Birdwings Forest School are experienced contemporary nature mentors, and co-founders of the Australian Forest School Association (AFSA). Our training meets the principles and practices of this national organisation, which sets the standard for nature immersion programs in Australia.
Birdwings Forest School training is specific to Australian environments, sensitive and inclusive of First Nations perspectives and reflective of our innovative practice in our own programs. In our fun and creative training days we share our special nature connection methods, ecological storytelling, practical outdoor skills, bush kindy, singing, felt-making and handcrafts. Choose from our mentoring series below, or Contact us to discuss your professional development, speaking engagement or bespoke training needs.
Elemental Connections
A journey into the creative arts and nature connection through water, fire, earth and air. Join our Birdwings Staff Team on our own training days with practical, creative and joyful learning in wild nature. Suitable both for those who are just starting their journey into nature play, and for those like us who have been working in nature with children for some time, Elemental Connections is a series of three days across the year. We cover the practical components of working with children in nature and then step into our creative and intuitive selves to make this work even more meaningful for our own community and Country. Join us for a single day, or book all three for a discounted rate. View / Download our brochure for more information
WATER – Monday April 3rd – Basic Water Rescue Certificate and Botanical Art through Water Colour Painting
FIRE – Monday June 19 – Fire-making with Children, safety and procedures, campfire cooking and chemical-free Eco Printing on cloth with natural materials.
EARTH & AIR – Monday September 18 – Communicating children’s learning through visual documentation – Mindfulness and Breathwork with Singing – Free-form Claywork.
Wild Nature Mentoring
The next step into wild nature connection. A training course for mentoring children through wild nature play. Tap into your intuition, creativity and nature awareness through practical skills, creative arts, theory and connection practices. This course is beneficial both as a practical course for beginners in nature play, forest school, playwork and therapeutic settings – and also for experienced practitioners who wish to move deeper into their creativity and intuition with nature mentoring.
Wild Nature Mentoring may be booked as attendance for single days for on-site learning at our site in Guanaba, Gold Coast – or sign up for the full training across the year which also includes online personal reflection challenges and a visit to one of our programs. View / Download our brochure for more information:
WILD PLAY – Saturday April 29 – Nature mentoring for risky and adventurous play in wild natural environments. Practical & safety procedures and nature mentoring styles.
ECOLOGICAL STORYTELLING – Saturday May 20 – This training we have offered for 20+ years! It remains our most popular offering as we delve into connections with culture, Country, community and conservation through traditional oral storytelling. Practice storytelling techniques and write your own nature story.
WILD CRAFT – Saturday July 22 – Fun and practical day exploring bushcraft and survival with tools, whittling, ropes, tarps and shelter-building. Gain confidence with using what you find and loose parts play in the bush.
FIBRE CRAFT – Saturday 14 October – There’s always room for more craft! We find the benefits of engaging with handcraft will be seen in children’s thinking processes, self-regulation, creative thinking and ability to organise themselves. Learn the art mentoring through wet felt-making, weaving and hand sewing.
Team Building and Bespoke Training
We are ready to help you create the training and experiences that will suit your team, your community and your environment. You might like to book a visit to our site to observe our programs in action and follow this up with specific workshops tailored to your needs. If you are looking for team-building activities, invite us to come and teach your team how to make beautiful things with traditional wet-felting or needle-felting techniques, creative journaling, botanical water colour painting and singing.