BUSH school Adventures
REGISTER FOR BUSH SCHOOL HERE:
Sorry, Bush School this weekend (Sept 26/27) is fully booked.
NEXT BUSH SCHOOL: JERVIS BAY, 26 and 27 Sept 2020
(Unfortunately our Braidwood location is no longer available to us, due to construction work. If you have an alternative property suggestions for that area, let us know!)
What is it?
If you're reading this, you probably value a more holistic approach to education than schools can offer.
On the Bluegum Bush School day adventures we take this holistic approach into wild nature, asking -
‘How can we use nature-connection mentoring to support our kids to be at home in any environment?’
Please note: your child does not have to be a homeschooler to come. All kids/teens welcome.
How does it happen?
The Bluegum Bush School program uses time-honoured mentoring practices used by nature-based cultures worldwide, such as:
- storytelling
- artful questioning
- rapport-based relating
- nature connection games
- awareness exercises
- bushcraft and survival skills
We inspire, activate and focus the internal wisdom of each child, meeting them where they are at to catalyse their journey of growth, discovery, and self-empowerment, helping them to be more at home in the world.
What does it look like?
Once every 2-3 months a small group of kids and nature mentors head into the bush for the morning.
Our Jervis Bay mornings for 6-14 years run from 9.30am - 1pm on Saturday and Sunday
(See dates page for our upcoming dates)
PLEASE NOTE: We no longer take 5 year olds on Bush School. Sorry!
Each session may include: stories to awaken curiosity; games to get things moving; a journey leading to more focused activity. We usually finish with some reflection on what we’ve experienced and learned, and a celebration of what we’ve achieved or what we’re grateful for.
Expect kids to come back dirtier, full of stories and things to share, a bit more sparkly eyed and probably dog-tired.
What to bring:
All kids/teens will need to bring plenty of snacks, ample water, sun protection, waterproof jacket, warm jumper, a comfy backpack to carry it all and suitable footwear.
Where is it?
Various awesome bush locations around the Jervis Bay area, dependent on weather and activity.
How much?
$65 per child/teen, for 3.5 hours of high quality mentoring.
Do you have a curriculum?
Our ReWild Curriculum fosters meta-skills such as awareness, curiosity and problem-solving; empowering kids to be fully and truly at home, not only in the wild, but also in the world at large - whether city, suburb, forest or savannah.
The five sections of the ReWild Curriculum address attributes such as:
Monkey Body - movement, vitality, play
- what does it mean to be at home in our bodies?
- how can we discover more about the possibilities for movement and expression?
- how can we nurture our co-ordination, strength, flexibility and agility?
- what can the animals teach us about having a wild body?
Artisan Hand - creating and crafting with natural materials
- what do you see in that piece of wood?
- how can we choose and harvest in a way that actually helps the bush?
- how can make the things we need to live in the bush; string, baskets, pots, shelters, fire sticks, stone and bone tools?
- how can we help our hands to get cleverer at creating things from the natural materials we find?
Eye of the Tracker - eco-literacy, navigation, reading the book of life
- how can we read the stories of the bush written in soil, bark, breeze, on leaf and limb, in cloud and bird call?
- how does the landscape show us where to find water? where to find shelter? how to find our way?
- what are the birds telling us?
- when we look at a footprint, can we see the animal moving in our mind’s eye?
- how do we navigate, identify, interpret the habitats and inhabitants of the bush?
- how do we come to know the places and characters in this great story called Life?
Mind of the Jedi - self-awareness, focus, inner stillness
- how can we be like a quiet pool of water, so still that the reflections are crystal clear?
- what happens when we watch, and wait and listen?
- how can we tune our ears to the quietest sounds, the rustle of beetle, of earthworm, of distant birdsong?
- how can we use our owl eyes, our kangaroo ears, our dingo noses to drink in the sensory symphony of the bush?
Wild Heart - care of self and others; joyful, creative expression
- how do we know we are truly alive?
- how can we cherish and and care for all things that live?
- how can we feel, deeply and fully?
- how can we share how we feel with others, and hear them in return?
- how can we create with all our hearts the inspiring stories, the beautiful songs, the joyful games and dances, the special things that we most want to?
- how can we bring what is inside us out into the world, as a gift for others?
(Unfortunately our Braidwood location is no longer available to us, due to construction work. If you have an alternative property suggestions for that area, let us know!)
What is it?
If you're reading this, you probably value a more holistic approach to education than schools can offer.
On the Bluegum Bush School day adventures we take this holistic approach into wild nature, asking -
‘How can we use nature-connection mentoring to support our kids to be at home in any environment?’
Please note: your child does not have to be a homeschooler to come. All kids/teens welcome.
How does it happen?
The Bluegum Bush School program uses time-honoured mentoring practices used by nature-based cultures worldwide, such as:
- storytelling
- artful questioning
- rapport-based relating
- nature connection games
- awareness exercises
- bushcraft and survival skills
We inspire, activate and focus the internal wisdom of each child, meeting them where they are at to catalyse their journey of growth, discovery, and self-empowerment, helping them to be more at home in the world.
What does it look like?
Once every 2-3 months a small group of kids and nature mentors head into the bush for the morning.
Our Jervis Bay mornings for 6-14 years run from 9.30am - 1pm on Saturday and Sunday
(See dates page for our upcoming dates)
PLEASE NOTE: We no longer take 5 year olds on Bush School. Sorry!
Each session may include: stories to awaken curiosity; games to get things moving; a journey leading to more focused activity. We usually finish with some reflection on what we’ve experienced and learned, and a celebration of what we’ve achieved or what we’re grateful for.
Expect kids to come back dirtier, full of stories and things to share, a bit more sparkly eyed and probably dog-tired.
What to bring:
All kids/teens will need to bring plenty of snacks, ample water, sun protection, waterproof jacket, warm jumper, a comfy backpack to carry it all and suitable footwear.
Where is it?
Various awesome bush locations around the Jervis Bay area, dependent on weather and activity.
How much?
$65 per child/teen, for 3.5 hours of high quality mentoring.
Do you have a curriculum?
Our ReWild Curriculum fosters meta-skills such as awareness, curiosity and problem-solving; empowering kids to be fully and truly at home, not only in the wild, but also in the world at large - whether city, suburb, forest or savannah.
The five sections of the ReWild Curriculum address attributes such as:
Monkey Body - movement, vitality, play
- what does it mean to be at home in our bodies?
- how can we discover more about the possibilities for movement and expression?
- how can we nurture our co-ordination, strength, flexibility and agility?
- what can the animals teach us about having a wild body?
Artisan Hand - creating and crafting with natural materials
- what do you see in that piece of wood?
- how can we choose and harvest in a way that actually helps the bush?
- how can make the things we need to live in the bush; string, baskets, pots, shelters, fire sticks, stone and bone tools?
- how can we help our hands to get cleverer at creating things from the natural materials we find?
Eye of the Tracker - eco-literacy, navigation, reading the book of life
- how can we read the stories of the bush written in soil, bark, breeze, on leaf and limb, in cloud and bird call?
- how does the landscape show us where to find water? where to find shelter? how to find our way?
- what are the birds telling us?
- when we look at a footprint, can we see the animal moving in our mind’s eye?
- how do we navigate, identify, interpret the habitats and inhabitants of the bush?
- how do we come to know the places and characters in this great story called Life?
Mind of the Jedi - self-awareness, focus, inner stillness
- how can we be like a quiet pool of water, so still that the reflections are crystal clear?
- what happens when we watch, and wait and listen?
- how can we tune our ears to the quietest sounds, the rustle of beetle, of earthworm, of distant birdsong?
- how can we use our owl eyes, our kangaroo ears, our dingo noses to drink in the sensory symphony of the bush?
Wild Heart - care of self and others; joyful, creative expression
- how do we know we are truly alive?
- how can we cherish and and care for all things that live?
- how can we feel, deeply and fully?
- how can we share how we feel with others, and hear them in return?
- how can we create with all our hearts the inspiring stories, the beautiful songs, the joyful games and dances, the special things that we most want to?
- how can we bring what is inside us out into the world, as a gift for others?
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You can find the next dates for the Bluegum Bush School tribe here:
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REGISTER FOR BUSH SCHOOL HERE:
Sorry, Bush School this weekend (Sept 26/27) is fully booked.
Come and Join the Bush School Tribe!
Bluegum Bushcraft runs rewilding programmes on the NSW South Coast. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this whole area, the Dharawal, Jerrinja and Yuin people. We acknowledge traditional custodians of the entire continent. We ask permission to help people, in the ways that way can, to deepen into their relationships with the living earth and walk with respect and deep listening.
We walk on stolen land and know that sovereignty was never ceded.
We walk on stolen land and know that sovereignty was never ceded.