This summer, my family had the fortune to camp our way across Canada and see first hand the impact of experiential outdoor learning. My three children (aged 3, 5 and 6) were immersed in nature every day for 6 weeks. They can now describe in detail the life cycle of a tent caterpillar because they caught them as the crawled across our campsite, stared at them as they grouped together to create silken cocoons and chased them when moths emerged. This hands-on learning has and will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Research shows that retention is greater when a concept is experienced, not simply shown.

At St. Albert Nature School we want each of our students to connect to the world around them first hand: to see the seasons, to hear the animals, to feel the mud, to smell the flowers and to catch the first snowflake on their tongue. It is with our love of the natural world and our belief in experiential teaching, that we have started this school. We look forward to sharing this with your child, just as we have with our own, and watching your child truly connect with their learning, each other and our world.
– Lori

” If kids don’t see the land, they won’t know how to save it.”
– Grace Lee, National Park Trust