On this day, the group hikes up the Bruce Trail before stopping on a fallen
log to review the safety rules for their next activity—caving. With the
rules in place and their headlamps secured, the group enters the caves,
proceeding one by one through a narrow crack in the Niagara Escarpment.
Some kids are admittedly nervous, but with a teacher at each end and
the support of their peers, they all make their way through, building
confidence as they go.
In an era of growing concern about children’s eroding relationship with
nature, Forest Schools are cropping up across Canada. Here in the
Georgian Bay region, there’s the current Free Spirit/Red Tail Hawk offering
and this September, At Last Adventures in Owen Sound will be launching
their own forest school. “Our children and even our generation have
become so disconnected from nature, “ explains At Last Adventures'
Debbie Val, “To the point that we fear what we don’t know and then,
we destroy what we fear.” Debbie and her husband Carlin have been
connecting with local parents and teachers for feedback as they develop
their program.
Collingwood’s TerryWarren is one such parent. His daughter, Andie,
attends Free Spirit’s Snowy Owl program each week. “Our family loves to
spend time outdoors and we feel that there is somuch to learn outside of
the traditional classroom,” explainsWarren. “Andie loves the outdoors and
loves bugs evenmore; she is called the bug whisperer at school.” Asked
what gap Forest School fills for his family, Warren continues, “Forest
school gives her exposure to newmethods of learning including hands-
on skills and tasks related to camping, survival, tree, plant and animal
identification. She always comes home excited about what she did that
day and tells us stories about what they have learned.” Andie’s reported
highlights have been going to the sugar shack and learning tomake
maple syrup, starting a fire to cook pancakes over, finding fossils, and
learning to identify animal tracks.
For Debbie Val, the Forest School movement is about more than just
wilderness skills. “I’ve done a lot of research about green space and how
it helps withmental health and development of children,” she explains.
“My biggest passion would be the mental health aspect.” Simply put,
children can’t bounce off the walls if you take the walls away.
,
,
The children aresilent as theypass the
smudgebowl around, gentlyushering the
smokeover their faces.
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