The natural way forward

Adam Bienenstock (Ontario, Canada): Optimal environments for our children: what's new is old, the way nature solves most challenges and the obvious irony of a keynote from a North American perspective

Mary Jackson (Winchester, UK): Sharing the Learning through Landscapes approach to school grounds

Thanks to guidance and subsidies from the Provinciaal Natuurcentrum, 60 schools created a green play, learning and living environment. Together they planted 8 300 trees and shrubs and wiped 12 200 m2 of playground tiles. More than 13 600 students now enjoy a large outdoor green space for discovery, learning and high-risk play. And 1 800 teachers are getting a large outdoor classroom.

But at the Provinciaal Natuurcentrum, we go further. Green playgrounds should not be the exception, but the norm. The book "Green school grounds? Naturally!" compiles several successful greening initiatives from Limburg schools. It is first and foremost a big thank you to all Limburg schools that have the courage and vision to green their school grounds! And of course we hope that this book will give other schools the desire to get started themselves.