Our Approach
This is how we do things and what we stand for.
Our curriculum is rooted in the 8 Shields model, based on the work of Jon Young.
Organized around the medicine wheel, each direction invites us into a unique relationship with the land and a doorway into nature connection:
Birds: The Messengers of the Wilderness [NE]
Hazards: A Call to be Alert and Use Common Sense [E]
Motivating Species: Things to Catch, Eat, Climb and Tend [SE]
Mammals: And Other Hard to See, Yet Totally Track-able Critters [S]
Plants: Nature’s Grocery Store and Medicine Cabinet [SW]
Ecological Indicators: How it All Works Together [W]
Heritage Species: Wisdom of the Ancestors [NW]
Trees: Tools of Human Survival [N]
We honor developmental stages and offer a thoughtful balance of structure and freedom.
Our programs follow a steady rhythm rooted in connection, curiosity, and play. A typical day at forest school looks like this:
Games and seasonal crafts to start the day
Songs, movement, and gratitude in Moon Bird Meadow
Storytelling under Mama Maple
Forest adventures, free play, nature-based projects and/or time in Guilds (interest-based learning groups)
Lunch at favorite spots like Coyote Woods or Flying Squirrel Slope
Reflection and sharing through the Story of the Day
Respect and reciprocity for ourselves, one another, and nature are at the forefront of our teachings.
We teach these values by leading by example. So, if we're out harvesting Stinging Nettles together, don't be surprised when you see us gently yanking out a few strands of hair from our heads and offering them to the plants to say thanks and give back!
All humans desire to be seen, heard, and authentically express who they are.
We all have unique gifts to share. How can we dance together in a way that honors and respects each individual? How can we coexist where everyone feels safe, seen, soothed, and secure? These questions are at the core of our learning journey with our students.
Everything in nature has something to teach us.
Even the ground-nesting wasps that leave a painful sting, the relentless rodents who wiggle their way into our homes, and the Devil's Club with unsavory spikes. What's the wisdom that we can learn from these creatures? What "superpowers" do they possess which allow them to survive in the wilderness? How can we demonstrate empathy towards these beings and learn from their resiliency?
Children thrive as capable and resilient beings when they feel safe and supported.
We support each child by tuning into their nervous system and individual needs. Rather than managing behavior from a “top-down” lens, we take a “bottom-up” approach—understanding that feelings and behaviors stem from the whole nervous system.
As Gabor Maté says, “The most important job of the school is to promote healthy brain development.” We do this by offering co-regulation and cues of safety.
The knowing is in the doing.
Nature is meant to be felt, tasted, smelled, and explored. Real connection begins when we slow down, engage our senses, and stay curious.
Naming plants is just the start; deep relationship comes through experience. As William Butler Yeats said, “Education isn’t the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”