Forest School Ethos
Forest School Principals
As defined by Nature Alliance of Canada, “Forest/Nature School is an educational ethos and practice that centres the Land and the child-at-play. Children and educators build a relationship with the Land through regular and repeated access to the same outdoor space over an extended period of time. Educators support learning through a pedagogical framework that is rooted in place and play, directed, and inspired by the child (emergent curriculum), and driven by a process of inquiry.”
1. FS takes place in a variety of spaces including local forests, creeks, meadows, prairie grasses, mountains, shorelines, rivers, tundras, natural playgrounds, city parks (open spaces) &/ or outdoor classrooms.
2. FS is a long-term process of regular & repeated sessions in the same natural space.
3. FS supports children & youth with a qualified & knowledgeable educator to identify, co-manage & navigate risk. Opportunities of risk are seen as an integral part of children's learning & healthy development.
4. FS views children as innately competent, curious & capable learners.
5. FS honors Aboriginal & Indigenous culture & history, as well as traditional ways of learning & living off the land.
6. FS supports children to develop an ethic of care towards nature & an understanding of themselves as part of the natural world.
7. FS is grounded in & supports building engaged, healthy, vibrant & diverse communities.
8. FS aims to promote the holistic development of children & youth.
9. FS allows for educators to navigate & balance their role as facilitator, guide, supporter & co-learner rather than "expert".
10. FS relies on loose, natural materials to support an open-ended, creative learning process.
11. FS recognizes that the process is as valued (or even more valued) than the product or outcome.
12. FS is led by a qualified Forest & Nature School Practitioner who is rooted in & committed to place-based education & FS pedagogical theory & practical skills.
13. FS calls for educators to utilize place-based, play-based, emergent, inquiry-based & experiential learning approaches toward connecting children to nature.