explore the creeks and trails. They develop core
muscles by climbing over obstacles and confidence by learning
to take measured risks.
Recently, her students learned about currents and strategy
when throwing sweet-gum balls into the creek and seeing whose
would float the farthest.
" This is something they came up with; I had nothing to do
with it, " Jenkins says.
Marietta resident Jaclyn Elliott says she and her husband
chose Kennesaw Mountain Nature Preschool for their son
because they believed that outdoor surroundings foster a child's
innate love of learning, joy and discovery. When touring the
school, Elliott says she was captivated by Jenkins' passion for
the earth and her love for learning.
" My son enjoyed getting to learn in the outdoors with
ample opportunities to play and explore, " says Elliott, whose son
is now in first grade at High Meadows School in Roswell. " Childhood
is such a sweet and precious time; it should be filled with
moments of awe and wonder. "
In nature schools, children also learn to take care of the
environment, work together to solve problems and take
personal responsibility.
" It's learning as the indigenous people learned, " Jenkins
says. " They knew the land-how to respect and learn from it.
" My hope is that we're teaching and supporting children to
be thoughtful human beings [who] care about the earth. "
At Robin's Nest, children forage around, picking mint and
other herbal plants for teas. A garden will spring forth soon,
phasing out last year's that still boasts cherry tomatoes and
perennials. Children are busy with their activities and interests,
and there's not a toy to be found.
26 Georgia Magazine October 2022
" Nature is so calming for everyone, " lead teacher Mollie
Barnes says as she ushers the group to a mat for a snack and
meditation.
Jenkins sees the same calm in her students. The veteran
educator says that tensions and overstimulation seem to melt
away when children are outside.
" Being surrounded by nature and seeing amazing things
around you, it's really calming to children, " Jenkins says. " And
when they're calm, they can think better and communicate
better. "
Laura Berrios is a freelance writer from Alpharetta.
For more information
* Naturally Nurtured Nature School, 7436 Thomaston Road, Macon.
Preschool/Forest Kindergarten beginning at age 3.
naturallynurturednature.com
* Robin's Nest Nature School, 75 Cooper Lake Road, Mableton.
Preschool/Forest School for ages 2 to 6. robinsnestnatureschool.
weebly.com
* Kennesaw Mountain Nature Preschool, 1572 Greers Chapel Road,
Kennesaw. Progressive nature-based program inspired by nature,
Forest Kindergarten and the Reggio Emilia Approach for ages 3 to 6.
kmnaturepreschool.com
Mud, stones, twigs and pine cones become building materials for
students at Kennesaw Mountain Nature Preschool.
KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NATURE PRESCHOOL
http://www.naturallynurturednature.com http://www.robinsnestnatureschool.weebly.com http://www.robinsnestnatureschool.weebly.com http://www.kmnaturepreschool.com
Georgia Magazine - October 2022

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