“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
― John Muir
Mission
Our Mission is to connect children with the natural world to foster self-realization, cooperation and stewardship for our planet. All discoveries are explored within its environmental context, thus creating a foundational comprehension of the relationship between things. They gain the insight to realize entire systems and their interconnected, coherent nature. With either guidance or self-directed, they communicate feelings, thoughts, and intuition, build relationships, bring their ideas to life and test them and playfully or intentionally discover math, writing, language, art, movement, science and meditation.
Program Philosophy & Curriculum
Our emergent curriculum is child-centered, interest-led, inquiry-driven, and thoughtfully supported by educators. Here, children's natural curiosity thrives, fostering independence, creativity, and a deep connection to the environment.
At Forest School, we emphasize creative expression through natural materials and thoughtfully selected non-invasive resources that enhance their projects and explorations. Through engaging storytelling, discussions, and field studies, children develop an understanding of animals, insects, plants, and seasonal changes while strengthening their observation skills.
Every day, they journal, draw, write, create, craft, hike, and embark on field trips, transforming learning into an adventure. Their imaginations soar, and even a simple stick can become a tool, a creature, or a gateway to discovery. The natural world provides the perfect balance of structure and freedom, nurturing cognitive, emotional, and physical development in a way that no traditional classroom can replicate.
The Priceless Benefits of Nature-Based Learning
Being in nature is invaluable, offering children the opportunity to thrive both physically and emotionally. Experts agree that outdoor experiences strengthen the immune system, calm the nervous system, and enhance overall well-being.
The natural world is a dynamic, living playground—ever-changing, alive, and breathing. It provides the perfect setting for learning, where children absorb knowledge through hands-on exploration, expanding their vocabulary as they observe, hear, smell, and touch the world around them.
Experiencing the seasons, engaging with wildlife, and immersing in outdoor discovery cultivate creativity, mindfulness, and problem-solving skills. These early connections to nature help shape innovative, thoughtful leaders who prioritize not only their own growth but the well-being of their communities and the planet.
Resources
I would like to introduce Peter Wohlleben's book "The hidden life of trees" based on decades of experience as a forester
His work is revolutionary in the sense of how he, and many others at this point in time perceive trees: as Living-Feeling-Beings. Hugging trees has always been very common in Europe's Kindergartens/Preschools. Nature is whole and so are our we.
Award-winning documentary "Intelligent Trees"
Trees talk, know family ties and care for their young? Is this too fantastic to be true? Scientist Suzanne Simard (The University of British Columbia, Canada) and German forester and author Peter Wohlleben have been investigating and observing the communication between trees over decades. And their findings are most astounding.