forest schooled

(a Nature-rooted learning journey)

1. guided, challenged, humbled, and befriended by the features and forces of the natural world

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2. inspired to embed connections to the more-than-human-world in my day-to-day life, continuously self-reflect, and adapt my practices to meet community needs over time

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3. taught a lesson related to learning, the Land, and life (the hard way)

My name is Caylin and I started Forest Schooled as a blog in 2016 while working towards my Forest School qualification in the UK. Then in 2017 I moved to the homeland of the Abenaki/Abénaquis, part of Wabanaki Confederacy (which is also known to many as New Hampshire, USA); and then moved again in 2019 to the homeland of the Algonquin Nation (which is also known to many as Ottawa, Canada). The blog is a collection of stories I've gathered along the way, and they demonstrate how my understanding of education rooted in nature has adapted and changed with the places I've lived. I claim to be an "educator" but the reality is that whilst I'm busy "teaching" others, the children and the Land are just as busy teaching me. This is a place where I share the lessons I'm learning in the process and how, in essence, I'm getting "Forest Schooled".

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After years of writing my blog, my focus has turned to deepening professional learning and practice through reflection and community building, to enrich experiences and improve the quality of how and what we deliver through our programs. I make space in my work for Western science and Indigenous perspectives to move towards mutual understanding and restoration (or re-story-ation*) of our connections with the natural world. In addition to developing and delivering programs, I also offer consultancy and mentorship to help those just getting started in outdoor and nature-rooted programs, as well as experienced practitioners who want to deepen their practice, by offering my perspective and experience as a springboard for your learning journey. If this interests you feel free to check out my Work With Me page for more information as well as as well as my e-learning platform for resources and community learning events!!

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* "As Gary Nabhan has written, we can't meaningfully proceed with healing, with restoration, without "re-story-ation." In other words, our relationship with the land cannot heal until we hear its stories. But who will tell them?"

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- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, p. 9