Australian Forest School Association

This week Birdwings Forest School welcomed Simone from Bush Magic Adventures to Little Birdwings for a rainy morning adventure alongside their children and mentors.

There is something deeply valuable about spending time with fellow nature mentors who are walking similar paths. These conversations matter. They strengthen our practice, deepen our thinking, and remind us that nature advocacy grows through connection, collaboration and community.

As small businesses working in this field, it is important that we continue to support one another, share ideas, and keep building spaces where children, families and communities can reconnect with the natural world in meaningful ways.

They are also proud to both be Approved Providers with the Australian Forest School Association , continuing to advocate for relationship-based, place-responsive approaches to learning and wellbeing.

Thank you for joining us in the rain for the play, the conversations and the adventure. 🌿

We’d love to see your outdoor spaces! 🌿

Whether it’s a bush kinder site, a backyard, a beach, a school garden, a local park or a patch of muddy ground! Every place has opportunities for connection and discovery.

Share a photo of your learning space in the comments and tag yourselves.

Today, on World Environment Day, we celebrate the early childhood services, schools, independent programs, charities and small businesses creating opportunities for children to connect deeply with the natural world.

Across the country, educators and community leaders are creating spaces where children can build relationships with nature through curiosity, play, exploration and belonging.

These experiences matter, and so does the work of the people holding them.

Thank you to everyone helping children grow up connected to nature, community and themselves.

If you would like to be a part of our community of nature immersion practitioners, join the Australian Forest School Association. https://australianforestschoolassociation.org/

At AFSA, our guiding principles centre around:

🌿 Regular nature immersion
🌿 Connection to Country
🌿 Free play and natural learning
🌿 Inclusivity and accessibility
🌿 Mentoring practices
🌿 Sustainable practice

These principles help shape how we support nature connection programs across Australia. 🍂

https://australianforestschoolassociation.org/membership/guiding-principles/

Nature does not ask us to be anything other than ourselves. Forests, beaches, creeks and bushlands are places where people can breathe out, belong and connect without judgement.

During Pride Month, the Australian Forest School Association celebrates and affirms LGBTQIA+ members of our community and the many educators, children and families helping create inclusive nature-based spaces across the country.

AFSA is a community for being, learning and growing together. That means fostering environments where people feel safe to show up as themselves, where diversity is respected, and where connection to nature also strengthens connection to each other.

We are proud to support forest school and nature pedagogy spaces that welcome all people with care, respect and dignity. Because nature connection belongs to everybody.

Photo credit Birdwings Forest School

One of the most valuable parts of nature-based learning is community. 🌿

Many educators work independently or in small teams, and connection with others can make a huge difference.

What has your nature-based learning community given you?

Nature-based learning doesn’t need to look perfect.

Sometimes it looks like:
🍂 Uncomfortable wet socks
🍂 Unexpected weather changes
🍂 Just not feeling great today
🍂 Can't remember the songs
🍂Ant bites and scratches
🍂 Nothing goes to plan

And often, that’s where the richest learning happens because the beauty of working in nature is how we become flexible and responsive to our environment, and each other.

We make the experience just what we need it to be🌿
For support in your nature-based practice, become a member of the Australian Forest School Association.

https://australianforestschoolassociation.org/membership/

Today, on National Sorry Day, we acknowledge the strength, resilience and enduring cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we honour the Stolen Generations, their families and communities.

Our guiding principles at the Australian Forest School Association recognise the ancient and ongoing relationships Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with Country, and our commitment to reconciliation, inclusion, listening and learning. We believe that meaningful connection with nature also asks us to deepen our understanding of place, history, culture and community.

Today is a day to reflect on truth-telling, to honour those affected by past policies of forced removal, and to consider how we can continue to walk alongside First Nations communities with humility and respect.

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

Congratulations Jo, for being awarded a research scholarship. Research in nature pedagogy from an Australian perspective is needed!

Jo is part of our current AFSA committee and was President of AFSA for 6 years.