How can individuals integrate nature, education, art, and personal healing into creating positive change for themselves and their communities?

Lindsey Kleinberg advocates for nature play in the most important way; practicing what she preaches. She shares her experiences raising her family through alternative and nature education, and why it’s important to her. Lindsey describes the benefits home gardening, self-care, and how she approaches creating change. She discusses books, blogging, art, and what she hopes to achieve in her community.

“When you’re really working on a personal journey, if you are making those steps for positive impact and change, people around you, whether or not they will admit, they start to feel those things.” ~ Lindsey Kleinberg (44:22)

Lindsey Kleinberg is an educator, artist, avid gardener, and nature play advocate. She is the founder of the Finding Place LV, a Reggio-inspired micro school whose mission is to reconnect kids with nature. In addition to her Masters degree, Lindsey is certified  in many areas, including Nature-based outdoor education and School Garden Coordinator.

The conversation explores how integrating nature, art, and alternative education can foster healing and inspire positive change. Discussing the importance of organic gardening, Lindsey emphasizes the transformative effects of hands-on, sustainable practices in raising children. These practices encourage empathy, environmental stewardship, and a deep connection to the natural world.

Topics also touch on the role of art in healing, with examples of how creative activities—ranging from murals to gardening—can reconnect individuals to themselves and their communities. Lindsey advocates for simple actions, such as planting seeds or creating small garden spaces, to initiate broader personal and societal shifts. A recurring theme is the necessity of self-care to sustain these efforts, ensuring individuals remain grounded and effective in their pursuits.

Takeaways

Planting seeds of change — Small, intentional actions like gardening can have a profound impact on individuals and communities.

Self-care as a foundation — Addressing personal well-being is critical to sustaining efforts for broader change.

Nature as a teacher — Hands-on experiences in nature foster empathy, creativity, and resilience in children and adults.

Art and creativity — Engaging in art is a powerful tool for personal and communal healing.

The ripple effect of change — Personal growth and intentional practices can influence and inspire those around you.

Raising environmentally conscious children — Early exposure to sustainable practices helps develop lifelong habits of stewardship and care.

Balancing digital presence — While online tools can spread awareness, maintaining human connections remains essential.

Holistic education models — Integrating principles from Waldorf and Reggio Emilia philosophies creates dynamic, experiential learning environments.

Resources

Lindsey is the founder of The Finding Place Lehigh Valley

Lindsey’s recent blog post, searching for ‘home’.

Rodale Institute — A leader in regenerative organic agriculture and education.

Julian Is a Mermaid — A children’s book advocating for self-expression and creativity.

Kutztown University’s Program in Regenerative Organic Agriculture — Collaboration with the Rodale Institute to provide a unique degree program.

Waldorf: Environment as teacher, play, storytelling, natural learning

Reggio-Emilio, community learning, art, intergenerational

Let’s Play Books and Now and Then books

Book most often given away: Julián is a Mermaid, Jessica Love

Largest book: Hobbit/Lord of the Rings combo book, Welcome to the Museum series

Book you most want, but can’t get: Iwigara

Interactive art, Juxtahub

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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— Hello👋 I’m Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I’m interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

— Thank you!

My personal mission is creating better conversations to spread understanding and compassion. And Movers Mindset is one of the things I do in service of my mission. Drop by https://craigconstantine.com/ for my weekly email, my other podcasts, writing and more.

The Movers Mindset project grew from conversations I started having as part of my personal journey rediscovering movement. The project started late in 2015, and it was initially simply a web site that shared others’ writing. The project grew, and in 2017 I started the podcast. I’ve worked extremely hard, but none of this would have been possible without so much help from so many people.

Thanks for listening!

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