Forest Explorers

Forest Explorers Forest Explorers offers outdoor education classes for children ages 7 -11 in Takoma Park, MD She's been developing and teaching EE programs for over 25 years.

About Forest Explorers Founding Director and Lead Teacher

Shannon Earle has an MS in Natural Resources and Environment with a focus on Environmental Education (EE) from the University of Michigan. For the last four years, She taught the Forest Kindergarten class outdoors year-round at the Audubon Nature Preschool. Her experience also includes eight years managing an education and training progra

m for Conservation International, three years managing an EE program for the Monte Alto Forest Reserve in Costa Rica and a season as a park ranger in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. She loves kids, camping, gardening, mycology, and storytelling.

A few highlights from a muddy week full of fun! Our CITs have been running game shows like Forest Feud and today's fores...
06/19/2025

A few highlights from a muddy week full of fun! Our CITs have been running game shows like Forest Feud and today's forest version of Shark Tank (Fox Den), where kids pitched Marketplace ideas and earned quartz investments from a savvy group of Foxes. The Woodland Roundabouts have been performing skits based on true stories from our Forest Explorers Lore Book. Tomorrow there will be a carnival, with games like the very popular Board Knocker (throw a small rock at a board propped up by a piece of wood), earning quartz prizes.

We love helping local schools include nature education on STEM day! In addition to a short walk looking for signs of wil...
05/15/2025

We love helping local schools include nature education on STEM day! In addition to a short walk looking for signs of wild neighbors, we brought a whole deer skeleton. This was a favorite thank you note.

Fun with yucca: after soaking and scraping the leaves, the Explorers made cordage. Then they whittled, chopped, pounded ...
05/09/2025

Fun with yucca: after soaking and scraping the leaves, the Explorers made cordage. Then they whittled, chopped, pounded and massaged the roots in water to make sudsy soap!

In the spring sunlight we are finding treasures from shiny mica to flowers and tasty foraged treats. Everything changes ...
04/03/2025

In the spring sunlight we are finding treasures from shiny mica to flowers and tasty foraged treats. Everything changes so quickly in spring and our eyes are open to it all!

We found an almost complete deer skeleton! Several groups searched for bones then reassembled the skeleton using illustr...
02/26/2025

We found an almost complete deer skeleton! Several groups searched for bones then reassembled the skeleton using illustrations, a bone field guide and expert guidance from Amelia! So much learning.

We’re celebrating love and kindness this week. The children were very motivated to place a kindness rock on every single...
02/11/2025

We’re celebrating love and kindness this week. The children were very motivated to place a kindness rock on every single step into the ravine. It’s been a hard few weeks and they feel it.

Temps in the teens? Bundle, move, make fire and tea! It’s not too cold to have fun outdoors.
01/22/2025

Temps in the teens? Bundle, move, make fire and tea! It’s not too cold to have fun outdoors.

All children should get to experience nature in the dark. The Explorers love shadow stories and games!
11/18/2024

All children should get to experience nature in the dark. The Explorers love shadow stories and games!

What fills my heart? When kids at closing circle say that their favorite thing was finding so many different kinds of mu...
09/27/2024

What fills my heart? When kids at closing circle say that their favorite thing was finding so many different kinds of mushrooms. "I didn't even know there were that many different kinds!" And this doesn't show the giant puffballs they carried home.

The spotted lantern flies are in our woods. The Explorers quickly learned to identify Tree of Heaven and catch and quick...
09/23/2024

The spotted lantern flies are in our woods. The Explorers quickly learned to identify Tree of Heaven and catch and quick kill them. They are a highly invasive species that damages trees and crops. Also beautiful! I’m thinking about art projects…

Can’t wait to wow the Forest Explorers with these beauties (and more) for the start of Mushroom Month!
09/02/2024

Can’t wait to wow the Forest Explorers with these beauties (and more) for the start of Mushroom Month!

Address

Takoma Piney Branch Park
Takoma Park, MD
20912

Opening Hours

Monday 4pm - 5:30pm
Tuesday 4pm - 5:30pm
Wednesday 4pm - 5:30pm
Thursday 4pm - 5:30pm

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