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41-518: Visitors can access the nature center landscape through 15 miles of trails that showcase a variety of wetlands, meadows, and forests. Trail highlights include a beaver pond observation tower, several interpretive trails, and an iconic red pine stand. CNC has five themed trails to explore. During the winter, visitors can use 12 miles of groomed ski trails and 3 miles of snowshoe trails. Ski and snowshoe rentals are available. CNC offers year-round guided hikes and other programming to help visitors engage with

82-417: A Swedish man, Goesta Frohm, created the "Skogsmulle" concept to promote learning about nature, water, mountains and pollution. With an increasing focus on measurable outcomes, forest schools have gained acceptance as an educational method in their own right. In Denmark, nature schools as well as forest kindergartens are popular with both school teachers and children. The biophilia hypothesis argues that

123-686: A baseline is produced for each child in terms of areas of their holistic development, with particular emphasis on their social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL). Once the baseline assessment has been produced the Forest School Leader/Practitioner will then continue with the long-term programme over the course of the learning period in order to support the child in their development and learning. The practitioner will provide opportunities for each child to develop in areas that have been identified as requiring interventions or support of any kind The duration and frequency of visits influences

164-454: A chance to reflect. This brings a "restorative" benefit which thus enables further attention. After medical surgery , patients resting in rooms overlooking trees recovered better than those in rooms with only a view of a brick wall. They experienced fewer complications from the surgery, recovered faster, and asked for weaker painkiller drugs. Similarly, natural scenes can reduce stress before an event. Women with breast cancer who walked in

205-468: A different kind of task that uses different parts of the brain, as in the familiar idiom "a change is as good as a rest". Alternatively, exposure to natural environments and wilderness has psychological benefits including attention restoration. Nature has an abundance of fascinating objects. "Soft fascinations" such as clouds in the sky or leaves rustling in a breeze, gain our attention relatively effortlessly and are compatible with our wants and needs. This

246-690: A group of nursery nurses travelled to Denmark to observe the Danish/Nordic Model of Forest Kindergartens for a few days. Various government and NGO agencies propose the use of woodland as part of the school educational curriculum; for example the Forest Education Initiative and the Forestry Commission . By 2006, there were approximately 140 forest schools in Britain. The governmental agencies have in some cases been set targets for

287-587: A higher risk environment. Beyond primary-school-age children, forest school is frequently used to further develop social skills and explore creative learning and focuses on developing firm foundations for continued personal and education development. In particular it has been used as an alternative curriculum provision to support continued mainstream education involvement, or as a temporary/transitional approach back into school. Consistent with attention restoration theory , children taking part in forest school have been described as more relaxed. Relationships between

328-485: A love of nature is instinctive. The term nature deficit disorder , coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods , recognises the erosion of this by the urbanisation of human society. Attention restoration theory and related psychological work has proven health benefits in reduced stress, improved concentration and improved medical outcomes from surgery. Scandinavian countries, rich in woodland, have maintained

369-498: A moment by an interruption, such as a telephone call. The task may be fascinating so that it allows "effortless attention", or may have sufficient scope to sustain interaction without boredom, or may simply be more compatible with a person's interests. However, after a period of directed attention, people develop "directed attention fatigue". They become distracted, irritable, and impatient. They become less effective in performing their tasks. Attention may be "restored" by changing to

410-507: A park, watched birds, or tended flowers, achieved better attention after surgery. Merely keeping sight of natural features improves self-discipline in inner-city girls. Children in New York State were less stressed by adversity when they lived in rural areas. Stress in college examinations was similarly reduced by viewing natural scenes. Viewing scenes of urban streets and artifacts excluding nature did not achieve any stress reduction, in

451-403: A person can reflect upon in "effortless attention", such as clouds moving across the sky, leaves rustling in a breeze or water bubbling over rocks in a stream. Philosophically, nature has long been seen as a source of peace and energy, yet the scientific community started rigorous testing only as recently as the 1990s which has allowed scientific and accurate comments to be made about if nature has

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492-418: A restorative attribute. The theory was developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the 1980s in their book The experience of nature: A psychological perspective , and has since been found by others to hold true in medical outcomes as well as intellectual task attention, as described below. Berman et al. discuss the foundation of the attention restoration theory (ART). "ART is based on past research showing

533-399: A restorative environment to change negative states to positive ones. Psychological restoration can be described as the capability of perception of restoration, as an observer can perceive the properties of an environment that relieves the mental fatigue and stress in a person. The Kaplans describe a series of characteristics that an environment must have to be restorative. Fascination :

574-633: A short attention span , or may just not be comfortable with the organisation of a teacher standing in front of a group of pupils. Boys in general, prefer to be outside, and learn better in this way. In a major study in the US, students with behavioural problems in "Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning" (EIC) programmes caused fewer discipline problems than their traditionally educated peers. Similarly, Forest schools have been found to help children with additional support needs, including Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autistic children. In

615-555: A similar service. Forest school is currently taking place in Australia , Canada , New Zealand , USA , Malaysia , Switzerland , Spain , Israel , Ireland , Germany and United Kingdom . The combination of freedom and responsibility has been particularly beneficial to children who lack confidence or whose behaviour is challenging. With high adult to child ratios, children can safely experience activities that are often prohibited, such as climbing trees or lighting fires. Children have

656-589: A woodland or natural environment with trees." CNC's Forest School programs engage children through unstructured play, curiosity-driven exploratory learning, hands-on science projects, and outdoor skills development. The Walden Project is a year-long educational program for high school and gap-year students inspired by the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau. The Walden Project provides students aged 14-19 with an interdisciplinary education in an outdoor setting with an emphasis on academic independence and freedom. Forest school (learning style) Forest school

697-782: Is affected the most by mental fatigue, while stimulus-driven attention is minimally affected or not at all affected by mental fatigue. This typically results in being more easily distracted and less flexible, making noticeable or important stimuli even more powerful. Human behavior steadily becomes increasingly linked to environmental stimuli. Mental fatigue is also part of occupational burnout , where cognitively, we distance ourselves or check out from our work because goal-directed attention capacity has decreased. Aesthetic, yet unimportant or secondary, stimuli can prove effective in combating mental fatigue. Attention restoration theory claims that looking at natural landscapes, such as beaches, forest or mountain landscapes will allow for your mind to sit in

738-451: Is an outdoor education delivery model in which students visit natural spaces to learn personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as "an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands-on learning in a woodland environment". Forest school is both a pedagogy and a physical entity, with the use often being interchanged. The plural "schools"

779-465: Is in comparison with snakes and spiders, which may gain our attention out of fear. The biophilia hypothesis argues that people are instinctively enthusiastic about nature, and both Fuller et al. and Irvine et al. suggests that the positive psychological effect increases as the perceived biodiversity of the landscape increases. After spending some time of effortless attention with soft fascinations and removed from their day-to-day tasks, people may have

820-417: Is often used when referring to a number of groups or sessions. Forest school uses the woods and forests as a means to build independence and self-esteem in children and young adults. Topics are cross-curriculum (broad in subject) including the natural environment, for example the role of trees in society, the complex ecosystem supported by a wilderness, and recognition of specific plants and animals. However,

861-600: Is to prioritize stimuli from the environment and effectively ignore irrelevant information. The effectiveness of attention will diminish over time with constant use. This world-wide, everyday phenomenon is known as mental fatigue, which increases the difficulty of discriminating environmental stimuli and prioritizing relevant information. The weakening of directed attention leads to being increasingly more distracted. There are six main areas that are affected during mental fatigue: input, thinking, behavior, executive functioning, emotions and social interactions. Goal-directed attention

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902-569: The default mode network , to wander freely and thereby relaxing the stringent focus of everyday life. The mind-wandering provided in the default mode network will allow for the mind to restore its directed attention capacities of an individual. Attention restoration theory describes various possible human states of attention : Tasks that require mental effort draw upon "directed attention". People must expend effort to achieve focus, to delay expression of inappropriate emotions or actions, and to inhibit distractions. That is, they must concentrate on

943-565: The 1950s the idea was created in Denmark and shortly thereafter in Sweden. In Denmark it became an embedded part of the curriculum for pre-school children (under seven years) stemming from their småbørnspædagogik, or 'Early childhood education'. Children attending Forest kindergartens were in most cases arriving at school with strong social skills, the ability to work in groups effectively, high self-esteem, and confidence in their own capabilities. In 1957,

984-621: The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Forest School Canada is focused on being a "network for support, education, and accreditation for concepts associated with the FS movement in Canada." The movement has spread into Canada's provinces and is primary associated with private schools. However, there is emerging support from public schools such as the Nature Kindergarten pilot which is a partnership between

1025-501: The Northern Ireland Forest School's Association runs after school Nature Ranger clubs, teacher training and other forest school activities. Inspired by international developments, the first Canadian forest school was created by Marlene Power in 2007. It was named Carp Ridge Preschool and was located near Ottawa. In 2012, Power founded and became the executive director of Forest School Canada, an educational initiative of

1066-742: The Sooke District School Board and the University of Victoria's Centre for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Royal Roads University, and Camosun College's Early Learning and Care Program. Attempts have been made to copyright and trademark generic terms related to forest school. There is no known protection of the term "forest school" or "forest schools". Attention restoration theory Attention restoration theory ( ART ) asserts that people can concentrate better after spending time in nature, or even looking at scenes of nature. Natural environments abound with "soft fascinations" which

1107-572: The UK to enable practitioners to deliver forest school in their own settings and ensure children and teachers work within rich natural experiences. The OCN Level 3 training course is most widely recognised within the UK. Developing from the Institute of Outdoor Learning's (IOL) Forest School Special Interest Group, in June 2012 The Forest School Association was established as an independent UK body. In Northern Ireland,

1148-419: The ability of an environment to generate awe in people; the amount of awe can give the directed attention a rest as the involuntary attention appears in its place. Being away : a feeling that can be objective or subjective in form, e.g. a person can be far away from a location or can let his or her mind go from everyday life and worries. Extension : the connection between each element found in an environment;

1189-469: The children and each other, with adults, and with the environment, are important. Incorporating simple meditation practises, such as sit spots, helps children develop mindfulness in the natural setting. Forest school is part of the broader area of outdoor education . Outside the school curriculum, this extends to summer holiday camps, Scouting , Outward Bound projects and many other activities. Before children reach school age, forest kindergartens provide

1230-464: The complex relationship between humans and the natural world. Educational programs are designed to inspire innovative and creative thinking among participants and provide them with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to actively steward the local landscape in the face of local, regional, and global challenges. From moonlit hikes to archaeological digs, visitors can learn about the Finger Lakes region and

1271-416: The degree of outcome; more time spent in forest school brings greater benefits. Visits should ideally continue throughout the year, allowing children to experience all weathers and the changing seasons. Forest schools are for all students, of any age, often "led by the learner's interests" (learner-initiated learning) by comparison to other outdoor education which "starts with an issue agenda or problem for

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1312-564: The development of practical experience for forest school practitioners. In England , support has been provided by the Forest Education Network (which has replaced the Forest Education Initiative) to those initiating forest school provision. Such provision is provided within schools using their own trained staff or by external independent forest school providers. Many organisations now offer training courses designed for

1353-423: The feeling of being able to travel through the environment in order to look for the information it provides. Compatibility : characteristics found in an environment that meet the preferences and goals of a person. Human beings are constantly seeking and evaluating information. In general we are quite skilled with evaluating and discerning information from environmental stimuli. The function of directed attention

1394-441: The freedom to explore the area within the forest, this helps the child to learn to manage their own safety and move around comfortably. The programme allows children to grow in confidence and independence and extend their abilities. Some children do not perform well in classrooms. They are encouraged to develop their innate curiosity and develop the motivation to learn. They may come from a non-academic family background, may have

1435-470: The higher task, avoiding distractions. Performing the actual task also requires other knowledge and skills. Attention can only be maintained for so long without starting to decrease, a feeling described by many as "tired" or "stressed out". In Peopleware , a book on office work, Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister report that in an office environment, workers may take 15 minutes to achieve this state of flow in their concentration, and that it can be destroyed in

1476-556: The human link more closely. Forest schools practice is based on up-to date pedagogy and andragogy. This ethos was introduced to the UK during the 1990s from Denmark. The growth of forest school has been unprecedented throughout the UK developing into a separate and distinct model called the UK Model. Bridgwater College in Somerset was the pioneer of the forest school concept in the UK in 1994 after

1517-480: The interactions that have shaped it over thousands of years. Annual events: CNC offers a suite of Forest School programs for children from early childhood through middle school. A forest school is defined by the Forest School Association as "an inspirational process, that offers learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in

1558-409: The learner to investigate". The main goals of forest school in primary age children includes encouraging curiosity and exploration with all of the senses, empowering children in the natural environment, and encouraging spatial awareness and motor development. Forest schools usually provide a higher adult to child ratio than some learning styles, in order to ensure children are supported sufficiently in

1599-447: The personal skills are considered highly valuable, such as teamwork and problem solving. The woodland environment may be used to learn about more abstract concepts such as mathematics and communication. Forest school provision is also called nature schools . In the UK Model, schedules within forest schools vary, but one approach is to take students to woodlands once a week, with an initial six-week observation and assessment period, where

1640-490: The separation of attention into two components: involuntary attention, where attention is captured by inherently intriguing or important stimuli, and voluntary or directed attention, where attention is directed by cognitive-control processes." Restoration or psychological restoration in the environmental psychology field is the recovery of depleted resources which can be psychological (attention and emotions), physiological (stress) and/or social. This results from interaction with

1681-411: The use of their resources for education or health benefits, or are focused on the educational outcomes and see forestry as a step towards them. Many businesses and non-profit organizations facilitate forest school long term programmes. In Wales , training and strategic oversight is provided by Forest Schools Wales and government agencies such as the Forestry Commission who have supported research and

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