Many educators and leaders want to go further with rich play, deep connection and adventure into their programs but feel held back by rigid systems, risk concerns, or not knowing where to start. Your journey of deeper practice as a Nature Mentor starts here.
Offered twice a year (April & September), over 8 guided weeks you’ll explore the Six Core Practices that sit at the heart of Birdwings Forest School’s approach to early childhood and nature mentoring. Each week invites you into an authentic cycle of learning, practice, reflection, and connection. We focus on how to:
- Mentor, not instruct.
- Build presence, curiosity, and courage in your practice with children
- Slow down and find the rhythm of flow in your program
- Hold emotional safety with lightness and care
- Foster agency, children’s voice and respectful communication
- Weave ecological storytelling and place-based learning through daily practice
- Reconnect to your own sense of purpose and belonging in nature
At the heart of the course is the LEAF Framework, the nature-connected structure we use at Birdwings Forest School to help to reflect on, reframe, and deepen our approach to nature mentoring with children. Aligned with the EYLF and QKLG, it’s a pathway that supports you to grow as a mentor who creates meaningful, lasting connections between children and the natural world.
🌿 Living: grounded learning in lived experience and practical life skills
🌿 Ecology: seeing ourselves as part of the natural world and fostering awareness of interdependence
🌿 Agency: supporting children’s independence, growth, sense of adventure and creativity
🌿 Flow: nurturing safe, rhythmic, and therapeutic experiences that support wellbeing and belonging
Thank you Jen and Narell! My team was buzzing with inspiration after our training – Kayla Ousley
The LEAF Nature Mentor Pathway is not just about learning skills: it is about developing a way of being with children in nature that is safe, creative, and deeply connected.
Through practical examples and reflective exercises, I was able to reconnect with the importance of slowing down, listening, and being present—key aspects of nature mentoring. I am excited to implement what I’ve learned by creating opportunities for children to engage in open-ended storytelling using natural materials, encouraging wonder and inquiry in outdoor settings, and seeing myself as a co-storyteller and guide rather than an instructor. – Sharma Palak
Through connected online learning, weekly zooms and practical experiences our expert guidance will support you to:
🌿 Learn specific nature mentoring approaches to foster deep connections with the environment.
🌿 Gain hands-on skills in bushcraft, including campfires, tools, ropes, and shelter-building.
🌿 Explore each of the 6 Core Practices in the LEAF Framework, including loose parts play, ecological storytelling, and visual documentation.
This training was fun. I got out of my comfort zone and learned so much –
USE YOUR FUNDING! Birdwings is a Kindy Uplift Provider – so make sure to plan ahead for your funding. This course will provide deep, immersive learning that meets each of the Kindy Uplift Funding areas.
Narell Neville and Jennifer McCormack are leaders in early childhood nature play in Australia. We share our years of experience and creative inspiration with you. Come join us on an adventure of learning and connection with children and nature.
Course Dates and Attendance Options
As co-founders and active committee members of the Australian Forest School Association (AFSA), Birdwings Forest School stands as an AFSA Approved Provider, ensuring best practice in Australian nature pedagogy. Additionally, we are registered providers with the Kindy Uplift program, enabling you to apply your funding towards training that brings experienced and high-quality nature play to your team.
