Our Resources That Advocate Nature-Based Learning.

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Some of the great resources we have in our region to support children in a nature-based learning environment.

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Let’s talk about the resources we have around us.  In regards to what children have somewhat readily available for them when it comes to nature and play-based learning. There were three that really stuck out to me, these organizations were: Forest School Canada, Ottawa Forest and Nature School and Natural Leaders Alliance.  These organizations provide our community with enriched and quality based learning experiences. What sparked this initial interest of finding out what Ottawa had that let children explore and initiate play in nature. The main website that provided me with these resources right away was childnature.ca. This website gave me all the information, contacts, and everything I needed to know about Forest School and Nature interactions for children. Thus, this blog post will mainly revolve around this finding, and how it advocates and promotes its self to the community.

Forest School Canada is a foundation that build strong, coherent, and reputable Forest and Nature School communities of practice, both regionally and nationally (childnature.ca). They also provide individuals that are in the profession with a a national curriculum framework. This framework that will assist educators in practicing quality, safe, effective, and inclusive nature-based education that is rooted in strong pedagogical principles being translated into practice. This resource provides all with an overall base for those advocating for Forest and Nature based learning experiences for children.

Ottawa Forest and Nature School provides children with multiple programs. For example they have implemented full day forest school, as well as half days for all children aged 4 to 12 years of age. To me personally, Forest School is a great way for children to learn. If we look at the definition provided by childnature.ca : The defining feature of this type of nature-based education program is that children are provided with opportunities to build an on-going relationship with the land, to a dedicated educator, to one another, and to themselves through this educational approach. Based on my experience, a lot of children lack from these basic, but crucial interactions with themselves, others and educators, as well as the world around them. Other programs they offer are PD Days, camps and drop-off Fridays, these let parents who are interested in the idea of Forrest School to provide an opportunity to try out the benefits it brings to their children.

Ottawa Forest and Nature School and Natural Leaders Alliance bring up core values that are necessary when it comes to being a leader in this subject field. They accentuate these core beliefs and values: Authentic Youth Engagement, Collaboration, Adaptation, Diversity & Inclusion and Equity in Nature (childnature.ca). These words themselves provide us with a principle, and an idea of the overall weight and worth of the importance of Forest and Nature Schools.

To finish this up childnature.ca is a great resource, not only does it provide us with these resources, but also demonstrates all the readily available resources in North America. There are over 30 resources all over North America, thus we are not limited to the ones mentioned above. These resources allows us to further support and inform ourselves when it comes to Nature and Forrest schools, and children learning in these environments. Forest School Canada, Ottawa Forest and Nature School and Natural Leaders Alliance, to me were the ones that stood out the most. These resources provided all the information directly, all organized on a web page. Forest school are an essential piece to our youth growing up in a environment that is not a virtual one.

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REFERENCES:

1- http://childnature.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FSC-Guide-1.pdf

2- http://childnature.ca/ottawa-forest-nature-school/

3- http://childnature.ca/forest-school-canada/

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