Welcome! We’re excited to share stories of adventure, curiosity and connection from our Outdoor School 21/22 season each week. You can come here at any time to get a sense of what we’re up to and what has us excited. If you’d like to see some awesome photos or have the stories to come to you, follow us on Instagram or Facebook!
June 3, 2022
That’s a wrap on the Outdoor School 2021/22 season! This time of year is always bittersweet. We say goodbye to a community – human and more than human – that we’ve spent the past 9 months exploring, laughing, playing, making mistakes, learning, and growing with. But it also creates an exciting opportunity. As groups reflected on this past year, many of their favourite memories were moments of challenge and growth – from cold days to difficult drop offs, they felt proud and confident in their ability to overcome difficulty. They realized that as they witnessed changes in the seasons, they changed too! Now we all have a chance to bring these learnings and skills forward with us, build upon them over summer, and return in the fall ready to share about our discoveries.
This final week was an extra special one. For the first time in 2 years, groups were able to gather together for end of season potlucks and nature naming celebrations. With the intention of celebrating each individual and their unique gifts, instructors left each participant with the parting gift of a nature name. What better way to end than in community with those who support us to have these experiences.
Thank you to everyone who made this year so magical. Mentors, kids, caregivers, community members, YOU make Pine what it is. Thank you for joining us. We’re looking forward to continuing our nature connection journeys together in the fall.
May 27, 2022
Can you believe that it’s nearly the end of our Outdoor School programs?! In our second last week, there were many feelings of gratitude for the park and all of the experiences we’ve been able to share together over the past 8 months. We spent our time finishing up crafting projects and slowing down to notice the small changes around us! Here’s what some groups got up to this week:
🐾 A few groups had the job of identifying animals by their feet alone! How big were the pads? How many toes? Sharp, pointed or rounded? Webbed or separated? These were a few of the clues they used to figure out the mysteries.
🐸 Explorers and scientists at heart, many groups took the time to look closely at some of the beings that we share the parks with. These beings didn’t move quite as fast as the birds we see each week, so we had the chance to use field guides for help with identification! Snakes, frogs, fish, leeches and turtles were just a few of the creatures we saw. One group even counted 31 frogs!
👻 Forest Ninja Ghost piñata! A Pine fan-favourite game returned this week – if you know, you know!
🐟 Crafting continued! Groups continued with their fish skin tanning, some practiced their weaving by weaving willow fish, and others worked on their spoon carving skills.
🧚♀️ Some Coyote Pups had a special visitor return this week – Fairies! These fairies invited the group to take part in fire making. In groups of four, they used the bow drill kits and had to figure out the right pressure, speed and friction to generate heat. It took lots of focus, coordination with each other, communication, and not to mention endurance!
🌹 As we sometimes like to do, one group wrapped up their day with “rose, bud, and thorn”. Some participants shared “I used to be scared of bees and now I’m not, it’s because I’m around them more and I can watch them”, “I was nervous to make friends but now I have friends”, “I was afraid to get muddy but now I know mud is so much fun!”.
🌱 One group made their very own soothing plantain salve! After a small purposeful encounter with stinging nettle from one of the instructors, the salve proved very effective!
May 20, 2022
We can hardly believe how much the parks have changed since we gathered together last week! Trees that were seemingly just starting to open their buds are now adorned with full grown leaves, and so many new plants are popping up on the paths we walk together. We’ve only got a few short weeks together at this year’s Outdoor School programs, and we’re making sure to make the most of our time left together:
🌼👑 Dandelions have arrived in abundance! Many groups this week were excited about the yellow flowers, and spent some time making crowns.
🌱‘Tis the season of Plant Scavenger Hunts! One group was tasked with meeting 14 different plants, and then trying to find them growing nearby. They were then invited to share what they had noticed and journaled about each plant, like where was it growing? What was growing nearby? The group reflected on their learning together and were left with one last burning question – Wait a minute… What are these plants called?!
💜🍋 In recent weeks, groups have been admiring all of the violets! This week, some groups had the chance to make their very own violet syrup. There was a lot of excitement about the magic of violet syrup and its ability to change colour when mixed with lemon juice.
🐟 One group got the chance to work with tanning fish skins! This week, they scraped and cleaned the skins to prepare them for a tea tanning solution over the fire, with future plans of drying and stretching the leather to use for future crafts.
🐌 Did someone say BUGINGO?! A Pine-favourite activity returned this week, with some groups trying to catch sight of different types of insects in order to get ‘BUGINGO’! (Link in bio for the activity sheet).
🔥 Fire! No fear for our groups as they continue to practice their tinder bundling and bowdrill skills. This time with the added bonus of teamwork!
🦝 Spring brings with it lots of new life, including baby animal encounters!
May 13, 2022
There are so many things we could share about programs this week, but our time spent with White Pine was definitely the highlight! Many groups got to make their very own White Pine baskets out of bark, and reflected on their learnings from the story of the Tree of Peace. Thank you, White Pine!
May 6, 2022
Spring is in full bloom! 🌱 Out in the parks, Instructors and participants have been witnessing leaves unfurling on trees, new colours popping up, bird songs ringing out, and a frenzy of animal activity. We’ve been noticing how Spring seems to move fast, with huge changes happening overnight, and green bursting from the landscape. “Oh world of green / of medicine and wonder / canopy of leaves / that I take shelter under / boughs hanging low / with fruit that’s flourishing / blankets of weeds / that heal and nourish me….” (“Oh World of Green”, by Kate Sutherland). With this season of great change in full swing, there is endless fun to be had. Here’s a bit of what we got up to this week:
🐢 Aquatic life has been a source of wonder for many groups this week! Frogs have been making many appearances, along with frog eggs, tadpoles, a turtle and even a beaver!
🌾 Some Coyote Pups learned about ethical harvesting and knot tying to make their very own cattail mats.
🌸 Flowers and plants continue to be a focus for many groups, with garlic mustard, plantain, trout lily, and dandelion showing up in abundance.
📓 With all of the plants popping up, it’s a great time to Nature Journal! Many groups have been taking time to draw the plants they’re meeting this Spring.
🧵 In anticipation of an end-of-year trading blanket activity, many groups have been spending their time together crafting or working on projects. Some groups this week were able to make cordage, Sumac & Manitoba Maple beads, and even Alder Catkin dye.
April 29, 2022
April 22, 2022
This week and each week, we celebrate the earth and its many gifts through connection, gratitude, respect, shared learning, and reciprocity. Here are some of our adventures and learnings from the week:
🌳 Working with and learning from wood helped us to understand the importance of teamwork. We love how the rhythm helps us to work together, engages our senses and integrates different forms of creativity into our task.
💚 Some groups collected garbage in celebration of earth day, to help care for the earth in gratitude for how it cares for us. While doing so, groups discussed the Indigenous peoples who have lived here for many generations and the ways they continue to steward this land.
🦋 As the earth awakens from its much deserved Winter rest, we’re seeing a lot of action out in the parks! From deer to birds to butterflies to beavers, many of our friends have been spotted recently to much excitement. We feel honoured that we’re able to watch these animals, right in in the city we share with them, if we keep aware and quiet.
🌸 Many of us were awestruck by a beautiful meadow of…[can you guess who this gorgoeus blue being is!?]. We looked at a diversity of pollinators who enjoy spreading its pollen…which is also blue!
🐢 After reading the story of “Skywoman Falling” from “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, some Foxes made drawing of images that stood out to them.
👑 A big fallen willow branch inspired us to do some crafting – hoops, crowns, chains, baskets, and more!
🌱 Some groups have been noticing sprouting seeds. They marked the area with sticks so that they can follow the seedling’s growth each week.
April 1, 2022
And we’re back! This week marked the first week of our spring programs and we couldn’t be happier to be back out in the parks with kids. Spring continued with its surprises as we flip-flopped between sun and snow. As we gathered together, we talked about what wonders this season could hold – baby animals?! New plants!? How can we support all of these fragile new beings entering into the world and finding their way? We explored these questions and got up to some major fun, including:
🌱 Creating secret forest gardens by marking off a special area of the ground so that we can revisit those spaces week to week and witness the growth that will occur
🐦 Using bird language skits, where we speak first in bird language and then in human language, to introduce the 5 different “voices” of bird language: song, companion calls, alarm calls, juvenile begging, and aggression.
🦆 Recognizing and celebrating National Indigenous Languages day by sharing a story of bird sighting using the Ojibwe words for robins, mallards and blackbirds.
👀 Doing sit spots with a particular eye for birds.
🌳 Playing “Spear through the Y”. A game, somewhat similar to ultimate frisbee, that builds teamwork, hand/eye coordination, and awareness.
🦝 Practicing the setup of “critter hangs” to keep our belonging safe from critters interested in stealing our snacks!
🔍 Finding cool nature mysteries of course! Wanna get in on the mystery? One group found this cool skull – any ideas?
March 4, 2022
We saw our first red-winged blackbird of the season! Spring is near and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome other migratory birds back.
Groups wandered around the parks to spark memories of games and activities from the season. Watching how a specific area brought forth memories that had otherwise been forgotten was a reminder of our deep connection to place.
Huge ice formations lingering in the West End are beautiful and exciting! But they can also pose risks. We talked about how we can navigate the ice safely. Instructors paid particular mind to how we can discuss safety in ways that children will understand and remember, integrating lessons from the book “A Promise is a Promise” by Michael Kusugak and Robert Munsch, a retelling of a traditional Inuit story on the dangers of ice and the importance of keeping promises.
Many groups made beeswax candles for their last program of the year. Candles encourage us to reflect on how we can capture light in the season of darkness. How bringing light that extends from bees who are nourished by flowers grown in sunlight can bring warmth and light into our homes.
During an epic game of ‘Hawk and Mouse’, the mice couldn’t find the hidden antler! So Instructors gave them a clue – “See this footprint (left behind by a human)? If you can follow the tracks, you can find the antler!” Inspired by challenge, kids put their tracking skills into action.February 25, 2022
A Raccoons group spent their afternoon putting their rope, knots and woodworking skills to the test by creating sleds! The group made different prototypes to figure out what worked and what they wanted to improve on in future weeks.
One group embarked on an “Earth Walk”, where they spent time trying to interact with the world using their different senses like sound and smell. Practicing movement in their different animal forms, they stumbled upon a bunch of cardinal feathers atop a log. The group discussed the mysterious question of “What happened here?” Check out the beautiful bracelets that one group made in their “Winter Village”. Can you guess what this beautiful jewelry is made of?
It sure is icy out there! Many groups spent time learning (which felt more like playing) how to move safely on the ice, which included sliding, crawling, rolling, and of course lots of penguin shuffling!
There’s not just ice on the ground – icicles decorate our surroundings. One group tried to see who could find the biggest icicle, and a group member shared the wisdom that it “Doesn’t matter if you find the biggest icicle, as long as you’re having fun.”
Fire was a recurring theme! One group had a tinder bundle competition to see whos tinder bundle burned the best. Another group Played played “Will it Burn?” with the added challenge to find anything other than a stick. Some kids even tried ice! The group discussed how some plants need heat to release their seeds. They talked about how some Indigenous peoples’ use controlled burning, and the benefits that fire can have on a landscape.
So much fun that you don’t even realize you’re learning? That’s what games can bring. Our Ravens group combined skills with games by creating different relay races. Activities included an ice safety component, flint and steel, and sawing through wood.
An Oaks & Acorns group spent their day focussed on trees! The group observed and discussed different branching patterns and even played a little Dance like a Plant.February 18, 2022
Tracking animals through the landscape. Groups were especially into poop! Aka scat. Signs of rabbit and deer were abound.
Finding ways of greeting the birds. We’ve noticed much more birdsong lately and want to be ready to welcome many more birds back soon. We made more bird feeders and practiced stillness to invite the birds to come to us.
A couple of Coyote Pups and Fiery Foxes groups had a special visit from our Executive Director, Andrew, who brought stories of turkeys and gifts of turkey feathers to celebrate their winning of a program snow fort contest. Groups checked out a kill site, an area where one animal gave their life so that another may continue to survive. We practiced questioning around the site to spark our imaginations, and connect us with the animals and their stories.
More adventures of blood trailing were had. This week, “Shadow Fang” a wolf-like creature who visits at night gave us tracking challenges, while a special group of bunnies taught us how to evade getting caught.February 11, 2022
Groups have been getting crafty! They made beeswax candles and bird feeders (made of pine cones, shortening, and nut-free birdseed). A Coyote Pups group decided to make shelters for our bird friends too.
A few groups read stories from “The Trail of Nenaboozho: and Other Creation Stories” by Isaac Murdoch and Christi Belcourt. They discussed how we’re all co-creating an ongoing story that others may tell one day, and how important it is to act according to the impact we want to have.
How do you move through a snowy landscape? Coyote Pups used a giant sled to carry their backpacks, working as a team to pull it along.
Various groups had a chance to play a new and exciting game about squirrels needing to find resources to survive. We’re especially excited about this game since is was dreamed up by one of the teens from Pine’s Teen Apprenticeship Program. Seeing teens drawing on their own Pine experiences and knowledge to contribute new content is incredible.
We felt extra grateful for the sun. Shout out to High Park Nature Centre for teaching us the word “Apricity [AH-PRISS-UH-TEE ] (noun)” meaning “the warmth of the sun in winter”. This wonderful feeling resonated with us this week! Did you think there wouldn’t be mention of a snow fort? Gotcha! For however long the snow sticks around, you can bet that snow forts will be part of the fun.February 4, 2022
Tracking animals’ movements through the snow. Groups got close to the ground and used magnifying glasses to examine tracks more closely. One group got to practice blood trailing – after a deer was scratched, it left a trail of blood (that looked suspiciously like ketchup) behind that kids were able to track through the landscape. Another group had a chance to follow the movement of a mink!
It may not quite be maple syrup season yet, but when someone brings a jug to program you make maple taffy! As one group sang “”Hawks Above in the Wintry Air””, by former Pine Instructors Paul Kitz and Isabelle McEwen, a hawk flew right above them! It was a magical moment of connection built through song. A group read “The Girl and the Wolf”, by Katherena Vermette, a tale of a little girl getting lost in the woods and a large grey wolf who helps her navigate home by asking questions that help her tap into her own knowledge and skills. Did you hear that? It’s the cardinals and chickadees switching to their spring song! Many groups took time to listen this week. An Oaks & Acorns (parents and tots) group talked about Imbolc, the Gaelic traditional festival celebrating the oncoming spring. We’re about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Spring is on the way!
Groups continued to build marvellous forts from the snow. To mark groundhog day, one group made a groundhog city, a wondrous series of connected tunnels and castles.January 28, 2022
Many groups made teas to keep them warm and cozy in the chilly weather. Groups learned the Ojibwe words for the confierous trees whose needles they used for their teas, such as “giizhik” or cedar. To learn these words, Instructors used “The Ojibwe People’s Dictionary”, an online, searchable, talking Ojibwe-English dictionary.
Groups did lots of hiking and exploring through the snowy landscape, since body movement is critical in these temperatures.
Many groups played a fun game we call “how many items of clothing does it take”, where kids count how many items of clothing it takes for them to feel comfortable in the cold weather. Many kids won with 16+ items! Key items included warm pairs of boots, hats, scarfs, and gloves. Snowfort building continued, as well as other snow-inspired fun like finding our way through a snow labyrinth, covering each other in snow, and jumping in snow piles. Birdwatching was a favourite as many birds’ bright colours, like cardinals, blue jays and house finches, contrasted with the white snow.January 14, 2022
We slid and rolled down icy hills to practice safe ways of moving through the landscape
Storytime is a favourite in any weather. One Coyote Pups group read “It’s a Mitig!” by Bridget George, which brings young readers on an adventure through a forest while introducing them to Ojibwe words for nature. A Raccoons group (10-13yo) gathered around for “Coyote Tales” by Thomas King, humorous tales “set in a time when animals and human beings still talked to each other.”
How can we use a hatchet to test ice safety? Some Run Wild (after school) participants explored this question.
We let the artists in us run free as we drew on the frozen ground AND made prints of bug trails on a tree by making paper rubbings and using berries to colour them in The coolest discovery! One of our school groups got to observe a hawk for about 10 mins and noticed it regurgitate something. When it flew away, they went to investigate of course and found the coolest of discoveries – a pellet! With some dissecting they discovered bones, including some teeth, a lower jaw bone and some other very tiny bones. Any guesses what this hawk might have been snacking on? Some Coyote Pups (4-6yo) taught a baby squirrel (puppet) some safe ways to move along a fallen tree
A couple foxes (7-9yo) helped each other out sawing wood for their projects (spoons and bowls were in the plan)January 7, 2022
Wally the Winter Wizard was grumpy about winter because they thought there were no plants. So Coyote Pups (ages 4-6yo) went in search of plants to create a bouquet of ´winter weeds’ and showed Wally that plants are still all around us! One Coyote Pups group talked about Indigenous people’s traditional dwellings, such as longhouses, and their importance during the winter months. They went about creating miniature longhouses, discussing how much work it was to build even that tiny version.
We practiced ice safety by doing penguin shuffles, rolling down icy hills, and even making up fun new games together like “Ice Snake” (where an instructor was a snake trying to tag kids, and kids could only move on the ice if they weren’t on their feet – lots of stomach sliding, bum shuffling, and giggles ensued!) We also explored ice further and how we can interact with ice safely by looking at ice crystals, testing frozen puddles with sticks, and throwing sticks into the semi-frozen river to see how fast they go and where they get trapped.
We saw cool animals like ducks and Red tailed hawks. We also noticed those animals we didn’t see, like deer. We saw many deer in the fall – where did they go?December 10, 2021
An Oaks and Acorns (parent + tot) group read “Not a Stick” by Antoinette Portis. Feeling inspired, they then imagined what different things the sticks they found could become – a toothbrush, an airplane, a rocket ship!?
Stewardship was a big focus as groups asked themselves how we can say thank you to the park for letting us spend time in this area. In one group, kids voted on which activity they wanted to do next by choosing which garbage bag to put their trash into.
A couple groups discussed the moon – its different faces and phases, and how many Indigenous peoples follow lunar calendars, with different names and teachings for each of the 13 moons. The chilled weather inspired more shelter and tea making! Some groups talked about how the Haudenosaunee showed European settlers how to make tea from coniferous needles to cure them of scurvy. One group had an awesome experiencing getting up close and personal with a hawk!
A Raccoons (10-13yo) group had a chance to try their hand at blacksmithing. They heated up nails and hammered them into small knife-like tools.December 3, 2021
Snow makes for some really great tracking! Fluctuating temperatures throughout the days and nights meant that some tracks were captured in hard snow and ice. Some groups ventured off to find signs of animal friends, cut them out from the ice and bring them together to ask questions, compare tracks, and feel inspired by the peers’ finds.High energy activities working with snow, like making snow forts and snowfriends, kept our hearts pumping and our bodies warm in the lower temperatures. An Oaks and Acorns (parent + tot) group discussed how some Indigenous peoples have many words for snow. What words do we have to describe snow in English? How does our language influence our relationships with the land?
When the snow melted, the soft, wet ground was perfect for our very own archaeology dig! Discoveries included animal bones, leaves with signs of bugs, old bricks and more.
One group made sumac bead jewelry by cutting small sections from a branch, using sticks to poke out the pith on the inside, and stringing the beads created on twine.November 19, 2021
Practicing fire skills like collecting materials to create bow drills, using bow drills to get a coal and light tinder bundles, playing “Will it burn?” to collect and test whether different natural materials will burn
Decorating a tree for a tree festival
A tiny door holds new messages from the fairies for kids to find each week!
Learning how to tie quick release knots to help in our shelter building
Building shelters from the rain Enjoying a game of Ultimate Tree, complete with mud sliding (during ultimate tree we split into three teams at three trees, team members need to try to touch another team’s tree and get back to their own without being caught!) Filling the park with laughter and screams during a game of Wolf Pack (a wolf tries to tag deer by throwing bean bags; when deer are tagged they become wolves themselves)November 12, 2021
Kids practiced their sneaking skills with an obstacle course they built ourselvesA corkscrew tree caught our eye. A true #NatureMystery! What happened here?
And a skull! too?!? The nature mysteries continued…Squirrels continued to provide inspiration as kids build and spotted dreys (what’s a drey you ask…!?)Tracking was a highlight as the mix and rain and sun created clear prints in the mud
We welcomed new volunteers this week! During training, a key point of discussion was what the ravines looked like in the past and how we can all contribute to river health in the future. (Pssst – Volunteering at Pine is a ton of fun. Please reach out if you’re interested in volunteering too!)
Groups practiced mapping and orientation to learn about the four cardinal directions, note of where the water flows and discussed how we can use these observations to navigate.November 5, 2021
Many kids connected with squirrels by playing a game where you hide a small wooden bead somewhere, go on to other things, and then try to find the bead again…how hard it can be to find your cache! We’ve been curious and asking questions about this long autumn – We saw a great blue heron!? There doesn’t seem to be quite as much red in the landscape. What will this long fall mean for animals? One of our Oaks and Acorns groups (parents + tots) read a book called “Nibi is Water” by Joanne Robertson, which sparked curiousity in kids about Nibi (meaning “water” in Anishinaabemowin) and supported an ongoing conversation among adults about how we can introduce other languages and cultures to children as they grow.October 29, 2021
Collected cottonwood buds and made cottonwood salve
Budding bryologists got an up close look at the wonderful world of moss
Built a boat to send down the river as a gift to the fairies Created a dye from buckthorn berries that is going to be used to dye cordage and t-shirts Practiced setting up tarps on rainy days, which made the perfect shelter to practice our bow-drill skills
Harvested wild grape and rose hips for tea
Met some neat new friends
October 22, 2021
Watching the dark bodies of salmon swimming in circles just below the surface and at moments catching sight of their silvery scales glistening in the light.
Sneaking up on deer friends Membraning and softening an eastern grey squirrel hide Processing norway maple for project wood
Finding giant phragmites (and talking about their impact on the surrounding ecosystem)
Checking out mushrooms at various life stagesOctober 14, 2021
Outdoor School programs began last week and stories of adventure, connection and curiosity are already pouring in. Check out a few of the special experiences that groups have had:
🐢 Finding a baby snapping turtle
🙂 Making new friends
🍂 Creating rainbows from fallen leaves
🍃 Building homes for squirrels
🐌 Discovering a world under fallen logs and rocks that is home to worms, snails, mysterious eggs, and wolf’s-milk slime mold
🔍 Going on scavenger hunts to identify hazards in the area and how we can keep each other safe
🗺️ Creating a map of special places within the park. Some of our favourite spots include “Mud Island”, “Rock/Sea Glass Beach”, “Camouflage Woods”, “Lunch Logs”
🐍 Catching sight of hawks and snakes, including a Dekay’s brownsnake!
We can’t wait to create more memories together this season.