Supporting Nature Connected Parents* to Nurture Nature Connected Kids

Feeling daunted by remote schooling?
Feeling sad that you can’t get out and socialise with families and friends at this time?
Feeling disconnected to your homeschooling or school community?
Us too!

During these times of Coronavirus with rolling lockdowns and uncertainty, so much more is being asked of parents. We are spending more time with our kids. However there are less or no access to extracurricular activities and groups that meet up. Families and friends are having less contact with each other. We know it is hitting many families hard. We also know that there are blessings amongst this situation too. Simpler lives, for many of us, are one of them. For many of us during this time, nature has played an invaluable therapeutic role, whether we are noticing birds in our backyards for the first time, reacquainting themselves with our local park or getting back into the garden.

We at Firekeepers have had to cancel all of our in person programs at this stage. We see this as an opportunity to more directly support parents in their role as nature connection mentors.

A mentoring program for parents?

Yes! The best part of this is that the research says that quickest way for kids to become nature connected, is to be mentored by folks who are deeply nature connected themselves. Which means that we can’t just educate our kids about nature, but that we must model deep nature connection ourselves. Which benefits everyone!

So, we are offering a supportive, experiential, parental nature connection program focused on delving into the core routines of nature connection. This program will be nourishing and connective in itself for parents, as well as empowering us to support our kids.

The 13 of the many core routines that we will explore are:

Sit Spot, Story of the Day, Expanding Sensory Awareness, Questioning & Tracking, Animal Forms, Wandering, Mapping, Exploring Field Guides, Journaling, Survival Living, Minds Eye Imagining, Listening for Bird Language & Thanksgiving.

We will explore at least one of these core routines in depth each week with a variety of experiential activities.

Wow! Ok, how will it work?

We will send out a short 5~10 min video with an activity prompt for the Core Routine that we will be exploring that week. There will be flexibility to explore the theme through the week as fits with your family constellation.

We will then meet up and have a weekly 90 min gathering on Zoom at 8-9:30 on Monday evenings. Within the call we will be modeling and practicing the core routines of Nature Connection. We will catch each others stories from the week and deepen our curiosity together. You will get a chance to share more deeply in small groups how you found the prompt that week.

There will be space, possibly in a facebook group, to share pictures, stories, celebrations and questions from our adventures that just can’t wait until Monday too.

This program will be a place to weave deeper connection; with ourselves, with the natural environment we are in; with each other in the group; and ultimately with our kids and families.

An opportunity to tend the fountain of your own Nature Connection, so that you can in turn support and inspire others.

What is the financial exchange?

This program is priced as a sliding scale from $20-$50 per week, with some “no one turned away for lack of funds” places and no charge for First Nations people.

Bio:

Mel (they/them/she/her) is a queer step mother of a 10 year old. Mel facilitates nature connection initiation and rewilding programs for kids, youth, families and adults including Currawong Kids, Wild by Nature Village Camps and Rewild Fridays and is excited to deepen her mentoring of parents too.
They are passionate about building community and bridging connection between humans and the more that human world. Melissa holds space for connection and transformation with love, deep authenticity, reverence and fun.

“I wanted to thank you again for organising today and for the way that you held such an honest, grounded, vulnerable, supportive space. I'm feeling such gratitude for the opportunity to come together in community to support each other…” participant in Rewild Fridays program

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Mel

*Parents includes: full time parents, part time parents, disabled parents, step parents, rainbow parents, foster carers and guardians. Aunties, uncles, housemates and grandparents are also welcome to join. The idea is that you connect with the kids in your life on a regular basis and want to help mentor them in nature connection. This program is not aimed at commercial forest schools, nature connection providers or educators. We may go on to run one for these audiences in the future.