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Imagine a school where classrooms are open fields, lessons take place under trees, and students learn alongside animals' roars and chirps. This is the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA’s) new Nature School at the Toronto Zoo, where senior kindergarten through Grade 3 students embark on a unique educational journey.
In the zoo's 200-hectare landscape, children explore and connect with nature through “hands-on experiences” and child-directed exploration, gaining knowledge and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
“By being outdoors and making connections with the land, it is really increasing our students’ ecological literacy,” said Adrian O'Driscoll, senior manager, community outreach and education at TRCA.
“They are developing conservation ethics and perhaps becoming more sustainable citizens in the future. In a traditional school setting, learning is more based on theory with less direct experience. In the nature school, learning is very much experiential — learning by doing, by experimentation, by discovery, with direct first-hand experience.”
O'Driscoll told Canada’s National Observer the nature school is the opposite of a regular public school where students spend most of their time indoors. Here, they spend most of their time outdoors, learning about nature. Studies have shown a connection between positive childhood interactions with nature and pro-environmental attitudes and actions in adulthood.
O'Driscoll says the Nature School's curriculum is designed to foster curiosity and problem-solving skills in a supportive environment. Through child-directed exploration and a unique emergent curriculum, students are encouraged to ask questions and develop critical-thinking skills.
Students will have access to the zoo’s outdoor learning areas and pavilions, the Kids Zoo area, the seven zoogeographic regions, and exclusive access to natural areas and trails inaccessible to the public.
The program also aims to bring the physical and mental health benefits of being active outdoors, encouraging young minds to disconnect from their screens, O'Driscoll added.
“It is widely recognized that childhood obesity rates are significantly high, as are levels of depression, behavioral issues, and attention disorders. Kids are overstimulated and lack environmental knowledge and outdoor experience,” said O'Driscoll.
“There is a lot of documentation showing the physical, social, and mental benefits of being outdoors and not being overstimulated by screens flashing at the speed of light. We do things that are slower — like sewing, planting, and gardening.”
“These are all skills that help in the development of fine motor skills. We go hiking daily, do a lot of climbing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing,” he added.
On the mental side, O'Driscoll noted the importance of problem-solving and conflict resolution. “Skills being developed because you don’t know what is going to happen on a given day, particularly with the weather. There is problem-solving, flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking, and other mental skills being developed. On the social side, which is sometimes missed, students develop interpersonal skills and a sense of community and interdependence, building communications skills as all students of different grades and ages learn together.”
The school is set to open in September. The enrollment capacity is 75 students per week, with 15 students per day.
“Our mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction. The first step in fighting extinction is to ignite the passion for nature in our community and get people involved, and the best way to do this is to educate people about the plight facing wild spaces and wild species,” said Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong in a statement.
“We need the next generation to continue this fight, and it’s incredible as an organization to be able to provide the opportunity for people to get involved and learn about nature and wildlife.”
The Nature School’s holistic approach to education is echoed across the country by Kate Lawes, who runs a nature-based preschool in B.C. called Tree of Life Nature Playschool. “Nature is incredibly dynamic. Children learn through inquiry, and they have many questions. When you place them in dynamic environments with water, animals, and air, their curiosity and understanding grow,” Lawes said. “I think you can get things from books, but there's nothing like being immersed in nature, especially for kids. They learn through their senses — seeing, touching, feeling, and listening.”
Lowes told Canada's National Observer when kids have firsthand experiences with nature and wildlife, they understand school subjects better because they build emotional connections.
“Being active and connecting with nature helps them think, question, and understand who they are. They become physically strong, coordinated, and confident. They know plants intimately and understand the natural cycles, which enriches their scientific knowledge.”
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