The world is poorly designed. But copying nature helps.

Some European schools have long championed free play in the woods as a way to combat the increasingly mainstream idea of "nature-deficit disorder." In Finland, enthusiastic teachers dedicate all of Friday to outdoor "secret" education - students don't even realize they are learning academic lessons. Inspired by these models, scattered American schools are experimenting with the idea, with some finding reductions in bullying and improvements in test scores and focus issues.

Across America, preschools that incorporate outdoor activities into their instruction are on the rise. It is believed that moving out of a classroom and into nature can help children creatively learn, build skills at focusing, and reduce anxiety.

Indigenous-led herbalists accompanied a two-week-long canoe gathering along the coast of Washington and Canada. They aimed to decolonize herbalism and support sustainable plant medicine and helped canoe gathering participants find “a deeper healing.” The group rode in a bus that previously served as a kitchen and treatment center during the Standing Rock movement.

The focus on sound comes at a time when open kitchens and industrial hard-surface designs entice diners’ eyes, but might strain their ears.

Naturalists are using technology like smartphone cameras and artificial intelligence to better track animal and plant conservation efforts across the United States. The online platform eButterfly allows users to share photos of butterflies that can inform scientists about how certain species’ ranges are shifting. Colorado Parks and Wildlife use a version of AI to identify and count species photographed by camera traps. While, AI could allow scientists to sort through more images and map out more complex ecological relationships, machine-learning algorithms take time to set up and large datasets to train.

The nonprofit Coombs Outdoors runs summer and winter camps for youth to experience and learn about the outdoors. The camps are in high demand because of the affordable price made possible by donor subsidies.

A student-developed course at the University of California-Berkeley, Solutions for a Sustainable and Just Future, focuses on both individual and systemic strategies to address the climate crisis. More than 1,800 people have taken the class, and more than 70 percent of them said the course content inspired them to get involved in environmental work.

Led by Native Hawai’ians, Kamehameha Schools owns thousands of acres of land dedicated to stewardship and conservation. The school partners with Native Hawaiian organizations and conducts eco-cultural education programs for students and members of the community to foster connections between them and the environment.

New Jersey schools are working to make climate education widespread by implementing general education standards that include climate change education in every grade and subject. These new education standards have been inspiring students to brainstorm solutions to climate-related issues like reducing food waste and increasing coastal resiliency. The state has also earmarked $5 million to help local teachers attend professional development sessions to teach them how to create new climate change-focused lesson plans.

Eco House trabaja en distintos proyectos de restauración ecológica en diferentes puntos de Argentina que apuntan a la conservación, plantación y concientización sobre el cuidado del ambiente. En su trabajo, son clave los voluntarios y las alianzas con organizaciones locales, empresas y Gobiernos.