THE NATURE SCHOOL at Kortright
2022-2023 Registration is Now Open!
The Nature School at Kortright takes place primarily outside on Kortright’s 555-acre property, with access to a wide variety of natural ecosystems, accessible trails and multiple facilities.
Students have use of a 30,000 square-foot Visitor Centre, which includes a private indoor learning space in case of inclement weather.
Junior School
Our junior school program is for students from Grade 3 to 6.
Students are placed in a multi-age grade: an approach to education in which students are treated as individuals and their skills are built from the starting point of where they are at, rather than what grade they are in.
Days: Wednesdays and Thursdays
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year is NOW OPEN.
Please contact Visitor Services at (416) 667-6295 ext. 3 or email vservices @trca.ca to find out how to apply.
Minimum registration required. Deposits will be returned if program does not meet minimum registration requirements.
Primary School
Our primary school program is for students from Kindergarten to Grade 3.
Students are placed in a multi-age grade: an approach to education in which students are treated as individuals and their skills are built from the starting point of where they are at, rather than what grade they are in.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year is NOW OPEN.
Please contact Visitor Services at (416) 667-6295 ext. 3 or email vservices @trca.ca to find out how to apply.
Minimum registration required. Deposits will be returned if program does not meet minimum registration requirements.
Preschool
The Nature School Preschool uses a child-led approach to learning that is exploratory, inquiry-based, fun and unhurried.
Children interact with the natural environment through the use of loose parts, creative play, shelter building, whittling wood, cooking on an open fire, knots, making woodland crafts and sharing stories.
The Nature Preschool is offered to children who are 2.5 to 5 years of age and are potty trained.
The program runs from September to June.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Registration for the 2022-2023 preschool year is NOW OPEN.
Please contact Visitor Services at (416) 667 6295 ext. 3 or email vservices @trca.ca to find out how to apply.
Minimum registration required. Deposits will be returned if program does not meet minimum registration requirements.
The Nature School Weekend Program
Each day begins with an adventure in a woodland setting. Children interact with the natural environment through the use of loose parts, creative play, shelter building, whittling wood, knots, making woodland crafts and sharing stories.
This child-led approach to learning is exploratory, inquiry based, fun and unhurried.
The Weekend program is offered for children who are 3 to 5 years of age and potty trained.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Minimum registration is required for program to run.
Program Dates
WINTER 2023
Pricing:
$171 per participant
REGISTER NOW:
Saturdays, February 4 to March 4, 2023 (except February 18)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
PA Day Camps
Come to the Kortright Centre for Conservation on your PA Day and explore the world of The Nature School.
Students will enjoy the benefits of a day spent outdoors where nature becomes the classroom. This child-led approach to learning is exploratory, inquiry based, fun and unhurried.
PA Day Camps are offered to children ages 4 to 10.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Pricing: $67.00 per day
CAMP DATES
Friday January 20, 2023
Friday February 3, 2023
Friday June 2, 2023
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellation requests received by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) more than 14 days before the start of the camp program will receive a 75% refund of the relevant program fees paid. Cancellation requests received by TRCA less than 14 days before the start of the camp program do not qualify for a refund. No refund applied for missed dates. Please contact us in cases of sickness prior to the program so we can be in touch about rescheduling or refunding. Rescheduling is subject to availability. Cancellation requests must be received in writing by email to vservices@trca.ca. Minimum registration numbers required for camp to operate. In the event TRCA must cancel the camp due to low registration or government order, a full refund will be issued.
MEET OUR STAFF
Teachers at The Nature School hold one or more professional designations, including certified Forest School Practitioners, Registered Early Childhood Educators and Ontario Certified Teachers with degrees in Outdoor Experiential Education, as well as extensive experience working with children in their early years.
Adrian O’Driscoll, General Manager, Kortright Centre
Adrian O’Driscoll is an experienced administrative professional working with environmental professionals, teachers, and educators in developing and delivering engaging environmental educational programs and experiences for students and families.
Adrian has worked with TRCA for 23 years and is currently the General Manager at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, managing the Peel Community Learning team and, in addition, overseeing the education teams and programming operating out of Claireville Conservation Area.
Adrian has four children, enjoys canoeing, skiing and hiking, and is the principal for The Nature School, which operates at two different TRCA conservation areas.
Heather Stafford, Supervisor, Kortright Education, OCT
Heather is an Ontario Certified Teacher and certified Forest School Practitioner. She has been with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) for more than 10 years, and has been part of the Education team at the Kortright Centre since 2012.
Prior to joining TRCA, Heather worked at several other Outdoor Education centres and summer camps around Ontario, both delivering hands-on, exciting, nature-based programming and coordinating, supervising, and managing programs and staff.
Heather has two young children as well as several fuzzy and scaly pets.
Jen Stinson, Teacher, The Nature School, OCT
Jen is an Ontario Certified Teacher with 15 years of experience teaching primary and junior grades in York Region District School Board. She has always made outdoor learning, inquiry and experiential education a fundamental part of her classroom.
Since certifying as a Forest School Practitioner in 2016, she developed a weekly play-based nature school program for her class.
Jen started working at the Kortright Centre in 2016 as an educator in the Saturday Forest School program.
Jen enjoys camping, hiking, birding, and taking walks in the woods with her new puppy. She is thrilled to be part of The Nature School and is excited to help kids grow in their love of nature.
Averry Aquin-Martin, Teacher, The Nature School, OCT
Despite being born and raised in the city known as Steeltown (Hamilton, ON), Averry grew up hiking the Bruce Trail, scooping up tadpoles in park puddles, and climbing mulberry trees barefoot. Having lived on the east coast of Canada for five years, Averry loves travelling to find new hikes, plants, and birds to marvel at.
As an OCT certified teacher, Averry has worked as a supply teacher with the Toronto District School Board, an outdoor educator at the Royal Botanical Gardens, and a forest school teacher at the Tir na Nog Forest School in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Her passion lies in connecting kids to nature in meaningful ways, facilitating their exploration, and guiding them in responsible risk-taking. She believes that holding space for children to connect to the natural world is the most important thing educators can do to better the health and well-being of humans and the planet.
When she is not hiding out in the woods, you can find Averry at home with a good book and her two cats.
Tess Butler-Ulrich, Teacher, The Nature School, OCT
Tess is an Ontario Certified Teacher and graduate student with a background in environmental and STEAM education. She has supplied for the Durham District School Board and has worked as an education interpreter and head counsellor within TRCA.
Tess is so excited to be joining the Nature School team this school year! She has a huge love of nature and wildlife. In her free time, you can usually find her roaming the woods looking for interesting fungi and insects to photograph, or at home needle felting.
Victoria Creese, Educator, The Nature Preschool
Victoria Creese has extensive experience working with children. She worked as a Camp Counsellor to pay her way through university. She was a volunteer at the Anishaanabe Friendship Centre in downtown Toronto, a Girl Guide leader, an elementary school librarian, a farm tour guide and storyteller.
Victoria was hired by the Kortirght Centre in 2013 to deliver educational programs. She has worked at Kortright’s Nature School since 2019 and qualified as a Forest School Practitioner that same year.
Victoria and her husband have four grown children and two grandchildren, and as a family they enjoy camping, canoeing and having adventures in the beautiful outdoors.
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
