School Age Programs

5 – 15 Year Old Forest Friends

Join our Hand-in-Hand Nature Educators for nature connection, awareness and play! These programs will combine the child-led exploration and unstructured play typical of Hand-In-Hand programs with guided activities geared towards nature connection and awareness. Forest friends can expect an imaginative learning journey informed by the natural environment, changing seasons and local flora and fauna, where they will have an opportunity to adventure into our “Outdoor Classroom’s” large spaces to play, get muddy and build caring relationships with the land and forest friends. There will also be opportunities to recharge, relax, listen and watch the world around us. Through changing seasons and weather, we will return to the forest on a weekly basis to gather together and explore. These programs’ small group sizes allow for increased social and emotional interaction and to deepen connections to the land and each other.

PLEASE NOTE:

  1. Payment plans are offered and we accept payment through PIE, Ascend, Self Design, Heritage Christian Online School and other Distance Learning Programs.
  2. For our Forest Buds Program, we welcome public/private school attending forest friends to either end their school day early and join us on time or end their school day on time and join us after we have started our adventure.

Cumberland

COAL CREEK HISTORIC PARK

To register for our 2025/26 Forest Buds Program, please click the “REGISTER YOUR CHILD” button below.

FOREST BUDS (Spring Session)

DatesMondays, April 13 – June 15 (closed May 18 for Victoria Day)
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Location
: Coal Creek Historic Park
Ages
: 5 9 year old forest friends
Cost
: $385

Courtenay

COMOX VALLEY EXHIBITION GROUNDS

To register for our 2025/26 Forest Buds Program, please click the “REGISTER YOUR CHILD” button below.

FOREST BUDS (Spring Session)

Dates: Tuesdays, April 7 – June 16 
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Location
: Tsolum River through CV Exhibition Grounds
Ages
: 5 9 year old forest friends
Cost
: $425

Comox (NEW LOCATION!!!)

FILBERG, MACK LAING NATURE & BAYBROOK NATURE PARKS

To register for our 2025/26 Forest Buds Program, please click the “REGISTER YOUR CHILD” button below.

FOREST BUDS (Spring Session)

DatesThursdays, April 16 – June 18
Time: 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Location
: Filberg, Mack Laing Nature & Baybrook Nature Parks
Ages
: 5 – 9 year old forest friends
Cost
: $385

Campbell River

SPORTSPLEX & WILLOW POINT PARK

To register for our 2025/26 Forest Buds and/or Forest Friends Programs, please click the “REGISTER YOUR CHILD” button below.

FOREST BUDS (Spring Session)

DatesMondays, April 13 – June 15 (closed May 18 for Victoria Day)
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Location
: Sportsplex
Ages
: 5 – 9 year old forest friends
Cost
: $385

FOREST FRIENDS (Spring Session)

DatesTuesdays, April 7 – June 16
Time: 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Location
: Sportsplex
Ages
: 10 – 14 year old forest friends
Cost
: $285

Black Creek

COTTONWOOD ROSE FARM

To register for the 2025/26 school year, please click the link below.

Cottonwood Rose Learning Community: K – 9

Our Cottonwood Rose Learning Community is a collaborative effort made possible by the Heartwood Learning Community (a program offered through Navigate NIDES), the Cottonwood Rose Farm, and Hand-In-Hand Nature Education. Our school is offered Tuesday to Thursday (morning and afternoon), where half of the day is spent inside and taught by a BC Certified Teachers who deliver the BC Curriculum, and the other half of the day is spent outside and facilitated by Hand-In-Hand Nature Educators who will deliver Outdoor Learning.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact our Cottonwood Rose Learning Community by clicking HERE!

FOR REGISTRATION: Please complete our Enrollment Application by clicking HERE!

Quadra Island

HERIOT BAY

To register for our 2025/26 Forest Buds Program, please click the “REGISTER YOUR CHILD” button below.

BLUE HERON FOREST PROGRAM (Spring Session)

Dates: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, April 7 June 24 (closed May 6 for HIH Pro-D Day)
Time: 9:30am – 1:30pm
Location
: 1393 Schooner Road

Ages: 5 – 8 year old forest friends
Cost
: $750

Support the Forest

The Cumberland Forest is part of an interconnected system of forests, salmon-bearing creeks, wetlands and riparian areas adjacent to the Village of Cumberland on Vancouver Island in the traditional territory of the K’omoks Nation.