Our Mission
Our mission is to help children develop a deep connection with nature by allowing them to spend long periods of time immersed in it. We hope to build children’s confidence through exploration, discovery and collaboration with their peers on our 73 acre forested property.
What is a Forest School?
Forest and Nature Schools are defined as an education ethos and practice that puts nature and the child at play at the centre of learning. Children and educators build a relationship with the land through regular and repeated access to the same natural space over an extended period of time (Child and Nature Alliance Canada, 2018).
Children spend most, if not all of the day, outside exploring nature. Forest teachers are there to keep children safe and to help children build on the interests they display.
Benefits of Attending a Forest School
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Improved confidence, social skills, communication, motivation, and concentration.
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Improved physical stamina, fine and gross motor skills.
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Positive identity formation for individuals and communities.
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Environmentally sustainable behaviours and ecological literacy.
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Increased knowledge of environment, increased frequency of visiting nature within families.
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Healthy and safe risk-taking.
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Improved creativity and resilience.
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Improved academic achievement and self-regulation.
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Reduced stress and increased patience, self-discipline, capacity for attention, and recovery from mental fatigue.
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Improved higher level cognitive skills.
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Improved leadership skills by working in a mixed age setting