Remembering Nature’s Ways
A Community Gathering with Darcia Narvaez
In this captivating conversation with Dr. Darcia Narvaez, co-author of The Evolved Nest, she applied nature’s teachings to raising children and building connected communities. In this discussion, Dr. Narvaez shared groundbreaking insights from her research that bridges the fields of evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and indigenous wisdom.
Drawing from her collaborative work with G. A. Bradshaw, Dr. Narvaez challenged the conventional understanding of human development by examining the sophisticated parenting practices found throughout the animal kingdom. From the gentle welcome ceremonies of elephant herds to cooperative child-rearing among emperor penguins, she illuminated how nature has perfected the art of nurturing across species over millions of years.
We contemplated together:
- The notion of the evolved nest and how it applies to human development
- Surprising parallels between human and animal parenting strategies
- Why modern child-rearing practices often conflict with our evolutionary needs
- How indigenous cultures maintain connection to these natural wisdom traditions
- How trauma manifests when evolved nests are disrupted
- Practical ways to incorporate nested practices into modern family life
Dr. Narvaez shared fascinating examples from her research, including wolf packs’ moral commitment through collective care, octopuses’ remarkable display of emotional intelligence, and beaver communities’ balance of work with play in raising their young. She discussed what we can learn from these time-tested approaches to nurturing, how might our communities change if we embraced these natural patterns of care, and how these insights might help address contemporary challenges in mental health, social connection, and environmental stewardship.
This conversation was both thought-provoking and practical. Whether you’re a parent, educator, healthcare provider, or simply interested in human development, you’ll come away with new insights about the profound connection between nature’s wisdom and human wellbeing when it comes to creating more nurturing families and communities for future generations by watching the recording.
Presenters
Darcia Narvaez
Darcia Narvaez is Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Born in Minnesota, she grew up living around the world as a bilingual/bicultural Puerto Rican-German American but calls Earth her home. Her earlier careers include professional musician, business owner, classroom music teacher, classroom Spanish teacher, and seminarian. She uses an interdisciplinary approach to studying evolved morality, child development and human flourishing. Her most recent books are Restoring the Kinship Worldview, and The Evolved Nest: Nature’s Way of Raising Children and Creating Connected Communities. Her recent short films are Breaking the Cycle, The Evolved Nest, and Reimagining Humanity. She hosts the webpage EvolvedNest.org and serves as president of KindredWorld.org.