IN THE ANCIENT LAND OF THE YOUNG
LISA BROWN’S CLASSROOM IS OVER 10,000 YEARS OLD. WITH 30,000 SPECIES OF WILDLIFE, A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF WATERWAYS, AND NO FEWER THAN 32 DISTINCT NATIVE TREES, THE ACADIAN FOREST IS A VAST NETWORK OF FLORA AND FAUNA TEEMING WITH ALL FORMS OF LIFE. IT’S ALSO HOME TO THE TÍR NA NÓG FOREST SCHOOL, WHERE CHILDREN ARE FREE TO ROAM THE GREEN WORLDS AROUND THEM.
Sprite-like, a trio of students makes its way through the woods with ease. They run at a full sprint along winding trails, dodging branches before stopping to catch their breath by the fire. One boy adds a log while another casually stokes the embers, as though nothing could possibly be more normal than a group of five-year-olds tending to an open flame.
Such moments of freedom and ease are central to the identity of New Brunswick’s first forest school. In Irish Mythology, Tír na nÓg is a mystical locale where young people are free to avail themselves of all the world’s enchantment. It is this Tír na nÓg — or “Land of the Young” — that Lisa Brown had in mind when she started the school, a decision that was motivated in large part by the encroachment of technology into childhood.
LESS SCREEN TIME, MORE GREEN TIME
“I feel strongly that this generation spends way too much time in front of screens. They need to make a connection to our natural world, so when they get older, they will take care of our world and be good stewards.”
Brown, a leader in early childhood outdoor education, is not alone in saying so: the New Brunswick Health Council estimates that more than half of all children in New Brunswick clock at least two hours of screen time each day.
“What’s special about this school,” Brown explains, “is that we’re outside all day. They create from what we have here.”
Unstructured play is certainly a key component of daily life for children at this forest school. Yet Brown also draws from the NB PLAYBOOK to fuel the children’s imaginations. Its resources help make Tír na nÓg a place where both nurture and nature thrive.
WATCH AS THE WOODS COME TO LIFE
FOOTNOTES: Brought to by NB PLAYS!