A Day of Rewilding
Outdoor Field Trips for Oregon Schools
Overview
Rewild Portland’s “A Day of Rewilding” takes students on a field trip out into the woods for a an entire school day and gives them a variety of experiences with rewilding. Perfectly suited for any grade level, this program is an introductory experience in rewilding. It is easy-going, simple, and engaging. We do not do a lot of didactic instruction during this limited time frame; instead, we give students a rich and engaging experience out in nature that will fuel them with inspiration for learning and engaging more with the natural world. The “Afternoon Option 2” allows for more focused projects.
Morning
The morning focuses on the mental and physical aspects of rewilding with sensory awareness games, animal tracking, silence and pantomiming, sneaking, invisibility, and the sit/sacred spot exercise. The morning gets students out of their heads and living through their senses, present in their own bodies, and connecting to nature and their surroundings on a deep level. The main question we pose to students and walk them through is, “How do people interact with the world when they live in the forest?”
Afternoon Option 1
The afternoon revolves around the hand skills and crafts involved in rewilding and ancestral living. We have rotating stations, each with a particular hand skill demonstration for students. These activities are meant to be short, bursts of engaging activities. The students do not have time to complete many of these hand-crafting projects which can take up to several days to finish. Instead students sit in to watch and gain inspiration from the experience of our instructors who love their crafts. Examples of stations are: flint-knapping, bow-making and archery, basketry, fire-by-friction, edible & medicinal plant walks, etc.
Afternoon Option 2
Students break into smaller groups and focus on one theme: fire-by-friction, basketry, etc. for the entire afternoon. This provides time for the hands-on learning and fluency building that goes beyond inspiration. If students do not finish their projects, we invite them and their families to join us at our monthly, free skillshare in Portland, where they can receive more instruction and complete their project.
Wrap Up
At the end of the day we come back together as one large group to share brief stories from the day and talk about potential for rewilding in their every day lives. This last meeting is about creating closure for the day. We send our students home to daydream about their experiences.
Partner With Us
We currently offer the program at $25 Per Student, 20 Student Minimum (does not include travel/bus cost). We are working on writing a grant to fund fall and spring field trips for underserved schools in the Portland area and beyond. We are seeking partners for the 2016-2017 School Year. Does your school need an awesome field trip that teaches ancestral skills and nature connection? Have you ever thought about using ancestral skills to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, (Arts) and Mathematics? To bolster our grant we need teachers who are excited and on board for this program. Learn more about it and share with friends and colleagues. Inquire with us below.
Testimonials
As resources for outside-of-school activities have all but gone away, schools struggle to find high quality environmental education and outdoor experiences for our students. Rewild’s program was both economical and of the highest quality. The students learned something and also were able to deepen their relationships with each other and their teachers over the course of a day. I highly recommend this program, in any format to a school group – you won’t be disappointed!
Sena Norton
6th Grade Language Arts
A Day of Rewilding
Outdoor Field Trips for Oregon Schools
Overview
Rewild Portland’s “A Day of Rewilding” takes students on a field trip out into the woods for a an entire school day and gives them a variety of experiences with rewilding. Perfectly suited for any grade level, this program is an introductory experience in rewilding. It is easy-going, simple, and engaging. We do not do a lot of didactic instruction during this limited time frame; instead, we give students a rich and engaging experience out in nature that will fuel them with inspiration for learning and engaging more with the natural world. The “Afternoon Option 2” allows for more focused projects.
Morning
Afternoon Option 1
The afternoon revolves around the hand skills and crafts involved in rewilding and ancestral living. We have rotating stations, each with a particular hand skill demonstration for students. These activities are meant to be short, bursts of engaging activities. The students do not have time to complete many of these hand-crafting projects which can take up to several days to finish. Instead students sit in to watch and gain inspiration from the experience of our instructors who love their crafts. Examples of stations are: flint-knapping, bow-making and archery, basketry, fire-by-friction, edible & medicinal plant walks, etc.
Afternoon Option 2
Students break into smaller groups and focus on one theme: fire-by-friction, basketry, etc. for the entire afternoon. This provides time for the hands-on learning and fluency building that goes beyond inspiration. If students do not finish their projects, we invite them and their families to join us at our monthly, free skillshare in Portland, where they can receive more instruction and complete their project.
Wrap Up
At the end of the day we come back together as one large group to share brief stories from the day and talk about potential for rewilding in their every day lives. This last meeting is about creating closure for the day. We send our students home to daydream about their experiences.
Partner With Us
We currently offer the program at $25 Per Student, 20 Student Minimum (does not include travel/bus cost). We are working on writing a grant to fund fall and spring field trips for underserved schools in the Portland area and beyond. We are seeking partners for the 2016-2017 School Year. Does your school need an awesome field trip that teaches ancestral skills and nature connection? Have you ever thought about using ancestral skills to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, (Arts) and Mathematics? To bolster our grant we need teachers who are excited and on board for this program. Learn more about it and share with friends and colleagues. Inquire with us below.
Testimonials
Day of Rewilding Inquiry
Please fill out the form below if you are interested in having your students experience a day of rewilding. We will get back to you shortly.