Location Focus Contact Statement History and Updates
The Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative for Children (WiNACC)
The Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative (WiNACC) was organized in 2008. Founding committee members live and work throughout the southeastern, south central and northeastern regions of Wisconsin.
We have created a smaller steering committee to function as a working group that is planning and carrying out initial events, to create communication systems and print information, and to begin to build the organization. All steering committee members served on various nature action teams at the October, 20010 Action Forum in Nebraska. Many of us also attended the 2008 Working Forum on Nature Education.
As the group expands, WiNACC’s goal is to have regional leadership and members from throughout the state.
Main Focus
In our initial development phase, we are focusing on the following activities:
- We are in the process of establishing ourselves as an organization:
- We have a Facebook page, which we will be using more intentfully, to post events, nature-based ideas and happenings, that WiNACC, members and interested others are involved with, and to provide an open forum for discussion and idea exchange on the topic of connecting children and nature.
- We are in the process of setting up a listserv, for regular communication with our members and friends.
- At events and trainings, we continue to build a list of “friends”, that we will add to our listserv.
- We have developed a one-page fact sheet that we will make available electronically, and in print at events.
- We are coordinating and sponsoring nature-contact experiences that bring early childhood professionals and other adults that work with children the opportunity to engage in nature-based experiences and that provide them a wealth of resources to increase familiarity and comfort with nature and nature education. Our first event is in conjunction with the regional early childhood conference at the UW Whitewater on April 8-9, 2011.
- Some steering committee members are experienced trainers, who provide training for teachers and administrators on nature-related subjects. This work will continue, under WiNACC’s umbrella.
- Steering committee and organizing committee members include landscape architects who are involved in the development of outdoor nature spaces. This work will also continue under WiNACC’s umbrella.
- We are building an organization, as we provide and sponsor the work outlined above. This includes individual members and organizations committed to connecting children and nature: parents, professionals in the fields of child care and education, environmental science, nutrition, health care, landscape design, etc…. It also includes seeking out and building connections with sources of financial and other support.
Longer term:
- Our goal is to foster linkages with early childhood and environmental professionals in each region of the state, who have the interest to help coordinate experiential events and community forums locally.
- With regional coordination, the organization will also be able to expand throughout the state.
- Our role within a larger organization is to facilitate linkages between coalition members, and between stakeholders and sources of support, to serve as an “incubator” of ideas and projects.
Contact / Liaison:
Name: Connie Williams
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: web site coming soon!
Additional Information:
…coming soon!
Statement of Intent
The Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative (WiNACC) is committed to the mission of the World Forum and the Nature Action Collaborative for Children: to reconnect children with the natural world my making developmentally appropriate nature education a sustaining and enriching part of the daily lives of the world’s children. Part of this commitment is our intent to follow NACC Affiliate Group Guidelines in the work that we are part of and endorse.
History and Updates
WiNACC was organized in 2009, following the October 2009 Working Forum on Nature Education, held at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska. Members of the leadership team were inspired at that gathering to participate in the global efforts to reconnect children with nature. The work of the Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative is being accomplished through volunteer efforts. The leadership team continues to explore how to expand the WiNACC coalition, and replicate and expand the work throughout the state of Wisconsin.