- Webinars
- Living Systems/Deep Ecology
February 1, 2025 – Growing up in this time of increasing climate chaos, political turmoil and impending systems collapse with access to all the information of the internet in the palm of their hands is a harrowing experience for many of the world’s young people. The children of today are in need of deeper support and more creative tools for emotional resilience than conventional educational models provide.
WTR Network Facilitator Members, Jennifer Chesnut and Katharine Burke are two educators who have been responding to this need by integrating the Work That Reconnects and principles of Deep Ecology into their classrooms with great success. Although they work in different parts of the world (Jennifer in Canada and Katharine in Norway) they have encountered many of the same needs among their students and developed similar methods for meeting those needs.
Rooted in deep compassion and respect for the young people in their classrooms, they have found that their creative approaches to ecological education provide their students with a form of shelter from detrimental social forces, meaning in a time of crisis, delight in nature connection and inspiration to take action in the care of our world.
If you are concerned about the mental health and wellness of our youngest generation and want to explore tools for supporting the young people in your life and community, please join us for this rich educational conversation.
Whether you’re a teacher, parent, grandparent, auntie/uncle or friend to youth, this webinar will resource you for supporting the young people in your life during these turbulent times.
Learn more from Jennifer and Katharine:
Katharine’s book “Earthwards: Transformative Ecological Education”
Katharine is facilitating free book circles. You can sign up for free for more information at https://earthwards.mn.co/
Jennifer’s thesis “The Way Out is In: Holding Space for Emotional Processing When Youth Study the Climate Crisis”
Resources that were shared during the event:
WTR practices mentioned:
Raising Children in the Midst of Global Crisis: A Compassionate Guidebook for New Paradigm Parenting by Jo delAmor
WTR programs for parents with Jo delAmor – www.radiantbalance.com
Recording of a previous WTR Network webinar: The Most Compelling Story
Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children – a great book with science based reasons for the imperative of getting students out of their desks
A few nuggets of gratitude from the live session:
Thank you sooooo much! For teaching, teching, keeping us together for 2 hours. Thank you all.
Thank you sincerely Katharine and Jennifer. This has been NOURISHING and INSPIRING and SUPPORTIVE! 🙂
I feel so much better for sharing this with you.. Thank you all
So deliciously nourishing xoxox
Thank you all for this beautiful session! It’s so reassuring to see all the caring participants here
Thank you for planting new seeds!
Thank you so much! Feel like a web of mushrooms interconnected with all
Jennifer Chesnut lives in the Great Lakes region of Canada. She is an environmental educator and has completed a thesis on the importance of The Way Out is In: Holding Space for Emotional Processing When Youth Study the Climate Crisis. She weaves critical pedagogy, emotional intelligence, and the Work That Reconnects into learning spaces. Thich Nhat Hanh and Joanna Macy are her favourite deep ecologists!
Katharine Burke is an educator, facilitator and workshop leader with more than 30 years of experience teaching, designing and leading courses for young people and adults. Katharine is the author of Earthwards: Transformative Ecological Education. She is the founder of The Small Earth Institute and is a permaculture farmer in Norway. She has a M.Ed. in Ecology, Nature and Sustainabilty, is a Regenerative Design Practitioner trained by the Regenesis Group and a facilitator of the Work That Reconnects.