Smithsonian Publishes New Report About What Teachers Need to Implement Nature-Based Learning in Their Classrooms

In 2025, The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) worked with Inform, an outcomes-based evaluation firm, to carry out the “Nature Needs: Assessing Nature-Based Learning Needs for Early Childhood Educators” (Nature Needs Assessment). This assessment included a nationally distributed survey instrument and focus group protocol. The Nature Needs Assessment received 2,560 survey responses from December 2025 to January 2026 and Inform completed seven Educator Focus Groups with 48 educators in early 2026. 

The Smithsonian was particularly interested in assessing early childhood educators because studies show that children who had positive experiences in and with nature with a trusted adult were more likely to be environmental stewards later in life (Chawla and Derr, 2012). Specifically, experiences like “family outings to a park… permission to play in a wooded area during school recess… suggest to children that adults around them value nature.” (Chawla and Derr, 2012). Young children spend a majority of their day in schools, making school settings and early childhood educators an important vehicle to increase children’s opportunities to have positive experiences in and with nature.  

The published report can be found as a flipbook to download in this Smithsonian Voices article, which also includes a summary of the main takeaways from the report, including a portrait of the needs of early childhood educators as an audience and the areas of concern indicated in the "Nature Needs" Assessment results. This report makes a clear case for increasing access to funding and resources for early childhood educators, including professional development in nature-based learning.