We have found that many people today long to connect with the natural world but lack the knowledge and skills to feel confident and comfortable in the wild. We work with our current students and families to do exactly that. Our focus is to bring families and friends closer together by getting out and experiencing nature through a unique, hands-on learning experience. We focus our teachings around loving and giving back to the Earth, foraging, bushcraft, camping, and other aspects of wilderness survival. Currently offering Forest Schooling for ages 6 months-14 years!
At NC Nature School, our mission is to save a generation from technological obsession and dependence by connecting families to nature, remembering the skills of our ancestors, striving to become more self-sufficient, and providing community to all those trying to guide themselves and loved ones through the bizarreness of modern life. Our message to any whom feel disconnected from this life and long to belong, to any parents hoping to raise children that are confident, capable, and clever; to any that think there is more to this human experience than the culture of disposability and dependency “they’re” selling us: what you search for is here, in nature. Come ‘round our fire; rest your weary legs from their wondering – you’ve made it – this is tribe.
Currently offering Forest Schooling for ages 6 months-14 years!
My boys loved it! Highly recommend!
My daughter has learned so much in a short amount of time. Denise and Lake have been outstanding. We've had a wonderful experience.
Our son had been looking forward to this experience ever since we were introduced! His excitement when he got home from his time spent with Ms Denise and Mr Lake was through the roof. He shared all of the fun things they did and even brought home some yummy nature snack that he made, fried dandelions! He can't wait to go back!
The instructor are amazing and so knowledgeable!
Finding the snake was awesome. Ellie's favorite thing was the baby goats. As a parent I felt so comfortable dropping off the kids knowing they were in safe and capable hands. They can't wait to do it again!! Thank you for everything! ❤️
We had a great time and look forward to future sessions! Thank you!
Great experience with wonderful instructors.
I was worried about moving to NC and having to find a nature school to replace our awesome one back in NJ. We are so excited to have found NC Nature School, it's everything we could have ever wanted 💚
My daughter had an amazing time! She will definitely be coming back next summer!
The girls had such a good time and didn't want the week to end!
I can't recommend NC Farm and Forage enough. My son didn't want it to end!
My daughter has the time of her life with Ms. Denise and Mr. Lake. She has learned so much and even took her dad and me on a foraging hike! I'm pretty sure she would do their classes every single day if she could. I can't say enough good things about this unique experience!
Fun experience for children. Instructors are patient and kind, the sessions are fun and educational.
My children loved it! And i learned a lot as well. Ms. Denise and Mr. Lake have an awesome demeanor that the kids feel so comfortable with.
Our child Blue has absolutely loved every moment of his time at "Nature Camp". The activities are thoughtful and their approach feels very beneficial to our child's particular learning style. We are thrilled to have discovered them and look forward to Blue having years of exploration in their program!!
Class activities were a bit random, I would have like to have incorporated more natural items, more 'forest' activities, too many plastic toys and manipulatives used, some classes only offered one activity (ie pond themed class with only the sensory bin) I like the idea of the sensory bin but everything was plastic and included non pond animals like octopus and seahorses...focus more on natural items for a sensory bin. Include more variety in activities...every class started with finding laminated pictures of items. And Maybe search for natural items instead? I think there is a lot of potential for a farm and forest class but these classes missed the mark for me unfortunately.
Love the school! And my child eagerly waits all week for it! He has such a wonderful time! Instructors are the best. So many fun activities. It is a great educational way to get kids outdoors with other kids learning about and appreciating nature and animals.
Once we got in the car after our first Farm and Forage- Nature School class, my 3 year old immediately started asking if we could go back tomorrow. A perfect balance of fun, learning, structure, and free play- this is my new favorite way to start the weekend off right. Denis and Lake are my kiddos new favorite people!
We had such a great time exploring with friends. We can't wait to do another class!
Great opportunity for my son to socialize and more importantly sync himself with the beauty and wonder all around him,
Amazing!!!! We absolutely loved and recommend this class plus instructor is awesome with kids
My son loves this program and always makes sure he's signed up for the next one.
Denise and Lake are wonderful humans and we are so thankful for their classes. Going ahead and singing up for another one because my daughter won’t stop talking about nature school!
I am so thankful for this experience and the kindness from the teachers.
Please have more homeschool, week day sessions, this has been amazing for Wylie.
It's been a great fit for my nature loving kid! He says he likes building the shelter and learning about rocks and animals.
Our kiddo has the best time learning in nature with friends and experienced teachers! He's loving it and we are appreciative.
A wonderful time exploring and learning!
Mr. Lake is a knowledgeable Eagle Scout who has spent over a decade building his skill sets in wilderness survival, bushcraft, mushroom and herbal foraging, traditional primitive skills, permaculture, conservation, and human-rewilding. Through two years of uninterrupted voluntary service, community outreach, as well as studies in anthropology and indigenous cultures, he further grew his desire to make an impact on his community through meaningful connection with the land and our fellow man. You can find him teaching a variety of survival skills, and working with Adults and Children to nurture a desire to be more resilient and independent through our organization’s programs. Lake’s gentle approach embraces the ADHD mind, and sensory seeker, as he too struggled to overcome the obstacles of ADHD throughout his youth. It is his mission to redirect children and adults to a more connected and natural state where they can build their skill sets to feel empowered, confident and independent in the outdoors. “My love for the wilderness and penchant for self-sufficient lifestyles came at an early age. My favorite book as a child was My Side of The Mountain; it tells a story of a young man who escapes the trappings of modern life and makes his way in the Catskill mountains with little more than his knowledge of the land, a creative mind, and a helpful peregrine Falcon to serve as his companion. I was fascinated by the adventure of it all, but more than that I craved the independence he gained through these things. Even at my young age I saw the value in learning these skills and remembering our ancestral modes of survival - man who can shelter and feed himself, and survive without the aid of modern conveniences is one that can’t be controlled. More and more I see our society trading away the freedom that is our human birthright for more conveniences. To me, NC Nature School is a bastion for that indomitable human spirit - it is a call to remember the old ways before they are lost, an opportunity to restore human independence, and it is a place for humans to be humans once more.”
Carrying on the legacy of my mother, I (Ms. Denise) have over 10 years of experience working with children in various settings such as micro schools, environmental education programs, homeschool programs, community outreach, farms, infant nurseries, churches, “special needs” and ADHD programs, Girl Scouts, children’s music and theater programs, ASL for children, and now our current organization dedicated to “rewilding” and reconnecting the modern human to nature and their humanity. Although I have been trained and have worked in “Montessori,” “Reggio Emilia,” “Forest-Schooling,” “Waldorf,” and other specific ethos settings, my preferred teaching approach is more of a medley of them all. My gentle forest-school approach consists of a focus on human-nature connection, active listening and understanding, empowering the child, and helping them deepen their connections to who they are, and what fulfills them through “child-led” learning, and self-discovery opportunities. I have always held reverence for the natural world, but throughout my life, I especially developed my appreciations through play, family gardening, hiking, honoring my indigenous lineage, 13 years of scouts, van travels through all 48 contiguous states with my grandfather, self discovery and recovery through severe clinical depression, and especially, by deepening my knowledge and human-nature connection through fulfilling studies in psychology, child-rearing, foraging, herbalism, self-sufficiency, permaculture, survival skill development, and more. Without the opportunity to have made meaningful connections with nature, I would not be here today. By connecting to nature, I have restored life back into my human experience that once was a depressed and unfulfilling place. It is my mission to give as many people the opportunity to connect to the land and their humanity through a variety of options that may be the spark they’re looking for to begin their “rewilding” journey.
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County, North Carolina
Weekdays
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Weekends
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
