Asheville Educator Earns Wonder Award

Local Lauren Brown received quite an honor at the Natural Wonder Summit on June 2, 2018. She was named the second recipient of the Wonder Award by the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS), a non-profit that supports nature-based educators through professional development.

The Wonder Award was inspired by conservationist Rachel Carson to acknowledge nature-based educators who exemplify what it means to share nature's wonder with young children.

Brown is a dedicated nature-based early childhood educator and director of Asheville Farmstead School in Asheville, NC. She established her program from the ground up, infusing North Carolina’s farming tradition into an experiential outdoor school. Children’s daily activities include hands-on learning in the garden, live animal care, and exploration of the farm and forest.

Lee Roddick, a volunteer on the farmstead, nominated her stating, "She encourages the students to talk to the plants, water the plants, and embrace all that nature has to offer them.” Roddick describes Brown’s approach to nature immersion. He explains, “these hikes are not just about walking up the mountain and back down, but are all about learning from the environment. She encourages the students to follow their own paths.”

As the nature-based movement takes hold in the United States, Asheville is fortunate to have a leader in Lauren Brown.

About the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS)

ERAFANS is a non-profit organization that provides services, support and inspiration to nature-based early childhood programs to advance the field of early childhood environmental education. To learn more, please visit www.ERAFANS.org.

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