201: Turn Back Time with Lisa Burris: Reclaiming Childhood Through Outdoor Learning
Lisa Burris didn't just start a nature preschool—she rebuilt childhood. After adopting two children with special needs and watching their social and emotional lives transform through outdoor play, she sold her house and launched Turnback Time on a 58-acre farm in Massachusetts. What began as a tiny summer camp for three kids has grown into a thriving, inclusive nature-based education program serving 130 children weekly, with a mission to restore the lost art of unstructured, risk-filled outdoor play. Lisa’s radical insight? That nature isn’t just a backdrop for learning—it’s the curriculum. Her program meets all state early childhood standards through emergent, place-based learning, proving that children can master math, literacy, and civic skills while building a flag in the forest or mapping a town in the woods. But the real magic lies in inclusion: children who struggle in traditional classrooms thrive here, not despite nature, but because of it. Lisa’s philosophy—'behavior is communication,' and 'we don’t say be careful, we ask what your plan is'—has created a culture where autonomy, trust, and resilience are taught daily. As she reflects on her journey, from a childhood spent barefoot in a stream across the street from her current farm to now mentoring future educators, her vision is clear: every child, everywhere, should have access to nature-based learning—because the future of education, stewardship, and mental health depends on it.
Nature-based education meets all state early childhood standards through emergent, place-based learning—proven by photo documentation and curriculum mapping.
Children with special needs, challenging behaviors, and ADHD thrive in nature-based programs because movement, autonomy, and risk-taking are built into the daily experience.
The 'yes culture' at Turnback Time means safety, respect, and responsibility are the only rules—children are trusted to make their own plans and take ownership of their actions.
Behavior is always communication: when a child acts out, it's not defiance—it's an unmet need or a skill gap, requiring empathy and collaborative problem-solving.
Turnback Time’s success is rooted in low teacher-to-student ratios (5:1), strong community collaboration, and a deep commitment to inclusion from day one.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to Turnback Time: A Vision for Reclaiming Childhood
Victoria Hackett introduces Lisa Burris, executive director of Turnback Time, a nature-based education program rooted in inclusion and outdoor learning. The episode sets the stage for a deep dive into how nature can heal, educate, and transform children’s lives.
From Adoption to Awakening: The Birth of Turnback Time
“I want to sell our house and start a program for kids with special needs. So we did. We had no idea what the program would look like.”
Why Nature Is the Ultimate Equalizer and Healer
“We don't have attention deficit, we have nature deficit.”
Nature as Curriculum: How Play Meets Standards
“We really embrace place based education, emergent curriculum. And we're meeting like our kindergartners have already met all of the kindergarten standards about three weeks ago that they would meet in a regular classroom. But we're doing it outside.”
Inclusion as Core Design: Building a Culture of Belonging
“We don't say be careful or we don't put kids up in trees. We don't take them down. It's very much like what are you capable of right now? And tell me what's your plan?”
“That we don't have attention deficit, we have nature deficit.”
“So we really embrace place based education, emergent curriculum. And we're meeting like our kindergartners have already met all of the kindergarten standards about three weeks ago that they would meet in a regular classroom. But we're doing it outside.”
“So we don't say be careful or we don't put kids up in trees. We don't take them down. It's very much like what are you capable of right now? And tell me what's your plan?”
Host
Guest
Lisa Burris
person
Turnback Time
organization
Katie Baker
person
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
organization
Outdoor Start
other
Antioch University
organization
WPI
organization
Finland
place
Richard Louv
person
Veda Blue
person
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