Meet our Beloved Founder

Internationally recognized as a leader in the Forest Kindergarten movement, Erin Kenny dedicated two decades to developing and refining The Cedarsong Way® Nature Pedagogy, which is distinguished by a commitment to 100% outdoor time and complete nature immersion, unstructured flow learning, child-inspired emergent curriculum, place-based focus, inquiry-based teaching style and authentic play. Nature Immersion, as Erin defined it, is “unstructured free time in nature, resulting in an intimate, deep and personal connection to the natural world”. The Cedarsong Way® is also a compassion-scaffolded method of teaching, where educators guide and coach children toward being respectful, mindful, aware of and empathetic towards all of nature’s living beings.

Erin was a pioneer and a visionary, deeply passionate about connecting children with nature. Although her passing in October 2018 has had a profound impact on many, her powerful spirit lives on in all those she touched and all those dedicated to carrying on her inspired work. The Cedarsong Way® non-profit organization is designed to do just that.

Created by Erin’s sister, Molly Lannon Kenny, and Robin Rogers, co-founder of Cedarsong Nature School and co-author of both Nature Notes Journal: Documenting Your Emergent Curriculum and Teaching the Cedarsong Way: Lessons from an award-winning Forest Kindergarten, our goal is to empower others to connect children with nature through the continuation of The Cedarsong Way Teacher Training programs, Accreditation of Cedarsong schools, and speaking events.