Introducing Wild Wednesdays With The Earth is Hiring

We have a very exciting announcement! We will have a special educator from The Earth Is Hiring joining us at the Forest School throughout the full school year, every other Wednesday, to teach special Wild Wednesday sessions.

The goal of the bi-weekly sessions will be to:

• Encourage playful learning enhancing engagement, exploration investigation and communication about outdoor learning. 
• Build outdoor vocabulary – name local Ontario plants and animals 
(including wildlife tracks and signs) as well as enjoy pure observation.
• Notice sensory and seasonal changes in the forest kindergarten area. 

• Contribute to conservation and citizen science. 


This program will also provide you with opportunities to get involved with your child’s learning! Take home conversation packages will accompany each session and will include conservation tips, citizen science projects, and activities such as local hike and conservation organization information, that you’ll be able to enjoy with your kindergartener.

Themes for the sessions include: outdoor safety; what animals need to live in a forest habitat; community connections; winter birds; what we see, hear, feel and smell in the forest; following animals tracks and sign; reptiles, amphibians, and turtles; monarch migrations and local butterflies and moths; owls; pond dip field trip; forest songbirds, and plants in bloom.

Presenter Bio - Lisa Levez Bordeleau, M.Sc., Owner of the Earth is Hiring
My passion for twenty years has been environmental education and sustainable living. I have worked outdoors for twelve years surveying wetlands, vegetation and wildlife (e.g. amphibians, migratory birds, songbirds, owls, species at risk and mammal tracking).

Learn more about The Earth is Hiring here.

Wild Wednesday Schedule

Here's an overview of what activities will take place on Wild Wednesday, as well as some elements that will be included in each take home conservation kit.

September 23 - Outdoor Safety and Observing Nature
Nature Walk & Sit
Learning to Look and Looking to See and Nature Bingo games, as well as promoting observations, explorations and appreciation for the outdoors. Children will also create individual tree core name tags, decorate nature treasure boxes and journals.

Take Home Observation Package (THCP): Nature alert key chain, including things to avoid in nature and animal safety alerts.

October 7 - Resident Winter Birds
Nature Walk & Sit
Discover 20 common resident winter birds. How do birds survive in the winter?

THCP: Project feeder watch, kids Christmas bird count reminder with Brereton Field Naturalists.

October 21 - Forest Life
Nature Walk & Sit 

Play Camouflage game. Exploring what plants and animals need to live in a forest habitat? Everybody needs a home game.

THCP: Local Simcoe Region family trail recommendations.

November 4 - Habitats and Community Connections
Nature Walk & Sit

Food web game to demonstrate connections. Playing lightly on the Earth game, Ethical-Thinking game.

THCP: Tips to thrive as part of our natural environment. Not just reduce human impacts but enhance our natural spaces. Package will include Species at Risk and how to report any identified and information on local family-oriented conservation groups.

November 18 - Sensory Morning

Nature Walk & Sit 

What do we see, hear, feel and smell? How does the forest make us feel?

THCP: Information on the benefits of getting outside for family mental and physical health and wellness.

Break for December and January.

February 10 - Snow Tracking Part 1 - Move Like Animals
Nature Walk & Sit
What kind of animal are you? How big is your stride? Do you bound, walk or gallop? 

THCP: Tracking guide.

February 24 - Snow Tracking Part 2 – Create Your Animal Story
Nature Walk & Sit
Follow an animal and learn about their tracks and other signs (e.g. scat, broken branches, nibbles) they leave behind. Creating a story about the tracks we see (Who, Where, What, When, How and Why?)

THCP: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Terrestrial Volunteer Monitoring Program.

March 9 - Reptiles, Amphibians and Turtles
Nature Walk & Sit
Preparing for the spring peepers.

THCP:  FrogWatch, TurtleWatch Program; Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas Project.

March 23 - Monarch Migrations
Nature Walk & Sit

Why are monarchs in trouble? Why do animals, birds/monarchs migrate? Children will also complete a craft - colour monarch.

THCP: Journey North package, milkweed/wildflower seeds.

April 6 - Owls - Who's Who?
Nature Walk & Sit
What owls might we see? Can you make a sound like an owl?

THCP: National Nocturnal Owl Surveys start the first week of April.

April 20 - Track Casting
Nature Walk & Sit
Seeking tracks to make plaster casts.

THCP: Track cheat sheets

May 4 - Wetland and Water Wonders
Nature Walk & Sit
Discuss how all life is connected by and depends on water and how water is used, how wetlands help purify, pond dip optional (match aquatic animals to key).

TCHP: Canadian Lakes Loon Surveys, key to aquatic animals. 

May 18 - Birding By Ear
Nature Walk & Sit
Local forest songbirds.

THCP: Ebird Registration Instructions, Options for reporting listed species, Hawk watch International, Ministry reporting forms for all Species At Risk.

June 1 - Local Butterflies and Moths
Nature Walk & Sit
Why are pollinators important?  Children will also create a moth feeder.

THCP:  Recommended plants for butterfly gardens, milkweed/wildflower seeds.

June 15 - Plants in Bloom, Observing Plants
Nature Walk & Sit
How many different kinds of plants can you see by noticing different leaf shapes? The craft will be bark rubbing and plant pressing.

THCP – PlantWatch, tree key.