Human societies evolved in tight communities intertwined with and nurtured by the unique landscapes where they found themselves, and the idea that there is something out there called “nature” that is separate from and below us is a very recent capitalist colonial phenomenon in human history. Under colonial occupation, “nature” is something to either be exploited and extracted from, or left entirely on its own, unspoiled by human interaction. Colonial capitalism has robbed us of our consciousness of interspecies community, of being in a relationship of mutual dependence with the landscape and the creatures who live there.
Carolyn Schuyler and Dorothe Bach began Nature Connection Lab three years ago to help heal that lost connection. Their work grew out of courses they offered through the Environment, Thought, and Practice major at the University of Virginia, where they saw how hands-on, immersive nature-based learning could transform students’ lives. They wanted to bring the same learning opportunities to a broader audience, and through a joint plan of work with Virginia Organizing, they now work with school systems, public parks, mental health agencies, and other community-based groups to help them integrate nature connectedness into their goals.
Their work takes them out of the classroom and into the field, where they can be found splashing in a stream with students or helping a teacher with curriculum design. Their clients include the nonprofit Life Adventure Center in Kentucky, and the Friends of Bellemeade Park in Richmond, where they have designed and led field trips for local school children. They are also assisting teachers at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Louisa to integrate nature connection into the school culture and mental wellness interventions, including the construction of a new nature play area on school grounds.
Their work is, in many ways, countercultural and subversive. They are crafting connection to land and community within an educational system that is designed to reproduce an economy that keeps us separate. Carolyn acknowledges the challenge: “The obstacles we face have to do with industrial growth culture, the desacralization of nature, and the pervasive myth that humans are superior to and separate from nature. Western cultures need a consciousness shift to widen our circles of compassion and care to all of the natural world.”
They plan to keep broadening the scope of their work, making the resources available to more of the community, by launching a Nature Connection Leader Certification Program in the spring of 2026. “Anyone age 18 and up is welcome to join us over seven weeks to delve into the science and art of nature connection,” Carolyn says.
As the alienating and isolating effects of an increasingly rapacious economy deepen, the work of Nature Connection Lab is more crucial than ever and well worth our support. Keep an eye out for ways you can get involved here.
