River Road Nature School

River Road Nature School Where children connect with the wonders of the natural world... We offer year round alternative education programming for children ages 2-12.

River Road Nature School is an Ontario private school (BSID 881705), located in Cayuga, Haldimand County. Situated on a private and serene farm, our site offers plenty of access to green space and the beautiful, vibrant Carolinian Forest. Programs are guided by the Principles of Forest and Nature School, as set out by the Child & Nature Alliance of Canada. Mission

To immerse children in nature, a

nd allow them the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. Vision

To create a safe and inclusive learning environment, where children can build confidence, gain meaningful life skills, and become responsible stewards of the environment.

đź“Ł New Program Alert: Stay Wild SundaysDrop Off Program: An outdoor adventure for ages 4 - 7đź“… The 3rd Sunday of each mont...
08/19/2026

đź“Ł New Program Alert: Stay Wild Sundays

Drop Off Program: An outdoor adventure for ages 4 - 7

đź“… The 3rd Sunday of each month

đź•’ 11 AM - 2 PM

đź’° $45.20 (inclusive of HST) Sibling Discount $5

Stay Wild Sundays is a monthly nature school program that encourages children to explore, play, create, and discover through hands on experiences.

As we flow with the rhythms of the natural world, each month introduces a new seasonal theme.

Registration is now open for the September 20th session. For more information or to register please call or text Carrie 905•541•6101

✨ My Chickadee & Me • September ✨Join us for a gentle, guided, nature based program designed especially for young childr...
08/19/2026

✨ My Chickadee & Me • September ✨

Join us for a gentle, guided, nature based program designed especially for young children and their caregivers.

Your morning with be filled with joyful songs and meaningful connection. Together, we'll play and explore. Bring along a snack to share with your chickadee.

Please note: no session on Tuesday, September 8th. Begins Tuesday, September 15th

For more information or to register call or text Carrie 905•541•6101

🍂 FALL TERM • SEPT 9 - NOV 27 🍂Please consider joining us ❤️🧡💛Children can attend select programs one or multiple days p...
08/19/2026

🍂 FALL TERM • SEPT 9 - NOV 27 🍂

Please consider joining us ❤️🧡💛

Children can attend select programs one or multiple days per week to complement their preschool or alternative education journey, or attend one day per week to complement their traditional schooling journey.

Our programs are play based and child led, with a focus on eco literacy and social emotional literacy. Programs are led by highly qualified and skilled Educators.

For more information or to book a tour call or text Carrie 905•541•6101

08/06/2026

Does your boat float? ⛵️

07/02/2026

UPDATE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

River Road Nature School Provides Update:
Fire Safety Passed, Fundraising Underway, and Summer Camp Magic Continues

HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON – July 1, 2026

River Road Nature School is providing a warm and transparent update to our community following recent events. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from friends, families, and local businesses. We truly have come a long way over the years, and we couldn't have made it this far without you.

A Heartfelt Yes to Community Support

Our community has offered to host a fundraiser to help alleviate some of the red tape costs we're facing. It is heartening—and humbling—to know that so many people want this nature school to thrive. We would like to accept this generous offer and will provide full transparency regarding upcoming planning costs.

If you are interested in joining a fundraiser organizing committee, please reach out to 905·541·6101 or [email protected]

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Progress on County Requirements

We are pleased to share the following updates:

Fire Safety Inspection – PASSED

Septic Condition – Pending removal

Assembly Occupancy – Engineer & architect engaged. Estimated cost: $5,000–$10,000. Awaiting cost proposals.

Treehouse – We'll ensure the children can return to their beloved forest playground. It's the greyest of grey areas, but we're determined to make it happen.

Next Steps – We have a meeting scheduled with Haldimand County next week.

Grit, Grace, and Grey Areas

One thing we love about forest and nature school folks is that we have grit. Many forest and nature schools across Canada operate solely outdoors all year-round. They are true champions, and for now we're going to follow in their footsteps. When we curated our nature school, we made the decision to provide as many amenities on site as possible. As this endeavour falls in a massive grey area, providing amenities has proven to be a rigorous process. Insert more perseverance.

Whether solely outdoors or some of the time outdoors, and whether with an abundance of amenities or fewer amenities, all forest and nature schools are beautifully unique and hold great value in their community.

Summer Camp: A 90's Inspired Summer – Unplugged, Outdoor Freedom, Child-Led Play & Learning

We're currently prohibited from using the classroom and treehouse. Rest assured, we will not allow children to cook in the heat. We will put forth a great effort to keep them comfortable. As always, we will monitor children and the weather closely, keeping lines of communication open with parents. Despite recent challenges, we are confident we can navigate safely.

Our programs have been operating primarily outdoors since our inception. Typically during the summer, we would spend 1–2 hours in our classroom per day, depending on the weather. In the meantime, we are setting up a classroom in the forest—a large, shaded area that is on average 10 degrees cooler. It will be equipped with:

Picnic tables, workspace tables, art stations, toys, and hammocks

Handwashing station, drinking water, and ice

Please note: during the warmer months we regularly treat standing water on site for mosquitoes, and also set up mosquito traps. Our method is eco friendly.

Plus:

An abundance of water activities: inflatable water park, giant slip-n-slide, sprinkler, misting station, water table, and water games.

Lots of popsicles!

There will also be a portable toilet (with a child's seat installed) with sink and a change room in a shaded area on site.

We can't wait to share the space with you! Insight on the outdoor classroom and an information flyer for campers is coming next week. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to ask.

Administrative Update

We are currently backlogged on administrative duties and responding to registration inquiries. A summer camp registration update is coming soon. We apologize for the delay and are working hard to get caught up.

We appreciate your patience and understanding more than words can say. This school exists because of you—and we will keep showing up, keep persevering, and keep creating magic outdoors.

With Love & Gratitude,

The River Road Nature School Team

06/29/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

River Road Nature School Provides Full Transparency Regarding Recent Incident and County Order

HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON – June 29, 2026

River Road Nature School, a beloved community nature-based program, is providing a comprehensive update to our families, supporters, and the community following an incident on May 26, 2026, and subsequent actions.

The Incident:

On May 26, a child sustained minor injuries—a small "goose egg" on their head and a small scrape on their elbow—while playing on our treehouse structure during a self-guided, homeschool drop-in program. In this program, parents are responsible for the direct and close supervision of their children at all times. The child's parent did not witness the incident.

Another parent administered first aid and we recommended the family seek medical assessment as a precaution. The child was thoroughly evaluated at the hospital, including diagnostic imaging, and the parent later informed us that they were advised to follow concussion protocol but that all imaging showed no concerns. We are relieved to know the child is expected to make a swift and full recovery. We reached out twice after the initial hospital visit to the family for updates but received no further information.

Addressing Social Media and Community Conduct:

Following the incident, however, the parent and their associates posted several negative reviews on our Google business listing. We temporarily took down our Google profile to focus on more urgent matters. Their comments then moved to our social media account. Additionally, we noted that an associate of the parent later attended our most recent open house. Given the potentially harmful nature of this behavior, we feel it is important to share this insight with the community.

County Order and Our Path Forward:

Subsequently, a complaint was filed with Haldimand County, leading to an order to prohibit occupancy of our classroom (quonset hut) and access to the treehouse until specific conditions are met. We are committed to full compliance and are actively working to:

• Obtain a treehouse building permit
• Obtain a building permit for the quonset hut to legalize its change of use from agricultural to assembly occupancy
• Obtain a septic permit
• Address identified fire safety concerns by installing smoke detectors, an additional fire extinguisher, and emergency lighting

Crucially, we remain OPEN AND OPERATING. All summer programs are proceeding as usual, primarily outdoors, with a porta-potty available for use. We're in the process of setting up a cozy base camp in the cool, shaded forest, complete with picnic tables and activity stations. Despite the recent challenges we've faced, we're fully committed to fulfilling our promise to families and ensuring a delightful summer camp experience.

Our Commitment and Our Journey:

Since our inception in 2022, we have faced significant regulatory hurdles, spending over $30,000 on planning costs—mostly for third-party professionals. Our journey to site plan approval took three years and five applications. While we understand the necessity of safety and sanitation, we have been navigating a continuous 'grey area' in regulations. We are held to the same building codes as traditional, larger schools, a process that is often challenging and resource-intensive for a small, family-operated nature school.

We are proud of what we have created. This nature school exists because of the overwhelming support of our dedicated families, educators, and local councillors who see its immense value. Hundreds of children have enjoyed our programs over the years, and their joy is our greatest motivation.

We are confident we will meet these new requirements. We are engaging engineers and architects to ensure the quonset hut meets assembly occupancy standards. While the process is costly and complex, we approach it with determination and hope.

A Message to Our Community:

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support. It is because of you—the families who trust us and the community that stands with us—that we persevere. We will provide updates as we progress.

For any inquiries, please contact [email protected]

With Love & Gratitude,

The River Road Nature School Team

06/15/2026

💜🩷💛 SNIPPETS OF SPRING 💛🩷💜

06/15/2026

❤️🧡💛 With Gratitude 💚💙💜

A heartfelt thank you to nature school parents PC, EB & the children for their contributions in creating this beautiful mural in our mud kitchen area. We couldn't have done this without you! This mural is clocked in @ 14 hours of labour. A labour of love.

06/15/2026

Our guinea fowl eggs are about to hatch 🥚

We love these wacky birds 🩶

Address

2355 River Road
Cayuga, ON
N0A1E0

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