FOREST SUMMER CAMPS
Emerald Heart Forest School is pleased to offer summer camps in 2025 hosted by In Place, a local nonprofit for place-centered nature education.
Summer is a wonderful time to experience creativity and fun in and with nature!
As in all of our programs, during camp, we honor and nourish relationships with ourselves, each other, and Earth. We value the dynamic landscape of our forest home and the unique inner landscape of each child.
Through decades of experience, we have honed a holistic approach to place-centered nature education.
Our camps include Nature Connection and Science, Expressive Arts, and Wellness Practices.
Nature Connection–-nature walks, awareness activities, nature explorations through play and science.
Expressive Arts--place-based arts and crafts, creative writing, storytelling, movement.
Wellness Practices–tending the inner landscape through mindfulness, communication skills, gratitude, kindness, kinship.
There's plenty of time for free play and for interest-led exploration!
In 2024, we include a surfing day. In 2025, we will include surfing again--and likely more of it!
Dates and Ages:
TBA
Hours:
9:00AM to 3:00PM (flexible drop-off 9:00-9:30AM)
Facilitators:
Taira Restar
and stellar Guest Teachers.
In 2024, our guest teachers included:
Claire Peaslee, playful birding
Richard Vacha, tracking
Tara Rose, yoga
Ken Otter, surfing + 2 other surf instructors
Location:
Inverness Park home base. And other local wild lands.
Inverness Park address given upon registration.
We are in 3.5 acres of forested land at "the top" of a quiet residential neighborhood. Please note that our location is not fenced in. For safety, only children who are able to stay within our physical limits can participate in camp. If your child tends to wander off and/or "test boundaries" with adults, camp may not be a good match. Feel free to email our director, Taira, if you have any questions.
Practicalities
Gear
Because we are outdoors in all weather, including rain, forest campers dress in outdoor gear. Campers wear long pants and close-toed shoes. They are encouraged to wear sun hats. If your family does not have this type of clothing, we will do our best to help you round some up.
Water & Food
Children bring their own snack, lunch and water. We have plenty of drinking water to refill bottles.
Readiness:
Forest school is a unique experience. We want every camper to feel confident and to have fun. Please see our registration form for how we determine readiness.
Costs:
$25 non-refundable deposit per camp plus
camp payment.
Choose your camp payment based on the sliding scale.
Camps 1 and 2; MTWTh, 4 days of camp; 9-3
Sliding scale TBA
$TBA covers costs (materials, teachers' wages, administration, insurance)
There are partial scholarships available through In Place nonprofit:
Paying non-refundable deposit of $25 plus $TBA for camp tuition.
It is our heartfelt intention to make place-centered nature education accessible to all.
Thank you to the Kalliopeia Foundation for their generous donation to In Place for scholarships.
Registration and Payment:
LIVE LINKS HERE IN SPRING 2025
To register and to hold your child's spot, 3 steps are required.
(1) Complete and SIGN registration form.
(2) Complete and SIGN waiver. (Parent of current or recent student, you do not need to re-sign.)
(3) Make payment. (payment info on registration form)
Questions & Your Wild Ideas
Have questions or wild ideas? Email Taira.
Gratitude & Land Acknowledgement
Emerald Heart Forest School is on the unceded lands of Coast Miwoks. We thank Coast Miwoks, past and present, for their care of these lands and waters.