As most of you know we went off property this morning and headed to one of Forest Schools favourite area – Metcalfe Rock! Located just beyond Blue Mountain we tucked ourselves away right beside natural rock formations and some of Ontario’s best rock climbing.
Our students challenged themselves through rock climbing and caving, along with meeting our sister school from Collingwood. Our older students discovered how courageous they were caving in the Ice Cave, while our smaller students explored caverns and smaller caves. We are so proud of everyone who pushed their comfort zones, made new friends and new memories. We took an extra pictures this week to capture everyones experiences, we hope you enjoy!
Hey Folks! We’ve been busy playing outside. Here’s a recap of the last few weeks!
Paddling
We love exploring our extended backyard and our older students ventured off on a field trip to the Beaver River. We had some amazing weather systems – both warm and wet! – that challenged us along the way. We learned about water/river safety, paddling skills and most importantly had fun connecting with our classmates on the water. Our oldest students had the chance to do some kayaking as well!
Climbing
Speaking of our amazing “backyard”, we also headed out to Metcalfe Rock for our annual Rock Climbing trip with our older groups. Students pushed their limits and reached for the skies as they ascended this ancient rock!
Birds
Bygone days continues to be alive with Birds and we’ve been treated to watching many different species of birds build their nests, defend their territories and raise little babies. As we tune in more to Bird Language, our world is opening up!
Homemade Glue
It’s easier (and stickier) than you think! Some folks had the opportunity to make homemade pine pitch glue (pine resin, beeswax and ground up coals) over the fire. We used it to make some pretty rad arrows and spears!
“Spirit Bear” (aka Bear Bear, AKA Cuddles)
We’ve got a new addition to our crew that you may have heard of. Earlier this Spring we were given a special Bear to take on our journeys and to catch and listen to all our stories. This was passed on by a friend (thanks Lori!) after she received it from a Cree Elder for work she has done with Indigenous youth. Spirit Bear has had a huge impact for some of our students and has paddled the Beaver River, climbed at Metcalfe and followed us just about everywhere. Our students have even outfitted him in complete rain suits on the wetter days!
Reptiles, Amphibians and More!
There’s maybe nothing in the world that gets the kids more excited than heading out net in hand to capture some critters. We’ve seen it all this year, from damselfly nymphs and water scorpions, to frogs, toads and turtles. We’ve even observed/caught a few new-to-us species on our property – spring peepers, gray tree frogs and snapping turtles!
Wild Edibles
As the Spring rolls on, we encounter more and more delicious wonders of the Forest. Stay tuned parents – we’ve got a workshop coming up for you that will help you chow down alongside your nature kids!
And of course, there’s so much more, but too much to sum up in a simple little blog.
It’s been awhile since our last post and we’ve been up to so many adventures! It’s hard to sum up (and remember everything – we have go to keep up on this blog!). From expanding our knowledge on wild edibles, hiking new trails and rock climbing, we have been super busy!
All of our older classes have now had the chance to visit one of our favourite places – Metcalfe Rock. This gem, located in the Kolopore Uplands, is a magical place to explore, play and uncover new things. We certainly pushed our limits rock climbing up the Escarpment – and many of us for the very first time. We are so proud of our students for stepping beyond their comfort zones and trying something new!
Our students are also getting really good at identifying wild edible plants. We have had some more real tasty stir fries (including our favourite – leek and asparagus!) and garlic mustard pesto sauces. We were even able to find some morels!
As the spring unfolds we also see our pond coming alive, too. And with the warm weather we’ve caught many frogs and turtles, and other little critters. It’s been cool catching dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, then connecting with them again as they are out flying around now, eating those unwanted bugs. We are also watching tadpoles grow bigger, birds make nests and have their babies, and bigger mammals (like our neighbour the groundhog) go about their day. It’s this repetitive connection with place that is so important – and so interesting! It’s allowed us the opportunity to see and feel connected to the changes this spring. It’s been quite a treat to see and engage with all of this awesome creation and we know there is more to come!
We had an awesome field trip this week to Metcalfe Rock in the Kolapore Uplands. This is one of our favourite places to visit for hiking, caving and best of all, CLIMBING! This week rocked!
There’s not much for us to write about this week except how proud we are of our students for stepping outside their comfort zones and trying a challenging, risky and new (for some people) activity. As teachers, we are thrilled to see everyone give it their best and encourage each other along the way. It’s quite the supportive community we’ve all built here at Forest School.
After our initial round of climbing, students had free, exploratory play in the beautiful surrounding forest. Some built shelters, others played one of our favourite games: camouflage, and some even made our now infamous leek and trout lily salad. A few eager students even spent their time climbing some more routes.
In total, 6 different climbs were conquered by our climbers. Check out the photos below, they say a thousand words. (If you’d like a better digital copy, send us an email at fsforestschool@gmail.com).
Congrats to our Bead Recipients: Everyone earned an Explorer Bead and a Bravery Bead!
Oh, and if you’re wondering why your child(ren) may have come home with a new special rock, it may have been inspired by our story: Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor
