nature is often overlooked as a healing balm
for the emotional hardships in a child's life
RICHARD LOUV
Rewild Maine Youth Programs
Children's curiosity reaches up and out naturally, like seedlings searching for the sunlight. When adults are able to meet them where they're at, we can help cultivate the passion for learning and growth that is inherent in every person. We gravitate towards building, creating, exploring and making decisions that affect our world because we, as humans, have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years of living in direct relationship with the land. These skills are embedded in our collective memory; that's why so many kids love playing outside.
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Learning happens best when young people are encouraged to follow their own curiosity. We cultivate the sense of wonder inherent within us all, and allow each person's unique passions to affect the flow of education. We use a variety of small-scale, place-based living skills, activities, games and stories about natural history to teach kids what they need to know.
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The keystone principles we teach are:
1. We are all deeply connected to the land, and to each other,
2. Each of our actions have effects on all those around us,
3. The earth gives us what we need with loving generosity, and,
4. With patience and resilience, we can make the necessary mistakes required to learn how to be healthy, happy, helpful humans in a world that so desperately needs our presence.
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We occasionally offer various week- and weekend-long program sessions, which are designed to provide an approachable, accessible introduction to many small-scale, place-based living skills for kids ages 5-15. When we have scheduled the next public Seedling or Sapling Series program, the dates and registration information will be posted here.
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Public/Private Schools, and Homeschool Groups
We frequently partner with public and private schools, and local homeschool groups, to provide our programming in sessions that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days to many weeks. We may join your classroom to teach about nature connection, natural awareness, foraging for food and medicine, tracking animals and watching birds, building survival shelters; various forms of organic arts and crafts like basketry, string-making and woodcarving, or playing ancient nature games. We can bring one specific activity that your group is excited to learn about, or work with you to build a longer-term program that consists of many different new skills.
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We are so honored to work with young people of all ages. We have partnered with various public and private elementary, middle and high schools, and many homeschool groups, in southern Maine. We are more than willing to travel to meet with you and your students. If there is a way that we can help support your curriculum, please contact us. Our costs for programming may be adjusted to meet the needs of your homeschool group or educational institution.
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