Learning ReWild
A wilder Curriculum
Originating in Scandinavia during the 1970’s, the Forest School approach involves participants learning outdoors, on a regular sustained basis. It is a long-term learner led educational process that promotes, observes and explicitly supports the holistic development of children, young people and adults in an outdoor (preferably woodland) environment. In line with the ethos, I believe people can only truly connect to nature, and have an understanding of its value and worth, if they have hands on learning experiences themselves. This will provide you with a much more profound experience, and a memory that perhaps will last you your lifetime. At forest school, as experiences sustain, participants gain a better understanding of their natural environment; perhaps forging a connection, or mounting to a feeling of ownership. In turn, outlooks can become influenced, views may change, and more thought and consideration may be given to the importance of preserving such environments for the future.
Every child has an innate curiosity about the world that surrounds them and wholesome instincts to learn. Forest School builds on this natural intuition, and offers opportunities for children to achieve through hands-on learning experiences in an outdoor environment.
Children are free to make choices, initiate their learning and take appropriate risks; in turn encouraging positive attitudes and builds resilience. Forest school programmes emphasise the development of self-esteem, communication and social skills, personal responsibility and citizenship. These skills feed-back positively into school and other settings.
When incorporated into the curriculum on a regular basis, Forest School can enrich and link to areas of development and learning, that sometimes lessons in a classroom with 4 walls cannot.
Dorset Rewilding works with schools across the county delivering tailor made outdoor education programmes, working in school grounds.
Please contact us direct for more information on forest school programmes in school.
