The Power of Resilience: How nature nurtures stronger, more resilient kids, and why that matters
Why Resilience Matters for Children
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity and find one’s own power. It is not about avoiding challenges, but developing the tools to face those moments while building a stronger sense of self. Kids from underserved communities encounter systemic inequities that undeniably need restructuring; as we advocate for societal change, resilience is a necessary tool for overcoming barriers and building hope. Kids with privilege often fear failure, making resilience just as critical. All children deserve access to transformational experiences that enrich their lives and help them unleash their resilience.
Resilient kids:
- Cope better with stress
- Are more likely to persevere in the face of failure and thrive through disappointment
- Have improved emotional regulation and problem-solving skills
These traits help children each day, and set the foundation for well-being throughout their lives. So how can we nurture resilience in children, helping them find and trust their grounded inner voice?
The Role of Nature in Building Resilience
Nature is a powerful teacher, healer, and guide. Combine nature with dedicated educators and an awe inspiring setting, and you find Slide Ranch. Experiences at Slide Ranch expose children to uncertainty, unpredictability, rare beauty, and the opportunity to problem solve - all of which are keys to developing resilience and broadening a child’s vision of what’s possible.
Natural experiences at Slide Ranch support young people by:
- Building Strength through Challenges: from milking goats to navigating our coastal hillsides, tasting new leafy greens in our organic garden to balancing on slippery intertidal zone rocks, children assess risks, make decisions and have moments of pure accomplishment in a safe environment - they gain proof that they can do hard things.
- Fostering Emotional Regulation: Studies show that time spent outdoors reduces anxiety while improving our moods. I, for one, can relate! Our connection to the natural world helps us all develop presence in the moment, making it easier to return to a centered space, including when facing challenges.
- Promoting Adaptability and Problem Solving: Outdoor experiences bring the unexpected. On a recent overnight at Slide Ranch, youth from Girls, Inc. were faced with a rainstorm after dark.They adapted! Guiding outdoor trips, I’ve witnessed quiet kids find their voices and reluctant kids take the lead. The varied habitats and outdoor programs at Slide Ranch bring out creativity and self-reliance. These moments teach us to get resourceful and experience our power.
- Building connections: All Slide Ranch programs involve teamwork and collaboration, whether it’s making bread with herbs from our garden or setting up campsites at our coastal meadow campground. Watching students and families learn, laugh, and work together is a reminder that resilience is not built in isolation - it is strengthened through connection and a sense of belonging.
- Serving as a Societal Equalizer: A muddy trail, a steep hillside, the roaring ocean - nature challenges every child, regardless of background. These moments can unleash students’ empowerment as they navigate and overcome new challenges. Furthermore, students have the opportunity to thrive in a non-traditional school environment - our neurodiverse community may find they are gifted leaders in nature’s classroom, and fellow classmates can see them shine.
My belief in the power of nature expands far beyond my profession. I’ve experienced how being outdoors and engaging with the gorgeous, gritty rawness of the world - jumping into the ocean, a peak accent as the moon rises, laying in tall grasses eating nature’s bounty - has shaped my own resilience and wonder. And the gift of resilience is a core quality I’m working to pass on to my own children. Through nature immersion, I have witnessed thousands of young people build a foundation of empowerment, self-confidence with humility, kindness, a sense of wonder, gratitude, and awe. May we all be so lucky as to navigate life with these qualities, like a coastal breeze under our wings, uplifting us to a broader perspective through even the most difficult moments. So join us at Slide Ranch and invite the children in your life and your own inner child! Together, let’s nurture resilience through the transformative beauty of nature.
About Slide Ranch: Slide Ranch, located on the breathtaking coast of Marin County, connects children and people of all ages with nature through hands-on experiences on our working farm and trails. For decades, we’ve helped kids build resilience and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Learn more at www.slideranch.org.
About Myla: Myla has known the magic of Slide Ranch since first kneading, baking, and then tasting warm bread overlooking the ocean as a child during a program on site. Myla brings over two decades of experience in environmental education, transformative outdoor experiences, and nonprofit leadership. Prior to joining Slide Ranch as Executive Director, she led the wilderness and environmental education programs as Senior Director at Camp Tawonga near Yosemite National Park and served as Director of Training at Playworks, a national youth development nonprofit based in Oakland. She also worked with Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors, serving people historically underrepresented in outdoor spaces, and guided youth on outdoor trips across the country. Myla earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Vassar College and a Master of Public Administration with a focus in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon. She loves hiking in towering redwood forests and swimming in California’s waters with her community of friends and family.
