This study examines the impact of incorporating Indigenous knowledge from a Noongar Elder named Maarman on the development of botanical literacies in two early childhood education classes in Western Australia. The research, conducted over a school year, involved nature-based learning activities and utilized a four-level framework of botanical literacies. Maarman's visit towards the end of the year, which included storytelling and hands-on activities about traditional Noongar plant uses, significantly enhanced the children's understanding of plants. The study found that after Maarman's visit, children demonstrated the highest level of botanical literacy, showing an understanding of plants as part of an interconnected system essential for human survival. The research concludes that integrating Indigenous knowledge enriched the children's botanical learning experience and recommends incorporating such perspectives alongside Western practices in early childhood education about nature.

This systematic literature review by Druker-Ibáñez and Cáceres-Jensen examines the integration of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) into sustainability and environmental education. Analyzing 20 empirical articles from 2016-2020, the study explores different approaches to incorporating ILK into Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including unidirectional and bidirectional methods. The review highlights positive effects of ILK integration on student learning, identity, and motivation, emphasizing the importance of active pedagogies and culturally relevant content. The authors identify key ILK features that could enhance ESD, such as collaborative learning processes and holistic worldviews. While challenges like resource limitations exist, the study concludes that integrating ILK into ESD using participatory methods can support decolonization, foster ‘epistemological justice’, and better address contemporary sustainability challenges.

This article critiques the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG4 on education, arguing that they reinforce a neoliberal, neocolonial model of development incompatible with true sustainability. The authors propose Critical Environmental and Intercultural Education (CEIE) as an alternative, drawing on “Epistemologies of the South” and Latin American critical thought.

This article discusses the role of Sámi early childhood education (ECE) in preserving indigenous culture and promoting sustainable development in the Arctic. The study, based on interviews with 23 Sámi ECE educators in Finland, reveals that these educators focus on revitalizing the Sámi language, fostering positive cultural identity, and instilling respect for nature. They achieve these goals through immersive language use, cultural celebrations, and nature-based activities rooted in the Sámi worldview of interconnectedness between humans, nature, and culture. The research highlights the challenges of implementing Sámi ECE within the dominant Finnish culture and emphasizes the importance of creating learning environments that affirm Sámi identity. Ultimately, the study underscores the critical role of indigenous ECE in sustaining Sámi culture and promoting a sustainable future in the Arctic region.

This article examines an Indigenous Summer Encounter program in Central Texas as an innovative approach to climate change education. The program, led by Coahuiltecan elders, engaged Latinx and Indigenous children in creative activities to learn about Indigenous relationships with the environment. The authors argue that this approach, which centers Indigenous knowledge and uses embodied, creative learning methods, offers a powerful alternative to conventional climate change education. By incorporating practices like performing creation stories and singing to sacred springs, the program fostered a sense of kinship with nature and challenged Western-centric views on addressing climate change. The researchers propose that such anticolonial, Indigenous-led approaches are essential for developing more holistic and ethical responses to the climate crisis.

The editorial introduction to this special issue on "land education" emphasizes the need to incorporate Indigenous perspectives, critique settler colonialism, and promote decolonization in environmental education. The authors argue that current practices, especially in place-based education, often fail to address ongoing colonization and Indigenous land rights. Key themes include addressing settler colonialism as an ongoing structure, valuing Indigenous cosmologies and languages, and supporting Indigenous agency and resistance. The authors stress the importance of language and methodologies that challenge colonial assumptions and center Indigenous futures, ultimately proposing land education as a necessary intervention in environmental education to work towards more just and sustainable futures for all.