Rooted Futures Begins Environmental Learning Series for Atlanta Youth
Atlanta, GA, September 2026, Amka Terra recently launched Rooted Futures, an environmental learning series for children participating in the William Walker Recreation Center after-school program. The first session was held on September 11 in collaboration with the NPU-P Environment Committee and William Walker Recreation Center, beginning a series designed to help young participants better understand the natural world around them.
Created for children ages 5 to 12, Rooted Futures introduces wildlife, biodiversity, insects, habitats, trees, and environmental stewardship through conversation, hands-on activities, and visiting educators. The program is designed to make environmental learning feel connected to everyday life rather than something that exists only in a classroom or distant natural setting.
“We talk a lot about protecting the environment, but that responsibility can feel abstract if someone has never had the opportunity to develop a relationship with the natural world around them,” said Maurice Smith, CTIE, Program Consultant for Rooted Futures. “With Rooted Futures, we want young people to become curious first. If they begin noticing the trees, wildlife, insects, and habitats in their own community differently, stewardship can grow naturally from that understanding.”
Rain kept the opening session indoors, so participants drew animals and insects they had seen in their own community and talked about what they notice when they spend time outside. The activity gave the group a familiar starting point for discussing the living things already present around them and the places those animals and insects depend on.
The next Rooted Futures session is scheduled for October 2 and will be led by Trees Atlanta through its Animals & Seeds program. The interactive session will explore the relationship between animals, seeds, and the growth of Atlanta's urban forest. Zoo Atlanta is scheduled to participate on November 13 with its Animal Adaptations program, continuing the series through another lens on wildlife and habitat.
William Walker Recreation Center is located in the Atlanta neighborhood where Smith grew up, giving Rooted Futures a personal connection to his broader work. After years of international travel and advocacy for regenerative tourism and sustainability, Smith says the program has reinforced the importance of applying those same ideas close to home.
“I’ve spent much of my career traveling the world and thinking about regeneration, sustainability, and how we care for the places we visit,” Smith said. “But over time, I’ve realized that work also has to begin close to home. We can’t talk about protecting places around the world while overlooking the communities we come from. William Walker is in the neighborhood where I grew up, so there is something especially meaningful about helping young people there become more curious about the environment around them.”
Smith recently explored the relationship between learning, place, and stewardship in his Brainz Magazine article, “Regenerative Tourism Has to Be Taught, Not Just Promoted.”
Amka Terra's community stewardship work also continues on October 3, when Terra Days volunteers are scheduled to join Trees Atlanta for Forest Restoration in Frazer Forest in Lake Claire. The outing follows the first Terra Days service event held in August.
About Amka Terra
Amka Terra is an Atlanta-based initiative focused on environmental stewardship, regenerative tourism education, and stronger relationships between people and place. Its work includes Rooted Futures, Terra Days, and Terra Trails, a guided place-based experience series focused on local landscapes, history, and community. Through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences, Amka Terra encourages people to better understand and participate in the places they live in and visit.
For more information, visit here.
Media contact
Maurice Smith, CTIE
Program Consultant, Rooted Futures
Instagram: @amkaterra
