An Epic Day of Learning in Nature

“The land teaches us, this is our classroom.” - Sarah, Epic Learning Facilitator

Tamara and Rebecca had the pleasure of visiting the EPIC Learning Centre in Victoria, BC where Tamara has been working as a consultant and mentor for the development of the school.

EPIC is a community consciously creating an opportunity for children and adults to come together to discover, create, play, reflect and learn. Learning at EPIC is deeply rooted in the natural world, taking place outside 3 days a week in small cohorts of up to 16 students. Each cohort is expertly guided by 2-3 adults who combine their extensive outdoor education, training and experience mentoring children. Families continue learning at home on other days of the week. A BC certified teacher leads the outdoor program and supervises each student’s home learning throughout the year. 

EPIC aspires to embrace and apply the work of the Neufeld Institute in a school setting. Their philosophy: “Work together towards emotional health and well-being, keeping children safe in a wounding world and support the unfolding of full student potential.”

As we (Tamara and Rebecca) drove into the parking lot of the EPIC learning site, we were greeted by a beautiful, sloping meadow slightly hazed by a faint mist, with trails leading to the forest beyond. It was early in the morning, and the air was crisp and refreshing, mixed with the earthy smell of fallen leaves. 

Children began to appear, running wildly and gleefully under an old chestnut tree, chasing and laughing. The teachers collected the children, drawing them into an invigorating dance party. Most of the children participated, while a few stood near their parents, soaking up tender cuddles and extra moments to say good-bye before taking cues from their teachers and joining in the dance. 

Once goodbyes were said and the children collected, we made our way along a trail through the meadow and up to a large, outdoor covered cabana. Here, the teachers led the children in a community circle time, acknowledging the traditional land of the Songhees, Esquimalt, Malahat and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. The time was spent in honour and gratitude as reflected in the song sung to begin the day:

I can feel my heart beat, beating to the rhythm of the forest song. When I say yes to the beat in me, I can send my spirit free. When I say yes to the beat in you, I can see your light shine through. (Freedom Song by Beautiful Chorus. The word ‘freedom’ in this song was replaced with ‘forest’.)

While the children participated in the community circle, some sat on the benches, others stood, and others wiggled. One student needed extra space away from the group, and found a little nook in a pile of leaves just outside the cabana. When the morning circle time was over, the children were divided into two groups. The younger Maple Group (K-Gr.2) and the older Salal Group (Gr. 2-3). 

The younger children gathered with their teachers, Catie and Sarah, for a story about the birds, listening while they ate their snacks. After the story, the teachers lead the group to a clearing in the forest. Catie and Sarah took on the roles of a fox and a bear, using these characters to act out a story of expression and of colours that matched their feelings. The attention of the children was completely absorbed watching the adults engage in teaching through play. 

When the skit was over, the teachers walked the children around the boundaries of the play area in the forest. This created a physical container of safety for the children to explore. Catie and Sarah held a container of emotional safety for the children, masterfully coming alongside them, listening to their stories and assisting them in finding branches, building forts, or supporting them through social interactions. The children felt safe to come to their teachers with questions and wonderings. The teachers found graceful ways to allow feelings to be expressed and experiences to be shared.

It was quite remarkable to see the play that emerged in this hour. Building materials of branches, sticks, pinecones and firs were gathered and collected, forts were built, a log helicopter was structured, a miniature fairy world was created. The hour flew by in a flurry of exploration and creativity, magic and imagination. Loud “meows” echoed through the trees as one group of children played a game called ‘cougar family.’The cougar family needed to protect themselves from the hunter roaming through the forest, and shrieks of terror were heard as the hunter came near their den. It was beautiful to witness the children connect with empathy for the hunted and to play with their alarm as the story unfolded.

In the older group, the children explored the world of mushrooms. The curiosity was put forth by the teachers, Francie and Sydney. The learning was led by the children as they explored the forest, finding different varieties of mushrooms. The teachers provided answers to the kids' questions, and they learned something about the mushrooms that was interesting to them. Teachers drew out what the kids already knew and invited the children to sketch their findings and record their learnings.

During lunch, the teachers led the children to a different part of the forest, where everyone sat together: eating, talking, laughing and telling stories. As the children finished their lunches, they got up to play. A group of children started climbing up the side of a bank, balancing on top of logs and making their way through bushes growing on the incline. Catie and Sarah encouraged this activity, lending a hand as needed, but mostly leaving it up to the children to navigate the risks for themselves. Climbing up the logs, the kids were given space to explore their own limits.

When lunch was over, and the exploration of the logs on the bank came to a close, Catie and Sarah led the children on a walk, out of the forest to a meadow, near the bank of a pond. Here, the children were invited to find themselves a ‘sit spot’, and to quietly reflect on the activity of the birds around them.

It was magical to witness the stillness of the meadow, each child sitting and pondering in their own space. As the reflection time came to a close, the kids were eager and excited to share what they had heard and noticed: geese flying overhead, ducks swimming on the pond, crows squawking back and forth in response to each other. One student had woven a small nest out of a thin willow branch. “I’m going to leave this here for the birds in case they need a nest,” he announced.

This idea lit a spark, and several of the children excitedly went to play, using the materials they found in their surroundings to build nests for the birds. Catie noted that this spontaneous engagement often happened, saying that she rarely used the lessons she planned. The learning came about by simply following what the kids were interested and excited about. Sarah encouraged the children to thank the land for the gifts it gave, and to remember to give something back to the land. The children caught on to this idea, hanging their birds' nests in the branches of the surrounding trees, and asking the adults for help to place their nests on branches higher than they could reach.

As the day came to a close, Catie and Sarah gathered the children around their ‘circle of gratitude’. Earlier in the week, the children had collected treasures they found in the forest and in the field, and had laid them in a circle as an offering of thanks. It was a joy to witness the children’s excitement as they showed off their contributions in the ‘circle of gratitude’. The excitement spilled over into a happy dance, with Sarah stepping into the lead with her epic dance moves. Before saying goodbye, the children shared and reflected on their day and their ideas, while Catie and Sarah expertly facilitated a safe place for the children to be heard. Catie shared peppermint tea from a large thermos with the children, an end of the day ritual that added another layer of warmth to the time of connection.

The day ended with a final song:  

Standing like a tree with my roots down deep, my branches wide and open. Down comes the rain, down comes the sun, down comes the love to a heart that is open too. (Standing Like a Tree written by Burns and Kristy)

The children and teachers gathered again to walk once more through the meadow, where parents and caregivers waited under the old chestnut tree to collect their children after an epic day of learning in nature.