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Earthed Forest School, Oropi Road, Tauranga (2026)

22/09/2026

We learned about the humble daisy today (Bellis perennis) It can be eaten raw, mixed in salads, smoothies or added to soups. It has wonderful nutrition and properties as a wound healer. Doctors of Roman legions collected large volumes, juiced it and made ointment for battle wounds.
Most had a try and we put a container full into pancakes.
We had a quiz reviewing all we had learned this term. Next time ill need more questions as it was so fun!

The children found their own rhythm today using their time to work on their bunkers, finishing ember bowls, making leather key rings and a personalized rope course.

Last week some of the children pushed a dead tree over and part of it landed on the drive below along with a punga.
Using the rope and some great team work they hauled it up, along with the punga. ( Videos in the comments.)
After, many did time trials climbing the bank.
Everyone cooked their own pancakes on the hot plate, Id say that was a thumbs up!

End of term jobs, sit spot and games.
Wishing you all a wonderful break.

15/09/2026

This morning we talked about all the wonderful uses of lemons! From cleaning products, skincare, citric acid, our immune system and baking. I have an abundance and thought the children may enjoy making their own lemon cake in a lemon using the dutch oven.

Before we did this, we took a little stroll down the hill through some paddocks to see what edible weeds we could find. Alpine strawberry, self heal, plantain, catsear, dandelion, chickweed and herb robert. Some were tried but I think chickweed was the winner with taste and texture.

After heading back we got the fire going. Cut, juiced and scooped out the flesh of the lemon ready for the cake mixture.
Next, we creamed the butter and sugar, added eggs and remaining ingredients then filled about half a lemon full.
Some practiced their fire skills with a flint and steel. Others worked on their bowls, wooden knives and digging in their creating space.

The cakes cooked perfectly in the dutch oven, we put tinfoil rings around reach lemon to stop the bottom burning. Took longer that expected but better to have the temperature slightly under than over.

With the remaining lemon juice some had a go with invisible ink. They wrote on paper using a stick and lemon juice. Holding it near the heat of the fire turns the lemon juice brown with the message appearing.

08/09/2026

Such a beautiful spring day! After a few observation games we talked about friction fire and some native woods that are ideal to use. We looked at a hearth of mahoe and the children shared what they observed, its light, soft, creamy, fragile and strong were some of the responses.

After checking on our trees transplanted from last week, we looked at a porokaiwhiri again, the shape of the leaves and the off shoots that grow straight up. These are our spindles used for friction fire when dried. The children needed to find 2 or more of both porokaiwhiri and mahoe. Someone noticed the tell tail sign for mahoe is the skelton leaves on the ground.

We headed back and I did a demo of a hand drill, a few children had a go, then we had a go with the bow drill. We got lots of smoke but no ember, equally great exposure for the kids to see this process. (Video in the comments.)

Next, a group effort of 2 teams either side on a piece of paracord wrapped around the spindle. The children were so excited to see a heap of smoke and were dedicated to the process!

We had bread in the dutch oven a little overcooked in the bottom this time around. Many worked on their bowls and happily dug and continued creating their spaces together.

Games and sit spot to end.

01/09/2026

Today we learned about one of our native trees, porokaiwhiri or pigeon wood. We have lots of saplings and mature trees on the land. The bright orange berries are eaten and dispersed by kereru and kokako. They can live 100 to 150 years and reach full maturity at 15, then spends the rest of its life feeding our native birds. Its almost in flower now. We use the spindles for friction fire as the off shoots grow straight. Its a soft wood, not ideal for carving but has been used back in the day for musical instruments. Im looking forward to trying this out with the children at some point.

We transplanted some more trees as there are so many seedlings and saplings so close together in a few patches. Hopefully we get lots of rain this spring.
After, we headed down to the stream to try some watercress. A first for many and much enjoyed!

Some worked on their ember bowls, they are coming along and the children are doing great persevering with the hard tawa!
Others worked on their mini bunkers, digging, creating, collaborating and comprising!

25/08/2026

The trap caught another possum and we gave him a farewell.
During circle time this morning we talked about what we would do in an emergency, personal injury, accident or natural disaster while at forest school, where to meet and what we can do.
We had a chat about next steps for our tawa bowls.

After, we collected wood and got the fire going for those wanting to burn further into their bowls.
Aaron clipped the sides off with the pruning saw to create a more rounded edge. The children used whittling knives, chisel, hammers, draw and hook knife to get it into better shape.

Many were keen on digging and creating a new village with personal areas of real estate fitted with letterboxes, fire and traps. This was a big draw with much enthusiasm to create and share ideas. It had a fence and postal delivery.

Some worked all day on their bowls and some just a little. A few went home to sand, please make sure they are returned next week, we will do the final touches including oiling together.
Tawa is prone to splitting if it drys out to quick, just make sure they are kept out of the sun and in a colder room or outside covered if possible.

18/08/2026

I was curious to know what other childrens jobs at home were to support the household and we all shared this during circle time this morning.

We reviewed our fire lighting steps and got a fire going using charcloth in a tinder bundle of dried rimu and wood shavings.
Then, played a few games while waiting for good embers to develop.
We talked about the ember bowl process and the safety involved. Everyone took a piece of tawa and after a demo, were keen to get started.
It was truly wonderful to see the children patient, dedicated, and enthusiastic with the burn in process. Its long and slow, but satisfying. Ochie said 'Its a mindful bowl' and what a great way to explain the process!
Tawa is a hard wood and we are working with it green in the hope its going to be easier than when dry.
Many stuck with this activity for the entire day. I was very impressed and so proud of them all. I think they were all proud of their efforts too!
It was such an opportunity to deepen relationship with fire and self. The children took mini breaks when they needed, played and shared sweet, salty and buttery popcorn cooked over the fire.

We tried some new games to end which went down well.

11/08/2026

What a winter we have had so far, with these clear blue skies!
The children had a go estimating the age of a tawa branch by looking at all the rings then after snack we got into 2 teams and raced against each other up the field to constructing a tripod out of sticks and race back again.
The team captain was in charge of assigning a strategy if wanted.
We had a survival chat and a scenario of being lost in the bush and needing to make a shelter to keep dry bedore the rain started in 40 mins.
We got into 2 different teams.

After finding a suitable spot considering rain, wind, tree roots, direction and the nearby stream the children made 2 very different styles of shelter. Some great team effort and both were proud of their achievement. Aaron got some water and a tarp and they huddled in preparing for the rain.

After lunch there was digging and more shelter building in the bank, leather key ring making and looking for the last flint and steel and knife with a handmade magnet metal detector.

We each had a turn to reflect on todays shelter building, what they would do differently next time. Jack got the nearest estimate of the tawa at 47 and we counted 51-55 rings.

Sit spot and games to end.
Thanks Aaron.

04/08/2026

This morning we found a possum in the trap, we dug a hole and said our goodbyes.
A few tawa trees with heart rot were felled last week by arborists, we did a recap on what it was and what causes it. We walked down to check them out, looking for pieces we could use for projects. We have a few in mind.

Upon our return we all took a stick to make a tokotoko. These walking sticks are tradionally carved and ceremonially used as a symbol of authority and status. Often passed down.

We reviewed knife safety as a group. Everyone whittled the bark off before sanding their sticks. Some choose to decorate them with paint pens, ribbons and feathers.

After lunch, many continued with their sticks. Some of the boys decided to dig a shelter into the bank with a chimmney, great collaboration and turn taking with the spades.

Games and sit spot to end.

28/07/2026

Such a cracker of a day, the children were so excited to find ice formed on top of the water troughs. Such a treasured childhood memory of mine.
There were arborists onsite today felling some tawa with heart-rot. We checked out the progress from the top of our hill.
It was a great opportunity to share some history of this beautiful native tree and why and how heart-rot appears. We have one visible near the toilet and went over to inspect. This may need to be felled also. We all estimated the age of it. Tawas can have a life span of 200-300 years.
We talked about the delicious fruit it bears and how the kereru are now the only source of seed dispersal.

After we headed into the bush to do a blindfolded rope course..This has always been a popular activity, this time it was more challenging.
A few rounds then a visit to the stream for an explore, island and bridge making.

Jack got the fire going for tawa tea after lunch, the bark makes it a beautiful golden orange. Its very wholesome and can support sore tummys and colds.
Further observation of the arborists and practice of fire lighting skills this afternoon.

21/07/2026

Lovely start with sunshine and bright skies for us today. We caught up with some news from the holidays and got to know our new friends.

With the countless Tawianese cherry trees in flower at the moment, I took the opportunity to share with the children why this is a pest plant thats seriously out of control.
It was introduced in the 1960s as an ordimental tree. They produce massive amounts of seeds spread by birds and the short lived blossoms are like a sugar spike, not a natural food source, which encourages birds to lay eggs before spring.
Its a vigorous grower that can tolerate shade and pushes through the canopy not giving our native seedlings a chance.
We took a walk around to ID some young seedlings to pull out and found 4.
Please do encourage the children to pull these out at home. There will be a picture I will comment on to support ID.

We got into 2 groups for making fire and chopping vegetables for soup, thank you everyone for contributing. Thanks Sean for the bread, polished off in 2 minutes!
We cut some supplejack and sourced some sticks to make hanging baskets but only a few were keen.
After lunch many practiced their fire lighting skills, made bows and arrows and shared a cup of rimu tea.
After jobs we did a sit spot and games to end.

Earthed Forest School

22/09/2026

15/09/2026

08/09/2026

01/09/2026

25/08/2026

18/08/2026

11/08/2026

04/08/2026

28/07/2026

21/07/2026

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