Regenerative Learning Ecology Blog

Ryan Pleune is founder of Mycelium Cooperative and a regenerative learning practitioner with 25+ years facilitating transformative education (ages 3-18 and adults). Working on Tsėhéstáno (Cheyenne) and Hinono'eino (Arapaho) territory, he weaves climate justice, play-based pedagogy, and ecological literacy through Forest Schools, Outdoor Nature-Based Preschools, and Emergent Strategy Wildcraft Workshops. His work embodies both/and thinking—demonstrating that rigorous learning and joyful development strengthen each other while preparing learners for thriving in an interconnected world. Contact him to learn more or to get involved with Mycellium Cooperative

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Beyond Field Trips: How Travel Tuesdays Bring the Universe Story to Life

When Learning Returns to the Community There’s a moment that happens on the second or third visit to a place that never happens on a single field trip. A child who walked past an exhibit last week suddenly stops, peers closer, and asks a question that changes everything. Another learner makes a connection between something they saw at the Nature and Science Museum two months ago and the butterfly emerging from its chrysalis today. The learning isn’t rushed. It’s relational. I

Ryan P

2 days ago7 min read

From Seedlings to Elders: Cultivating Regenerative Learning Ecologies Across Generations

There's a particular kind of magic that happens when a five-year-old discovers a beetle beneath a log, when a middle schooler realizes they can navigate by stars, when a grandmother plants seeds she'll never harvest but tends anyway. It's the magic of reciprocity—of humans remembering we belong to something larger than ourselves. This is the work of Outdoor Nature Based (ONB) pedagogy , and it's not confined to a single age group or season of life. At Mycelium Cooperative, we

Ryan P

Oct 184 min read

From Cooperation to Mycelium: Why Networks Matter More Than Hierarchies

Traditional cooperation often implies working together toward shared goals—valuable, but sometimes limited by assumptions about what those goals should be and who gets to define them. My experience taught me that regenerative thinking goes deeper, asking: How do we create conditions where individual flourishing and collective healing strengthen each other, even when that means difficult transitions?

Ryan P

Jun 126 min read

'Harmony in Diversity': Regenerative Experimentation through Playful Pedagogy in Colorado's Short Grass Prairie

'Harmony in Diversity': Regenerative Experimentation through a Playful Pedagogy at an Outdoor Preschool in the Short Grass Prarie.

ryanpleune1

Aug 23, 20247 min read

Creating Integrated Outdoor Learning Communities: Race, Class, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in Nature-Based Education

Reflections on HOW and WHY Through a Regenerative Justice Lens Through out the years I have heard some version of "Re-connecting humans to nature is like asking a fish to re-connect with water." This wisdom cuts to the heart of what we're really doing when we create outdoor nature-based learning communities—we're not introducing something foreign, but rather removing the barriers that separate us from our inherent belonging. Building on my previous exploration in "Diversity E

ryanpleune1

May 5, 20245 min read

Part 2 of 2: Diversity EQUALS Health - Building Liberatory Learning Communities Across Race, Class, Ethnicity, and Gender

An Intentionally Unfinished Invitation to Co-Creation January 15, 2024 honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, I share my most vulnerable blog post yet—one designed to be co-created with you through dialogue, reflection, and lived experience. This centers the most complex Triple WellBeing® competencies while remaining intentionally unfinished, responsive to your insights and evolving through our Outdoor Nature Based Programs and community partnerships. This connects to

ryanpleune1

Jan 15, 20246 min read

Diversity EQUALS Health Part 1 of 2: "Nature Preschools and Forest Schools Boost Immunity"

Diversity EQUALS Health Part 1 of 2: Nature Preschools and Forest Schools Boost Immunity Through Regenerative Connection From Individual...

ryanpleune1

Nov 28, 20236 min read

Re-wilding and Regenerative Learning: Ancient Wisdom for Collective Liberation

Moving Beyond the "Re" to Understand What We're Actually Returning To Rewilding and Regenerative Learning in education imply there was...

ryanpleune1

Jun 13, 20235 min read

Reflecting and Responding: The Heart of Regenerative Pedagogy

Part of facilitating a “Pedagogy of Play” is in reflecting and responding to observations and wonders.

ryanpleune1

May 29, 20235 min read

Nature Play IS Learning: Integrating Academics and Life Skills Through Regenerative Outdoor Education

Moving Beyond False Dichotomies in Early Childhood Development Adults and parents navigating educational choices for their children often...

ryanpleune1

May 16, 20236 min read

School/Life Readiness, Forest Schools and Rainbow Scarabs: Foundations of Regenerative Learning

Why "Below the Tip of the Iceberg" Skills Matter More Than Surface Compliance With my first blog post, I want to illuminate the deeper...

ryanpleune1

May 6, 20235 min read