Anne Stires

Anne Stires, M.Ed. is committed to educational systemic change through community, school, and early childhood initiatives. Founder of Juniper Hill School for Place-Based Education in Alna, Maine, she is now an independent educational consultant working with schools and programs throughout Maine and beyond to support equitable outdoor learning and nature connection. She is a regularly featured speaker at many nature-based and early childhood education conferences and co-facilitates two professional learning communities in Maine–one for public school administrators and the other for early childhood directors. Anne wrote the first chapter for David Sobel’s book, Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning (2015) and co-authored the NAEEE/Natural Start Alliance’s Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practices Guidebook (2019). She teaches graduate level courses for Antioch University (in the Nature-based Early Childhood master’s degree and certificate program) as affiliate faculty and serves as an advisor to Inside-Outside: Nature-based Educators’ Network. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Tanglewood/Blueberry Cove 4-H Camps/Learning Centers and Maine GearShare, and chairs the public policy & advocacy committee for Maine Early Childhood Outdoors (MeECO). She loves to go on outdoor adventures with her son.

What is your oldest, favorite, or most trusted piece of gear?

Without a doubt, my Grundens Herkules bibs. They are 25 years old and basically have no obvious wear/tear. I have had them since I started working with children outdoors at UMaine's Darling Marine Center and Tanglewood 4-H. I wear them year round and in most weather. I can kneel on the ground to stack wood on a frosty morning, sit with kiddos and read a story after 3 days of rain, wear them over wool pants for the late winter sogginess, and throw them on at the outdoor portion of an education workshop over "the professional outfit." They even work during hunting season because they are bright orange!