A barefoot girl reaches for the hand of a younger also barefoot girl to draw her through a gap in some bushes. — Amelia Outdoors Photographer and naturalist, Terra Fondriest, documents her daughter's encounters with nature around their family home. © Terra Fondriest

Magazine Articles

Amelia Outdoors

A Photo Essay

February 28, 2019

Summer 2019

Photographer and naturalist Terra Fondriest spent nearly a decade capturing her daughter’s encounters with nature around their family home in rural Arkansas. What emerged was a photographic growth chart, marking milestones of exploration, creativity and an emerging confidence forged outdoors.

A seated girl faces a chicken with a smile on her face and the chicken looks back at her. — Chicken Amelia likes to put chicken food on her feet so the chickens will peck it and tickle her toes. © Terra Fondriest

A girl holds a stuffed wolf in one arm and holds up her drawing of a wolf in the other. — Wolf We can hear coyotes around our house all the time, and she loves to howl back at them. She’s so proud that she communicates with the coyotes. She says she’s part wolf. © Terra Fondriest

A girl lies facedown on a log over a creek. — Creek I find that when I am busy working around the house, often my kids will go off and find something to do on their own. They’ll play in the dirt. They’ll get creative. © Terra Fondriest

Closeup of a girl with a tadpole on her nose. — Tadpole When their father comes home from work, they ask about the animals he saw and the kids tell him about the things they saw. So many things happen because we are outside. © Terra Fondriest

Get the Magazine

Sign up to become a member of The Nature Conservancy and you'll receive the quarterly print edition of the magazine as part of your membership.

Subscribe Now

Kids in Nature

A woman holds a baby and smiles at the camera as they walk through the woods; a white dog stands on a dirt trail in the background.

The Perfect Playground

As a new parent, Julia Amato shares how nature has provided her family the perfect playground.

A group of teenagers wearing matching blue t-shirts, lined up along a wooden deck, overlooking a river in the summer.

Cultivating Conservationists: Partnerships Connect Young Ohioans with Nature

The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with community-based partners to engage the next generation in conserving nature around Ohio.

Kids at Helen Allison Savanna

Top 10 Nature Places To Take Your Kids in Minnesota

Looking for something fun for the whole family? These are the top 10 BEST places for kids to explore in and around the Twin Cities.