Classes
Forest Kindergarten
In our Forest Kindergarten classes, we introduce new stories and games every week. We choose unique songs to blend fun animal lessons, seasonal changes, earth connection, and a variety of languages. Hands-on activities bring the story of the land to life, giving meaning to our innate connection with the world around us. Children learn to identify plants, find animal tracks and nests, follow the phases of the moon, grow food from seeds, and use what they find on the land to make useful tools and crafts.
Homeschool Field Class
Topics planned for each class are determined by what is happening on the land seasonally in the location where the class is meeting that day. Examples of seasonal patterns that guide the class include elderberries ripening, yucca flowering, bird migrations, and creek flow.
Throughout the semester and over the course of many years, our participants build community through the shared experience of living in relationship with earth’s rhythms. Deep friendships are made as children are guided to show care and kindness for each other and the earth.
Basket Weaving Workshop
Containers made of plants have been used by our ancestors around the world for thousands of years. Learn to weave a ribbed egg basket out of locally harvested willow, english ivy, morning glory and tule. Identifying plants for weaving opens a new world to connecting with and using plants as tools. Depending on the size of your basket, some participants may finish within the time frame of the class, while others may need to complete theirs at home.
2023 Summer Camps
Camps include:
- Fairy Quest
- Land Detective Nature Camp
- Forest Kindergarten
- Tidepooling
- Summery Family Beach Day
Field Trips
Field Trips include the following options:
- Sensory Awareness
- Pollinator Hike
- The Art of Tracking
- Ecological Gardening
- Beyond the Green Blue
- Natural Building
- Ancestral Living Skills
- Ecological Restoration
- Stream Survey
- Explore Tide Pools
Ecoliteracy Programs
Cultivate care and connection between students and the earth, while supporting academic standards taught in the classroom.
Ecoliteracy is the understanding of the natural systems that make life on our planet possible. Students become ecoliterate when we allow nature to be the teacher.
Astronomy Night
Join us for Astronomy Night! Come to Big Oak Canyon for an evening of stargazing and stories! Bring a chair or mat to lie on, and warm clothing to get cozy. Learn how to read the night sky and observe its patterns like humans have done for millennia. Learn some of the constellations and the stories that connect them.
Events
Volunteer at Big Oak Canyon
All Ages
Ages 12 and under require adult supervision
1st Saturday of the month
9am – 12:30pm
Location: Big Oak Canyon