CL22 - II-B7, Introductory-Level: Nature Babies: From Children To Communities To Climate

Dr. Hill (she/her) utilizes neuroscience and her broad Early Childhood experience, to maximize community capacity to cultivate stable, nurturing environments supporting optimal health & well-being in young children and their caregivers. She believes building resiliency is essential for mitigating the negative impacts of trauma and toxic stress on health & well-being, and advancing equity. She also believes change must confront institutionalized racism and empower disenfranchised communities by grounding in community engagement, voice, & shared leadership with families. Dr. Hill’s time at Woodland Park Zoo (Sr. Mgr. Early Childhood), expanded her focus to include building resiliency via relationships with nature, mindfulness, & advancing equity with outdoor opportunities.

Dr. Hill is an: Infant Mental Health Mentor E® (Policy); Founding Member, Academy of ZERO TO THREE Fellows; Faculty, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Child Abuse & Neglect Institutes; and former Faculty Lead on Policy for the Barnard Center on Infant Mental Health & Development in the University of WA School of Nursing. She is a highly regarded trainer locally, nationally and internationally. She has a: Post-Graduate Certificate in Infant Mental Health from UW SON; PhD in Developmental Psychology from UW; MEd in Speech-Language Pathology from University of VA. She is an actively certified Speech- Language Pathologist having provided clinical services across the lifespan including home visiting early intervention services for Washington State.

Ms. Charmaine Godley has decades of experience in the field of Education and Human Services. This includes a strong background in program development, administration and evaluation for infant through adult learners. She currently serves as the Innaugural Health and Nature Fellow (in Metro Atlanta, GA) for the Children and Nature Network-C&NN's primary goal is to ensure all children have equitable access to outdoor spaces where they can learn, play and grow! Ms.Godley served from 2006-2021 as Director of three early learning programs: Get Ready to Read!; Quality Improvements and the Early Childhood Education Teacher Career Pathway at the United Way of Greater Atlanta. She designed and built the early education program/department at Griffin Technical College (now Southern Crescent) as their initial Program Coordinator and Instructor from 2000-2006 and continued as an adjunct until 2012. Before leaving the technical college full-time she was recruited to assist in developing the bachelors degree (B-5: birth to five years) program at Georgia State University. She has been an adjunct professor for in the Tift Colege of Education at Mercer University; also as a State Approved trainner offering professional development for ACET-Advancing Careers and Education through Training, for GAYC-GA Assoc on Young Children, the state affiliate of NAEYC; coordinating and participating in trainings on the local, state, national and international levels. Also offering CDA-Child Development Associate Credential courses. Ms. Godley received her B.S. Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Ed, with a minor in Child Development from La Sierra University in Riverside, CA; and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University-specializing in serving high-need children and families. She is a graduate of the renowned West Ed PITC-Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers; and participated in an early childhood study tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy and continues to use these enriching learning experiences to impact critical teaching and learning practices. She has served in additional professional capacities including: Pre-K/Kindergarten teacher; college lab school director; hospital-based childcare center administrator. Ms. Godley is involved in community activities that advocate for children, youth and their families. Currently volunteers on Community Center Board; previously graduated from Grassroots Leadership training; Children's Program Coordinator for mission trip to Cote d'Ivoire, Africa; served two-year term as VP for local County Council of PTA's and taught parenting classes to women in re-hab to regain custody of their children. She believes in providing quality education, based on developmentally appropriate practices. Her goal is to facilitate that information to others to "positively" impact the lives of children and their families.

Adrián Cerezo, Ph.D., M.E.Sc. Cerezo is a Visiting Researcher and CHILD project Fellow at the Yale Child Study Center. His transdisciplinary work explores the fundamental role of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr. Cerezo has a PhD and MESc from Yale University with a focus on social ecology, child development, complex systems, and global policy, as well as more than 25 years of field experience in environmental and community-based education.

He currently serves as Senior Advisor on Early Childhood Development and Climate Change to the Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC), UNICEF Pacific, and the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN). He is also the founder and president of the Infinite Kindness Project in Maine. His lifelong aspiration is to contribute to a kinder, more sustainable future for his sons Arcadio and Tadeo, and all young children. 

Jane West has been guiding local and visitors in Eagle County and Denver County, CO for the last 26 years as an alpine and telemark instructor and a snowshoe guide for Vail Resorts. In 2016, Jane became the first certified forest therapy guide in Colorado and has led many forest walks for groups and individuals throughout the mountains and the Front Range. She has been a part of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) international training team and has also helped naturalists in Eagle County to integrate forest bathing into their existing activities. Jane is a longstanding licensed professional counselor and early child development specialist. She is a Zero to Three Academy fellow and very active promoting nature-based activities at ZTT conferences and overseas at funders events through her small foundation, The Two Lilies Fund.