Description

Schedule at a glance:

Saturday

7:30         Registration

8:30         Living Land Acknowledgement and Opening Address

9:00         Learning and Teaching from an Indigenous Worldview – Lisa Dutcher, Kehkimin Wolastoqey
Immersion school

10:00       BREAK

10:15          Neurodivergent Kids in the Outside World presented by Renate Gritter         
Ones personal experience and wisdom: This workshop will introduce folks to the language and common tendencies of neurodivergent experiences, offer insight into how a neurodivergent child might experience nature education. How these experiences can be related to educators more broadly. This discussion will be drawn from personal experiences as an autistic educator student and sometimes a reluctant resident of the outside world.

11:30        LUNCH

12:30       Plant Walk with Tristan Hallett
On this walk you will be shown how to identify a variety of wild trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, their role in the ecosystem, and potential edible and medicinal uses of them. Plants are the foundation of nearly all ecosystems, and understanding them will lay the groundwork for a much deeper connection to the nature that surrounds us.

Tristan is a forager with a passion for botany from Fredericton. His goal in teaching is to instill into others that same love and appreciation of nature, the confidence and knowledge to start the journey in identifying plants and using them.

2:00        Meditation to Improve Your Health: mind body and spirit by Maria Recchia
In this class we will discuss the health benefits of meditation from a holistic perspective. We will learn And practice some techniques for basic mindfulness meditation And Ways to meditate in nature.

Maria Recchia is presently studying to be a clinical herbalist. Herbalism is wholistic healthcare that works with the mind, body and spirit. She has studied and practiced meditation from several traditions for about 15 years and is very interested in its health benefits.  She also works as a home funeral guide and is involved in public celebrations of the wheel of the year holidays (solstices, equinoxes and cross-quarter days) connecting people physically and spiritually to Nature in all her forms.

3:30         BREAK

3:45      Art in Nature with Avril Bull-Jones
This workshop will be held outside on the land so please dress accordingly . If you have a note/sketch book bring it with you . Paper and pencils will be available as well.  The main focus to this workshop will be to spend time outside in various locations on the property to enhance your visual skills in a safe fun way through different exercises . As my figure drawing teacher so calmly told us , “The more you see the more you can draw”. This makes so much sense and in the workshop I will lead you with different prompts to discover this for seeing, hearing and the wonderful mix of discovery. There will be time to stand/sit quietly and time to do some sharing of those who would like to share thoughts, discoveries and ideas of where to go with it all.  Art in nature go hand in hand waiting for you to receive her gifts.

5:00       Risk/Benefit Management and Play with Sparrow 
Much of what we now deem ‘risky play’ used to just be play! It is vital in developing confidence, body awareness (proprioceptive and kinaesthetic integration), and risk assessment skills in children. Learn what risky play is, why we need it, and how and when to allow children to push their limits.

Leah “Sparrow” Houghton is the co-founder and educational director at Fairlight Farm, an off-grid non-profit teaching farm focusing on permaculture, subsistence homesteading, and nature connection. She is also is a lead outdoor educator at the Knowlesville Art and Nature Centre. Sparrow grew up in girl scouts, at horse camp, and at wilderness camps and wilderness college. She loves farm animals and convincing adults to play games outside!

6:00        DINNER

7:00        Wilderness Skills: Navigating with Youth with Gregory Reardon
Our evening activity will combine a variety of skills from the day’s activities and will put your teamwork abilities to the test!  Using a map, teams will be tasked to find a variety of important items that will be needed to perform, “the ultimate challenge.”  Be ready!

Greg Reardon is a Grade 5 teacher at Townsview School in Woodstock, NB.  Born and raised in Newfoundland, he started his teaching career in the Northwest Territories in 2001.  Greg spent sixteen years teaching in several Indigenous communities and accepted every opportunity to undertake learning experiences on the land, which is embedded in the NWT curriculum.  He has studied and worked internationally and, as a certified outdoor educator and Forest School Practitioner, continues to work with students, staff, administration, and community members to take learning outdoors.

9:00        Campfire (bring your singing voice, instruments)
We will have a chance to open up discussions, network, ask questions, sing and enjoy the evening.

SUNDAY

7:30         BREAKFAST
8:45         Morning Circle
9:00        Project WILD: Lead by facilitator Rhonda Sage – Introduction
Rhonda Sage is the Executive Director/Founder of Nature’s Backpack Land-Based Learning Centre. She leads with a passion to connect our youth to the land and with the ecosystem of our community (human and non-human). She is a graduate from the University of Guelph in Environmental Sciences, and from NBCC in Early Child Education.  She obtained her Forest School Practitioner through the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada and currently taking her level 1 in Brain Sensory and Movement certification with Move Play Thrive. She has over 20 years experience as a teacher assistant, Kindergarten teacher, outdoor educator, nature interpreter, forest school teacher and youth program coordinator. Rhonda has held many positions in the outdoor, play, and education sector and spoke at various teacher workshops, parent workshops and more. Her passion is  children and nature and when you meet her, you will feel that passion as she believes we are all in this together for our future generation.

10:00      BREAK
10:15       Theory and games shown by facilitator
12:00      LUNCH
1;00        Group work and presentations
4:00        Questions and Certifications
5:00        Closing Circle