Ruth Wilson, Ph.D. has devoted most of her wide-ranging seven-decade career to connecting young children with nature. Among her varied positions, she worked as an educator and teacher educator, as a consultant on projects for Sesame Street and Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo (to name a few), and as the curator for the Children & Nature Network Research Library. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications and she is the author of ten nonfiction books. Ruth’s most recent release, Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years (Routledge, October 2025), illustrates “ways nature and spirituality can contribute to quality of life during the early childhood years and beyond” and “emphasizes the idea of children’s whole-body engagement, challenging the idea that spirituality is relevant to the mind and spirit only.” Look for her on her website ChildrenAndNature.org. Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers.
When you began writing Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years, what did you hope to accomplish? By the end of the journey, do you feel you were successful in your goal(s)?
My hope in writing Nature and Spirituality During the Early Years was to highlight the importance of the spiritual dimensions of children’s connectedness to nature. Interest in connecting children with nature has grown at a dramatic rate over the past few decades, but only limited attention has been given to the spiritual dimensions of nature connectedness. I feel I’ve been successful in articulating the meaning and importance of these spiritual dimensions. I also feel I’ve identified some specific ways to nurture children’s spiritual development through nature engagement. My feelings about the success of this book was recently reinforced by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley recognizing it as one of their favorite books for educators in 2025.
What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
I knew from the beginning that I would have several challenges to deal with. The first challenge relates to the way in which many people equate spirituality with religion. This misunderstanding leads to concerns about promoting spirituality in public education programs. Another challenge relates to the definition of spirituality. Trying to define spirituality in a way that is understandable to different people is difficult. A third challenge relates to current trends in the curricular standards for education. Spirituality is rarely addressed.
How is the book structured and why did you choose to put it together that way?
The book is structured around three main areas: the meaning and importance of nature in the lives of children, the meaning and importance of spirituality in children’s lives, and ways to nurture children’s spirituality through nature engagement. I chose this organizational format to clarify the meaning of nature and spirituality and to offer some practical ideas on how educators might apply the information to their work with children.
Tell us about the journey from inspiration to publication.
This is my tenth published book. In some ways, it pulls together many of the ideas I addressed in previous books and articles. The idea of pulling these thoughts together and highlighting what I thought was most important in my previous work was a primary motivation in writing this book. I had written about nature and spirituality in other books and articles but never really did justice to the integration of these two areas. My real push to begin goes back to conversations I’ve had with others working to connect children with nature. I’ve been impressed with their zeal and dedication. Through conversations, I realized that some of what they were doing and noticing in their work with children needed clearer articulation in the literature. After I arrived at a vision of what I wanted this book to accomplish, it took me about a year to write it. Finding a publisher wasn’t difficult, as I had written several other books for this publisher (Routledge). I knew who to contact and was familiar with the types of books they were interested in.
Do you have a favorite quote from the book that you’d like to share?
“What we all seem to be yearning for are deeper and more soul-ful connections with the world around us.” (p.3)
Any “Oh, wow!” moments while doing research for this book?
Research for this book included investigations into different worldviews. This research led me to a deeper understanding of how much the way we view the world impacts our nature-related feelings and actions. I realized, for example, that the dominant culture in Western countries tends to be a “culture of functioning.” Such a culture allows for ”take-what-you-can” behaviors. A kinship-based culture, on the other hand, prioritizes co-existence, peace, and reciprocity.
What was the most rewarding aspect of putting the project together?
The most rewarding part for me was the support and feedback I received from colleagues who reviewed an early draft of the book.
Of all the books you’ve written, which one was the most challenging and which was the easiest (or most enjoyable) to write?
Of the ten books I’ve written, this one was the most enjoyable—and maybe the easiest. I had my earlier work to draw from, and experiences from writing other books helped me organize the material for this book. I had more resources and a better understanding about how to keep the process of writing organized. I also enjoyed the freedom I gave myself to articulate ideas that were important to me.
What do you want to be known for as an author?
I’d like to be known for honesty in my work and for highlighting the role of our spiritual connections with nature.
What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two different writing projects: one, an academic book on ecological identity; the other, a hybrid memoir integrating stories from my life with stories from my deceased husband’s life. I’m also investing time and energy into writing more original poetry.
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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