About
The Full Story - What we do
Boreal Forest Program (BFP) provides an on-the-land, child-led, nature-immersion learning program that encourages the development of the whole child. It is directed toward school aged children and operates during the summer months when school is out. In 2024, we will be introducing camp days that will run when Yk#1 district is closed for PD days.
BFP focuses on outdoor learning activities that encourage self-confidence, self-regulation, resilience and working with peers. We place emphasis on children connecting themselves with their natural environment. Sometimes, children work independently, while other times, they work collaboratively, to create, problem solve and support one another. They may request assistance from an adult and we aim to do that without hindering their creative ideas and plan.
BFP is a fully outdoor program and children take part in a variety of activities throughout the day, including fort building, working with age-appropriate tools, free play, bug catching and research. We encourage participants to read their body and seek out what it needs, so the option of reading nature-themed literature from a hammock is always an option when things need to slow down.
“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it. Perhaps this is what Thoreau had in mind when he said, “the more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think the same is true of human beings.” ~David Sobel