ArcStone | Work Case Study: Children & Nature Network

Case Study

Children & Nature Network is helping children thrive with equitable access to the benefits of nature.

More Green, Less Screen

Getting outdoors is essential for a child's healthy development. Unfortunately, today’s kids are less connected to nature than ever before. The Children & Nature Network is a nonprofit committed to reclaiming outdoor experiences and the benefits or nature for children around the world, regardless of their race, income or zip code. Their website is the first impression many people have of the organization, making it an essential public-facing part of their brand. The nonprofit's goal to support and grow the global children and nature movement started a dynamic partnership and resulted in an impressive new website.

Our Role

Blueprint / Strategic Planning
WordPress Website Redesign
Website Optimization
Virtual Event Planning, Production, & Execution

Hosting & Support

Laura Mylan

Sr. Vice President, External Relations

“Our new website has become a key source of news and information for children and nature leaders, as well as a virtual gathering place for sharing ideas and resources. We couldn't have asked for a better strategic partner to help advance our mission.”

Children & Nature Network's website is the hub of marketing, communications, and advocacy for their movement. They needed a website that showcased their incredible mission and was easy to navigate. The nonprofit came to ArcStone with a website that had become bloated and their user experience was suffering.

The organization has a robust library of research and resources but the old website's framework lacked functionality and it was not only difficult for their audience to use, but it was also tough for their staff to keep current.

Children & Nature Network sought a partner that would help develop a WordPress site that would help them create a digital space that was inviting for prospective students and families and would provide the necessary information to reduce children’s screen time.

They approached ArcStone about a website redesign, which required an extensive overhaul of their sitemap and overall design of the site for a better user experience.

Our Approach

We had already done a few smaller projects with Children & Nature Network prior to getting started with their website redesign. This gave us insight into their brand and mission, but we also found that it helped in other ways during the redesign process.

Having a relationship with the organization helped build trust and rapport, which is essential for a successful outcome. It also allowed us to better understand their hopes and dreams as an organization.

We began with a blueprint. At this phase, we reviewed their website analytics, identified key audiences, their vast collection of resources, goals and objectives, website functionality, and necessary third-party integrations.

Midway through the project, we helped them execute both a live and virtual event.

The virtual event was new for Children & Nature Network, and due to the global pandemic, there was a lot of internal confusion as to how exactly they would pull it off. Through this partnership, we were able to put together a great program and deliver through strong project management and ArcStone’s live Zoom facilitators.

The event went off without a hitch and provided Children & Nature Network a framework on how to approach virtual events in the future.

The new Children & Nature Network website launched in October of 2020 and since then, we've seen positively trending metrics virtually across the board. Since their new site was launched, metrics are trending in the right direction.

Engagement metrics like bounce rate, pages per session, time on the site were all up along with increased goal conversions.

The new site's structure makes for a seamless user experience. It's simple for users to browse, filter, and search Children & Nature Network's robust resource library.