Pre-Service Early Childhood Educator Experience in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

There has been significant interest in the values and benefits of early childhood nature experiences on children’s well-being development. One aspect studying exposure children to that requires more focus is role played by educators. In particular, there a need for environmental education training pre-service This study will explore use UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as an outdoor classroom professionals. Exploratory quantitative qualitative descriptive data from series three short surveys (pre/post/delayed post) provide basic overview teacher perspectives, experiences, outcomes intervention. The results indicate participating educators had little no familiarity with concepts or biosphere reserve site before participation post-intervention delayed show perceived their understanding concept improved. also perception positive sites can play education. Three critical implications emerged overall results: (1) specific support should be given training; (2) functions efforts improve connections nature; (3) potential broadening audience.