The I-CAN Club
Insatiably
Curious
About
Nature
What we’re about.
Healthy environments
Facilitating nature awareness and appreciation, building health and inner strength, exploring possibilities.
Flexibility
Learning about what inspires us at the pace we need, building habits that work for us, following the science of what our bodies and minds need to flourish.
Community
Joining with others who are excited about learning in and from nature.
How we do it.
Walk with Naturalist-Educators
Explore the flora and fauna in local spaces with experienced naturalist-educators. Learn best practices for building an energizing relationship with nature. Walks are scheduled a minimum of five times throughout each month. We explore in Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Lynchburg, and the Roanoke Valley.
Walks are open to non-members for a fee, but are a fully included part of I-CAN Member benefits.
Learn alongside professionals
Join a forester on an assessment walk, or help a scientist measure a turtle! These experiences are uniquely arranged to learn from a professional while actively engaging in their projects.
Experiences reserved for I-CAN Members.
Build knowledge and skills
Jump into classes and workshops that build nature awareness and appreciation, science literacy, healthy habits, and supportive communities. Offerings include classes for youth, adults, and families.
Discounts for I-CAN Members.
No mind is too young, no question too big.
Announcements
Spring 2024
We’re traveling!
In partnership with Izaak Walton League of America, we’ll be traveling with nets and microscopes, sharing our expertise in watershed exploration and water quality assessment. Reach out to book a session with your group or watch for public programs.
If you value nature-based education, we want to hear from you!
Let us know of what challenges you’re having in finding quality nature-based education for yourself or someone else. Email us or schedule a 15-minute interview.
We’re specifically seeking interviews from parents or caregivers who have:
high school students interested in jobs in childcare, education, or outreach (e.g., parks, museums, zoos, outdoor recreation).
middle school students who babysit, help with childcare classes, or are interested in teaching.
children between the ages of 0-6 years old and who are unsatisfied with their current options.
children between the ages of 0-8 years old and who want to find babysitters or nannies who can safely play with and teach their kids outside.
“Being in nature calls upon us to be in our bodies and reconnects the mind/body split…Sometimes all it takes is a new perspective to shift us out of the bad habits that keep us from being our best selves.”
— Lantieri (2014). Building Emotional Intelligence: Practices to Cultivate Inner Resilience in Children.
Nature experiences are associated with increased psychological wellbeing, including an increase in positive mood; positive engagement and social interactions, sense of meaning and purpose; improved memory and attention; impulse inhibition; improved school performance; increased creativity; and decrease in mental anxiety and distress.
— Bratman et al. (2019). Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective.
“In general, research supports the proposition for a basic psychological need for nature relatedness, with stronger evidence pointing to the idea of this as a need-as-requirement than a need-as-motive, though both are well-evidenced.”
— Baxter and Pelletier (2019). Is nature relatedness a basic human psychological need? A critical examination of the extant literature.
Explore Nature with Community
Individual memberships
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Periodic Newsletter
Discovery Walks
Program discounts
Exclusive Programs
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Discovery Walks - no cost
Youth programs - 3% off
Family programs - 3% off
Adult programs - 8% off
-
Quarterly: $21
Annual: $75
Family memberships
-
Periodic Newsletter
Discovery Walks
Program discounts
Exclusive Programs
-
Discovery Walks - no cost
Youth programs - 8% off
Family programs - 10% off
Adult programs - 8% off
-
Quarterly: $45
Annual: $144