Sage Creek Prairie School

10/07/2026

Our first Kids in the Coulee , Fall Evening Version! This session not only will get quite a bit chillier as the days shorten, but the dark will arrive long before these kids head home.
This wasn’t an issue for this bunch of feisty girls! Powered by chocolate bannock, on went the headlamps and they headed out on the trails right until home time.
What a beauty of a night to spend with these little ladies!

10/05/2026

One skill I have been personally working on is to document observations through nature journalling (thank you Merrissa for your inspiration)!!
Why spend a morning sketching, painting and writing it down??? Because it requires me to really look at something and notice the detail. You don’t have to be an artist (some people are better with words or numbers to describe what they see) but it is the mindfulness that is the important part.
So many of us rush through…this asks our brains to slow down and take note.
Nature journalling can be done with any age and in any context….it’s my new favourite outdoor skill.
We’ll keep you posted on upcoming sessions and clinics if you’d like to try. You might have a hidden artist inside that just needed to see the most beautiful leaves or find a cool snake skin.

10/04/2026

We spent the day with Elrose School yesterday….what a gorgeous fall day to have them visit.
While a mix of a grade 1/2 class and a grade 10 class might seem like a unique combination, it worked perfectly for firelighting, adventuring through the trees, and coyote howling at each other from across the valley.
We sent the grade tens home with a new party trick (mastering the Rutiger Roll), sent the teachers home with some ideas for gear and activities, and finished the day with our signature caramel popcorn.
These are the days that kids will remember…just awesome in every way. Elrose Composite School

10/03/2026

The Evolution of a Caterpillar House
Today, one little guy at our forest school found a little fuzzy caterpillar.
This led to recognizing the need for a safe space for his new friend, some engineering to design a safe space, some woodland decor, and some additional tweaks to make sure everything was just right.
It took him just over an hour, minus a short break for cinnamon popcorn over the fire.
This kind of play is fuelled by creativity and is so fun to watch.
No toys or tech….just nature and imagination.

10/01/2026

While the prairie is home, Saskatchewan lake country is a close second.
Someone snapped this photo while I was in mid-paddling instruction right before we canoed down Hannin Creek for the last sunshine of the day.
I think this is also the time when a small group of ladies realized that the Candle Lake “rest and relaxation” session was last week at the golf course, and that this weekend was going to be a bit more outdoor high energy.
No manis/pedis here, folks!! Haha.
They were great sports about it all weekend, and maybe even surprised themselves with what they were capable of learning and doing.
💃🏽💅🏻🛶

09/30/2026

This September 30, on Truth and Reconciliation Day, the Sage Creek coulee is quiet.
For thousands of years, this location was a busy place. Situated on a major bison migration path, and central to trade from all directions, this was a hub of activity. The presence of not one, but two navigation wheels, scout tipi rings, the historical Gray Burial site and the wheel ruts of the Métis carts on the Battleford Trail in our pasture tell the story of the rich Indigenous heritage that surrounds this place. And I know, without possibly knowing, that while families traded and worked and socialized, a constant stream of children would have looked to the trees below and went down to play there.
Until of course, someone decided they were better off with the structure, rules, religion, and lifestyle of a completely different culture, and took them away.
Then too, the coulee would have been quiet.
I cannot imagine the pain of these communities without the happy chatter of their children. As we know, many of those children never came back.
Last night, the sky put in a show of orange right before it went dark….today I’ll share it so that others can also take a moment to sit with our uncomfortable past so it doesn’t happen again in our future.

09/29/2026

Our home away from home!!!!🥰

09/29/2026

I was pretty excited to spend some time with the second year ECE students today. (Did you know they get to take a WHOLE CLASS ON OUTDOOR PLAY???)
👀🥰💃🏽💕 Things are changing, and it’s for the better!🥳👏🙌
We trekked, toured, created, and enjoyed time spent in the trees focussing on the best practices to get our kids outside for play, learning, and all the benefits to health.
Thanks for coming, crew! Hopefully we get to see you again!

09/28/2026

09/26/2026

Today’s session centred around “Things you can Do with a Rope, a Tarp and a Tree!” Ridgelines, shelters and camp chairs, trucker/timber hitches and stretchers. The sky is literally the limit!
A few good nieces of multi-purpose gear and some know how can make or break your day, so keep a tarp, 50ft piece of paracord, and a knife in your bag.
Don’t know why you might need those things or how to use them?
Call us. We’ll sort you out.