Nature Connect
Our nature connect program opens the doors to the natural world and allows the space and freedom for participants to engage in a pressure free environment through a variety of self directed activites
Our Offering
This program is for school-aged children aged 7 to 17 who are looking for an alternative opportunity to socialise, connect, and self-discover outside of school.
Located at the beautiful Heidi Park next to the Heidi Gallery on the Yarra river. This space has been selected for its proximity to the Yarra river, the huge old trees and mature gardens, biodiverse bushland, art installations, and amphitheater. A myriad of biomes exist creating natural shelters and playspaces where the children are free to create from their imagination.
They may choose to build structures, create mandalas from natural materials, or create artworks of their own. They may decide they want space and peace away from the group to engage in a quiet activity.
Students will have access to building materials such as ropes, tarps, and poles that can be incorporated into the natural features. We will provide a variety of natural art materials including clay and charcoal. While materials are provided for activities, the activities are process and not outcome-based.
The intention is to build self-direction amongst the participants.
An Invitation from Nature
About Us
Heidi Park
Bulleen
Mondays
Starting
4th December
10am-4:30pm
$80 pp
Natural environments give us a safe place to explore, engage and be curious. When we can take time out from our busy lives and high pressure human habitats, we can find the peace and the space to be our selves free of judgement and expectation.
Nature makes sense.
When in nature one can see that everything has its place and has a natural order to it. Its important that the next generation can observe and learn from our natural environments an find balance in their lives. Nature can reveal things about our own strengths and weaknesses. We can then move towards ways of strengthening and empowering ourselves to be healthy human beings respecting and understanding the importance of the symbiotic relationship between nature and human beings.
Nature reconnects us to our senses.
In a world of high silmulus human activity and general sensory bombardment from an array of devices, advertising, and fast foods, nature brings a low stimulus wholistic and non invasive experience that allows us to turn down the volume on anxiety and balance the senses of Sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste
Its just common sense
Through nature based activities one can develop natural problem solving skills, a sense for the physics and structural integrity of living systems and natural structures. Things just make sense in nature.
Our Story
Nicole and Josh have been seeking ways to create engaging and immersive experiences with children for most of their working lives. Nicole's love of nature, personal Acedemic studies (in psychology and botany), and homeschooling experience through the Phi School teaching maths and science, have led her to the conclusion that a safe, engaging natural environment leads children to create their own personal connection to the world; a sense of place and purpose. For most of his adult life Josh has been interested in learning from nature and has been fascinated by creating spaces where the innate wisdom of the human being can unfold. Josh feels that holding space in natural environments and having access to simple outdoor activities can have a therapeutic and spacious effect, opening individuals to their own wisdom and leading lives of integrity and self actualisation.
