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Earthwalks and Nature Connection By Jon Cree “Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher” William Wordsworth (The Major Works) “Surely any outdoor learning is a good thing and is creating nature connection, at least we’re getting them out there, nature teaches all the time”. This is a mantra I often hear from outdoor and indeed environmental educators. Having been involved in the EE (environmental education) /OE (outdoor education) movement for

A year long course for women: our wisdom, connection, nourishment and belonging visualised and celebrated. Led by Marina Robb and Eleanor Darley Listen to the Earth speak. Meeting by the fire, in the woods, listening and tending to our well-being, deep in connection, ceremony, plant knowledge, ceremonial practices, laughter and reflection. This offering is a year course to energise, nourish and celebrate you as a woman; acknowledging your physical and natural connection to the Earth,

I used to find the school holidays quite a stressful time. Looking for interesting things to do and places to go, budgeting for the costs of parking and cafe stops and endless snacks, organising play dates and holiday clubs.   Searching for a place where children could be free to play; without the demand of spending more money and without the overwhelming stress of noise, and the sensory intensity akin to that of going to

Forest School Sessions Forest School sessions are an innovative educational approach that focuses on the ‘processes of learning’ rather than ‘content transfer’. Forest School is play based, with child led learning at its centre, taking place regularly in an outdoor setting. Forest School sessions provide a place for the child’s spark of creativity to be ignited within a rich, ever changing and limitless learning environment, naturally stimulating the development of motor skills, speech and language,

Outdoor Classroom Day Blog by Jon Cree Communing with another – a ceremonial transformation. Encounters with a nettle. This week I experienced a palpable shift in one of the teachers on a workshop I was facilitating – let’s call her Jane (real name left out for anonymity). The workshop entitled “lost words”, is based on the book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, that seems to have swept up the country’s schools in its magic.

Young Nature Leaders Initiative – Mental Health Awareness Week It’s been an incredible journey on the Young Nature Leaders Initiative course with Circle of Life Rediscovery.  Spending a day out in the woods each month has been a wonderful and grounding experience and it has given me a tranquil space to feel connected to nature. If I was ever feeling stressed or anxious before the session, that was eased once I got to the woods

What is International School Grounds Month? Each year, in May, the International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) calls on schools around the world to take their pupils outside to celebrate International School Grounds Month. They believe that school grounds are hugely important to children and youth, and shape their experience of the world around them. Why is it important? In some cases, school or nursery grounds are the first place children have the opportunity to become