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Welcome to the 2026 Outdoor Learning Conference
Type: Health & Wellbeing clear filter
Thursday, May 7
 

3:15pm MDT

Bringing Back the Community Walk
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
See the world outside of the school doors in an entirely new way, and see the excited faces of young children light up when they identify a look for item. I see roots!, I see circles on the wheels of cars!, I see lines going this way and lines going that way on the sidewalk!. Get ready to SEE!

1 Take a guided walk with the facilitator, drawing attention to different engagement opportunities that incorporate a multitude of look for items

2 Discuss what was seen on the walk and brainstorm learning possibilities that are student-responsive to the interests of the class.

3 Introduce natural, unspecified materials that can be gathered and brought back to the classroom for further learning or used in situ

Using the guiding aspects of the Walking Curriculum, participants will be able to engage young learners during walks with purpose. Work with the facilitator to be student-responsive, incorporate unspecified materials (especially from nature!), and target learning outcomes.
Speakers
avatar for Janice Hagan

Janice Hagan

Teacher, Calgary Catholic School Division
Janice Hagan has extensive experience teaching and leading K–6 education in diverse settings, ranging from public to international schools. Her career has taken her into classrooms and leadership roles that span cultures, communities, and educational systems, giving her a unique... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
Kinnear Patio Firepit 1

3:15pm MDT

From Anxiety to Action: EcoAnxiety as a Tool for Action
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
This session helps teachers support students’ emotions towards climate change and provides direction to shift the conversation from despair to hope, turning anxiety into action. Alberta’s science curriculum requires that climate change be addressed beginning in Grade 6, but this session will help all teachers to feel more comfortable when the topic comes up in other grades and through other outcomes.
Speakers
avatar for Amy Thompson

Amy Thompson

Environmental Education and Engagement Coordinator, The Alberta Council for Environmental Education
Amy joined ACEE in 2022 with over a decade of experience as an informal educator. Bringing an interdisciplinary approach to her work, she recognizes the importance of social justice, equity, and diversity in the future of education, and held this as her focus throughout her graduate... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
Otter

3:15pm MDT

Outdoor Play, Naturally
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
What becomes possible when outdoor play is recognized as an essential part of early childhood?

In outdoor environments, children move, create, imagine, take risks, and build relationships using what the land provides. In the early years, play is how children learn, and outdoor spaces uniquely support physical health, emotional regulation, confidence, problem solving, and the development of sound judgment through real experiences in real places.

This hands-on outdoor session invites participants to engage directly with the landscape and notice what it already offers. Through guided exploration and small-group conversation, we will reflect on how space, natural materials, and reasonable challenges support children’s development and wellbeing.

We will also consider the role of the adult in stepping back with intention by observing, responding, and learning to trust children’s capabilities.

Together, we will explore outdoor play as a developmentally appropriate and professional practice rooted in place.


Speakers
avatar for Rochellie Lywin

Rochellie Lywin

Outdoor & Nature-Based Learning Specialist, Three Pines Outdoor and Nature Play
Rochellie Lywin is an Outdoor & Nature-Based Learning Specialist and Certified Forest and Nature School Practitioner, with a Diploma in Early Learning and Child Care and a Level 3 Early Childhood Educator certification. She also holds a Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills from... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
Beaver

3:15pm MDT

THE COST OF SILENCE: How Our Childhood Narratives Shape Our Presence as Educators
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
This immersive workshop invites educators, youth workers, and facilitators to explore how early family narratives, inherited silences, and childhood emotional patterns quietly shape how we teach, respond, and hold space. Through gentle somatic grounding, reflective writing, and connection-based activities, participants uncover how unresolved stories influence empathy, boundaries, and classroom presence. Guided by Academy Award–winning composer, cultural futurist, and educator TIKA, this session supports participants in reconnecting with their inner child, expanding nervous system awareness, and learning practical practices to cultivate steadier, more compassionate learning environments.
Speakers
avatar for TIKA

TIKA

Academy Award–Winning Composer, Cultural Strategist & Healing-Centred Practitioner, With Love, TIKA
Hi friends! I’m TIKA—an Academy Award–winning composer, musician, cultural strategist, and founder of Iverna Island, a creative initiative dedicated to supporting artists and building sustainable cultural ecosystems.My work lives at the intersection of creativity, community... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
Kingfisher

3:15pm MDT

Thinking in Pictures Outdoors: Graphic Facilitation and Visual Learning
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
Graphic facilitation offers powerful ways for students to observe, make meaning, and reflect – inside or outside of classroom walls. This hands-on workshop invites educators to experience how simple graphic facilitation approaches and tools can deepen learning, support diverse learners, and make thinking visible across grade levels and subject areas.
Participants will engage in short outdoor observation activities and explore usage of icons, symbols, graphic frames, and low-stakes sketching to support inquiry, reflection, and sense-making.
Educators will leave with practical graphic facilitation strategies and ready-to-use outdoor learning activities they can adapt for their students.
Speakers
avatar for Marie Bartlett

Marie Bartlett

Instructional Designer, Thompson Rivers University
Marie Bartlett is an Instructional Designer at Thompson Rivers University (Open Learning), and is dedicated to creating educational experiences that inspire and engage learners. She looks for opportunities to highlight active learning and creativity in course design, and use innovative... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
201 (Indoor Space)

3:15pm MDT

When the Land Speaks: Slowing Down to Listen, Feel and Connect
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
What does meaningful connection to the land really look like - and how do we know when it’s happening? In this reflective, participatory session, we’ll slow down and explore sensory-based, time-tested practices that nurture health, wellbeing, and authentic relationships with the natural world. Drawing from Vicki’s experience as an environmental educator and her current training in Forest and Nature Therapy, we’ll revisit the fundamentals of connection: presence, curiosity, and reciprocity. Together, we’ll tap into our collective wisdom as educators to explore how heart-centered experiences with the land help students move from curiosity to connection and ultimately to inspired action. Come ready to breathe, listen, wander, and learn from the land and from each other. Leave with simple activities you can use for your own wellness and to support deeper, heart-centered connections between your learners and the natural world.
Speakers
avatar for Vicki Perkins

Vicki Perkins

Education Specialist, Alberta Forestry & Parks
Vicki (she/her) grew up on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Anishinabeg, Seneca, and Chippewa peoples where time spent among the majestic white pines and flowing waters nurtured her love for nature and storytelling. With over 25 years of experience as... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT
Owl
 
Friday, May 8
 

11:00am MDT

Building Outdoor Routines That Help ADHD Learners Thrive
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Students with ADHD often thrive when learning includes movement, fresh air, and space to reset. This session explores how outdoor routines can support working memory, attention, emotional regulation, and a sense of belonging for neurodivergent learners. We will look at common classroom challenges for students with ADHD and why stepping outside can reduce cognitive load and increase readiness to learn. Participants will try a few simple activities that show how time outdoors can help students focus, calm their bodies, and stay connected to the work. We will also identify small routines such as movement breaks, short transitions outside, or using outdoor space for practice and reflection that teachers can use without adding to their workload. The goal is to leave with practical, steadying ideas that make learning outside a natural support for students with ADHD.

Session Handout: ​Click Here​​​
Speakers
avatar for Tim Grivois

Tim Grivois

Executive Director, TGS Educational Consulting
Dr. Tim Grivois is an educator, consultant, and writer who helps schools create learning environments where students with ADHD and other neurodivergent learners can thrive. He has worked as a teacher, school leader, and district coordinator, and now supports schools across North America... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Cougar

11:00am MDT

Connecting and Collaborating with colleagues around Outdoor Learning
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Through teacher interviews and research on outdoor experiential learning, my doctoral work highlighted moves that supported teachers in taking their students outdoors for meaningful learning. One of these impactful domains was the opportunity to collaborate with peers, as mentors. In this session, collaborative connections will be set up, for teachers to share and learn from each other. Successes, challenges and ways to work through those challenges will be brainstormed in small groups. Creating a collective resource to share out will be a co-created product of the session.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Fiona Watkins

Dr. Fiona Watkins

Sessional Instructor, University of Calgary
Fiona has over 30 years of experience in the education field, as a PE specialist, primary classroom teacher, and administrator. She has worked in both public and private schools in both BC and Alberta throughout her career. Fiona currently is the district Learning Services Coordinator... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Eagle

11:00am MDT

Grounding Education within the Health Professions through Connection with Land: Land-Based-Pedagogy towards Wholistic and Interconnected Care.
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Participants with spend guided time on the land and as a community of learners, considering how connection with land might foster authentic health care and service provision. This workshop is appropriate for health care workers, educators, and land-based organizational leadership.


Through access to land, water, air, space, and the more-than-human components of the natural environment surrounding this event, we will focus discussion and learning outcomes around building community, reflection on self as a member of system, and human/more-than human interconnectedness - Wholism.


As we expose participants to these environmental components on the land, we will ask them consider links with health/care provision in a number of ways/through multiple perspectives (personal/interpersonal/the more-than-human/community/national/planetary). We will combine interaction with the natural elements alongside talking circles to connect our experiences and perspectives.
Speakers
avatar for Angela Mashford-Pringle

Angela Mashford-Pringle

Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Dr. Mashford-Pringle is a member of Timiskaming First Nation, but was born and resides in the Toronto area. She is an Associate Professor at the Social & Behavioural Health Sciences division at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Her research has focused... Read More →
avatar for Lynn Henderson

Lynn Henderson

Director, Kim & Stu Lang Community Healthcare Partnership Program, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph
Dr. Lynn Henderson is the Veterinary Director of the Kim & Stu Lang Community Healthcare Partnership Program at the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Henderson leads the program’s clinical and learning teams who are engaged in community-based service learning. She oversees the relationships... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Raven

11:00am MDT

If I had a Hammer: Woodworking with Young Children
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Woodworking with young children is a lost art. Many educators cringe at the word and start to visualize cut fingers and flying hammers. Get past your fears and join this workshop to find out how to make it happen. Come discover how woodworking uses math, problem-solving, fine motor, and social skills while fostering creativity, imagination, and independence. Create an environment where children can be competent and capable when using real tools. In this workshop, we will review the importance of woodworking, understand where to start, the tools to use, safety protocols to implement, and showcase activities that can be done outside with your cohorts.
Speakers
avatar for Jill Bienenstock

Jill Bienenstock

Director of Education, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds
Jill is an early childhood educator with over 30 years of experience in various settings. She currently works as the Director of Education, alongside her husband, Adam, at their company Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds. Jill is part of an exciting team that designs and creates natural... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Kinnear Patio Firepit 2

11:00am MDT

Language Arts in Nature: Enhancing Time Outdoors Using Literacy Skills
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
In this session, examine how literacy skills foster deeper connections with the natural world. Through first-hand independent and group activities, we’ll experience how natural spaces can pique interest and increase student engagement in reading, writing, conversing, and presenting. However, this session will not focus on how to shift language arts from the classroom to the outdoors; rather, we will explore how time in nature can be enriched by including reading, writing, and structured oral interaction as an element of the experience, drawing learners’ attention to the benefits of time in nature--including reducing anxiety, extending focus, and strengthening social bonds. This session will impart practical strategies for fun and effective literacy instruction as part of outdoor learning.
Speakers
avatar for David Burtt

David Burtt

Formal Education Manager, Canadian Wildlife Federation
David Burtt has been working in non-formal and formal education for more than 25 years. He has worked as an educator in three provinces, and abroad in England, New Zealand, and Australia. David is passionate about the joys of engaging with literature and the joys of engaging with... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Butterfly

11:00am MDT

Rooted Renewal: Sustaining the Energy to Teach and Thrive
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
In this workshop will explore how we can conserve, sustain, and renew our personal energy as educators. While we often discuss renewable energy in terms of powering transportation and buildings, I believe that our passion as educators is an equally important energy source that needs protection from depletion.

Through Forest Bathing techniques and discussions about the barriers that deplete our resources, we will identify practical solutions to maintain a healthy inner ecosystem. This will enable us to bring our best selves to the work we share with children and youth.
Speakers
avatar for Leah Smith

Leah Smith

Director of Nature Based Learning, FortWhyte Alive
Leah Smith is an Early Childhood Educator and Forest School Practioner.
With 20 years of experience in a variety of childcare settings, from small and large child care centeres, years as a nanny and running forest school sessions out of city parks, as well as being a single parent of two teens, Leah comes with perspectives and insight from many vantage... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Moose

11:00am MDT

Sensory explorations in the forest
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
This hands-on, outdoor workshop invites participants to explore the forest through sight, smell, touch, and sound. We’ll take part in a series of simple, adaptable sensory activities that help students slow down, notice details and connect with the natural world.
Each activity encourages observation, curiosity and a sense of wonder—skills that are at the heart of meaningful outdoor learning. We’ve played these games and activities with people of all ages, from young students to adults, and they never fail to engage learners.
Come ready to participate and gather practical ideas you can easily bring back to your own outdoor programs or classrooms. These activities are low-prep, flexible, and designed to help learners build stronger connections with nature—one sense at a time.
Speakers
avatar for Braidi Locke

Braidi Locke

Boreal Educator, Lesser Slave Forest Education Society
Braidi Locke is the shared Boreal Educator for the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society and the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. She studied environmental science at Lakeland College and after graduating knew that she wanted a career where she could work outside teaching about... Read More →
avatar for Cori Klassen

Cori Klassen

Executive Director, Lesser Slave Forest Education Society
Cori has been teaching in the boreal forest for over 15 years, sharing her passion for connecting youth and learners of all ages with nature. As the Executive Director of the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society—a small non-profit, charitable organization—she balances leading... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Snail

11:00am MDT

Stories with the Land - Shared with Fire
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
This session explores the deep connections between identity, food, and land. We invite participants to gather on the land to share food, stories, and presence. Izzeddin will share traditional Palestinian dishes such as hummus, حمص and bread, recipes from his Mother. Jade will share the cakes of her childhood taught to her by her Grandmother. Together we shall eat, around the small fire. Through cooking, conversation, and shared experience, we hope to create a space where culture, belonging, and healing emerge through the stories carried in our foods and in our homelands. Through this shared meal, we reflect on how food carries memory, how stories connect us, and how the land holds space for belonging and care.
Speakers
avatar for Jade Berrill

Jade Berrill

Director of Learning, Outdoor Learning School and Store

IH

Izzeddin Hawamda

Faculty Fellow, Canadian Mennonite University
Dr. Izzeddin Hawamda-عزالدين حوامده was born and raised in a rural village just outside of Nablus in the West Bank, Palestine. He currently serves as the Anti-Racist Education Professional Learning Initiative Coordinator with Louis Riel, River East Transcona, and Winnipeg... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Chickadee

2:00pm MDT

Class Dismissed (to the Outdoors!)
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Step outside and rediscover the power of play, connection, and curiosity in your teaching practice. This hands-on session is packed with experiential games, teambuilding activities, and outdoor learning strategies that you can adapt for any grade or subject. Whether it’s gameplay for fun, team connection, or a creative way to tie curriculum into movement and outdoor lessons, you’ll find something that fits your classroom. Come ready to move, laugh, and leave with ideas you can use tomorrow — no permission slip required. Every participant will walk away with resources in hand (and heart) — tons to share!
Speakers
avatar for Court Rustemeyer

Court Rustemeyer

Outdoor Educator | Author, Global, Environmental & Outdoor Education Council
Court Rustemeyer is an award-winning Outdoor Education teacher and founder of the Outdoor Leadership Program at Vincent Massey School in Calgary. A passionate advocate for experiential learning, he serves as President of the Global, Environmental & Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Eagle

2:00pm MDT

Discussing Disability Outdoors – A SPROUTable World Café
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
"This reflective, hands-on session will use a World Café approach to discuss barriers and facilitators for children with disabilities in outdoor play. The World Café method leverages cafe-style conversations, by placing equal value on the knowledge/expertise of all members as equitable engagement. The Sending Preschoolers with disabilities Outside Project (SPROUT-able) conducted by the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play, uses this method of discussion for educators, policy makers, researchers, administrators, etc., to develop relevant, actionable plans for accessible outdoor childcare spaces.


Through reflective discussions on the social and physical environments of childcare spaces, participants will leave equipped with a new strategy to intentionally discuss accessible outdoor play and learning for children with disabilities. The World Café offers a practical tool to develop creative ways to improve accessibility in your outdoor play areas and identify key barriers to access."
Speakers
avatar for Alessia Capone

Alessia Capone

PhD Candidate, University of Toronto; Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play
My name is Alessia Capone, I am a first-generation settler and guest on this land. My home and current workplace are in what is now called Toronto, the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. I began my post-secondary... Read More →
avatar for Amy JoSmith

Amy JoSmith

Registered Early Childhood Educator/Resource Consultant, Children’s Inclusion Support Services, Canadian Center for Outdoor Play
I am a Registered Early Childhood Educator and a Resource Consultant with Children’s Inclusion Support Services in Ottawa, Ontario. I am currently working as part of the Sprout –able (Sending Pre-schoolers with disabilities Outside) project team with the Canadian Center for Outdoor... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Kinnear Patio Firepit 1

2:00pm MDT

Embracing The Great Wide Open: Building Teacher Capacity Outdoors
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
This interactive session explores the journey of Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) within the Halton District School Board and the board’s commitment to mental health and wellbeing, as well as environmental leadership. We will highlight our current approach, which involves collaborating with lead educators from school divisions and OEE facilitators to implement a long-range plan tailored to each school’s unique needs. We’ll also address the challenges of measuring educator and student impact and how our model has adapted to support their journey.


Participants will engage in hands-on activities connected to environmental sustainability and various curriculum areas, using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding framework.


We’ll conclude by discussing strategies for integrating outdoor learning into classrooms, empowering educators to harness the outdoors as a dynamic learning space.
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Patterson

Sarah Patterson

Instructional Program Lead: Science and OEE, Halton District School Board
Sarah Patterson is an educator with 19 years of experience in primary, junior, and intermediate classrooms within the Halton District School Board. Currently serving as an Instructional Program Leader for STEM assessment and Outdoor Experiential Education, she is passionate about... Read More →
avatar for Tanya Woods

Tanya Woods

Instructional Program Lead: Health & Physical Education and OEE, Halton District School Board
Tanya Woods is an educator with 28 years of experience in the Halton District School Board. Tanya spent the first 16 years of her career as a junior/intermediate educator and has since transitioned into a system leadership role as an Instructional Program Leader with responsibilities... Read More →
avatar for Rachel Irwin

Rachel Irwin

Manager Environmental Sustainability, Halton District School Board
Rachel is a certified Ontario Master Naturalist with a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph and a postgraduate degree in Environmental Visual Communication from Fleming College and The Royal Ontario Museum. As the Environmental Sustainability Manager for the... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Raven

2:00pm MDT

Exploring access to nature for wellbeing using photography to engage youth in community action and experiential learning
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Youth are valuable members of society with bright ideas that enrich outdoor recreation, education, and wellbeing. Photographic methods engage youth in meaningful reflection and conversation, positioning them as catalysts for change. Join us for a hands-on workshop introducing Photovoice, an engaging method that invites people to explore and reflect on their environment and experiences through participatory photography and promote empowerment, wellbeing and social justice. In this session, you’ll get a fun, interactive “snapshot” of what it’s like to take part in a photography-based project! At the end of the session, we will also share our own research within the Outdoor Health Nova Scotia project, which used photography-based methods to better understand youths’ experiences in nature and how this work is addressing access to nature-based programs in our province. Please bring a camera or cellular device that you can use to take or share photos and join in the discussion!
Speakers
avatar for Agustina Cohen

Agustina Cohen

Graduate Student, Dalhousie University
Agustina (She/Her) is a Master of Arts in Leisure Studies student at Dalhousie University. Her research explores how youth engage with nature to promote wellbeing and equitable access to nature using photovoice methods. With ten years of experience volunteering and working with children... Read More →
avatar for Dr Son Truong

Dr Son Truong

Dalhousie University, Dalhousie University
Dr Son Truong is an Associate Professor and Division Head of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. He is an interdisciplinary community-based researcher with extensive experience working in diverse community settings... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Raccoon

2:00pm MDT

Taking Math Outdoors
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
"This experiential workshop invites educators and/or students to step outside traditional classroom walls and into nature to explore how the Mathematics Curriculum (Primary–Grade 6) can be taught, practiced, and experienced through outdoor learning. By using loose parts found in nature—sticks, stones, leaves, pinecones, etc.—participants will engage in hands-on math experiences that meet curriculum outcomes across all strands: number, patterns and relations, shape and space, and statistics and probability.

Through the integration of storytelling, wellness practices, and environmental education, this workshop supports a cross-curricular, holistic approach to learning. Participants will leave with ready-to-implement activities, innovative pedagogy strategies, and a deeper appreciation for the wellness and environmental benefits of outdoor learning."
Speakers
avatar for Josee Hache

Josee Hache

Immersion Math Coach, CCRCE Chignecto Central Regional Center for Education in Nova Scotia
A passionate nature lover and lifelong learner, Josée Haché is a certified facilitator with Active Smart Kids Nova Scotia and has over 20 years’ experience delivering wellness workshops in workplaces and 15+ years in schools. A mom, herbologist, yogi, and educator, she has hosted... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Squirrel

2:00pm MDT

The Place Teaches
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
“The Place Teaches” is an experiential workshop that blends the power of place-based learning with the principles of Compassionate Systems Leadership. With no materials required, participants will move through a grounding outdoor practice, a guided systems-noticing walk, and a simple reflection using natural objects found on site. Through gentle observation and meaningful dialogue, this session reveals how nature makes complex systems visible—and how compassion, awareness, and interdependence emerge naturally when we slow down and pay attention. Perfect for educators, leaders, and anyone curious about outdoor learning, this workshop offers a refreshing, memorable way to understand systems thinking through the wisdom of place. Come ready to explore, reflect, and let the land lead. We will also share a directly translatable elementary-audience version to bring home to use with your students.
Speakers
avatar for CrystalDawn Langton

CrystalDawn Langton

Principal, 100 Mile Elementary School - Cariboo Chilcotin School DIstrict
Crystal Dawn is an 18-year educator and lifelong lover of the outdoors who has been intentionally weaving outdoor learning and wellness into her practice since 2010. With a rigorous, system-level focus since 2020, she has led the integration of outdoor education, place-based learning... Read More →
SS

Sari small

Principal - Cariboo Chilcotin School DIstrict, Big Lake Elementary School
Sari is an enthusiastic outdoor educator dedicated to fostering holistic learning experiences through nature. With a passion for skiing and exploring lakes, she views the natural world as a vital resource for personal growth. Having worked extensively in rural settings, Sari understands... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Toad

3:30pm MDT

A Sense of Wonder: Nature Journaling for Mindfulness and Ecological Connection
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Reconnect with your sense of wonder through nature journaling—a mindful practice that nurtures observation, curiosity, and ecological literacy. In this immersive outdoor session, participants will design their own nature journals and discover how journaling can enrich outdoor learning experiences across ages and settings. Grounded in research from environmental education and early childhood development, this hands-on workshop blends art, science, and mindfulness to demonstrate how nature journaling enhances reflection, creativity, and well-being. Participants will explore prompts and techniques that encourage learners to slow down, notice deeply, and develop emotional resilience through connection with nature. By journaling in all weather and seasons, educators will gain tools to integrate mindfulness and ecological thinking into their teaching while fostering gratitude and a sense of place.
Speakers
avatar for Molina Walters

Molina Walters

Clinical Professor, Arizona State University
Dr. Molina “Mo” Walters is a Clinical Professor at Arizona State University and founder of the Environmental Education Certificate Program housed in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. With over 25 years of experience in teacher education, STEM integration, and environmental... Read More →
avatar for Cyna Schuster

Cyna Schuster

Clinical Assistant Professor, Environmental Education, Arizona State University
Dr. Cyna Schuster is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University and Co-Coordinator of the Environmental Education Certificate Program. Her teaching and research focus on experiential learning, nature journaling, and mindfulness-based environmental education for PreK-8th-grade... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Porcupine

3:30pm MDT

Accessible Nature: Practical Tools for Inclusive Outdoor Education
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
"Outdoor learning offers opportunities for connection, discovery, and growth…but not everyone can access nature-based experiences equally. Barriers to participation may not always be considered during the course design process, and accessibility is far too often left as an afterthought. This workshop invites educators, leaders, and facilitators to critically examine accessibility in nature-based education and take an actionable approach towards inclusion.
Participants will begin by exploring challenges for full inclusion outdoors: From apparent barriers such as uneven terrain to factors such as sensory sensitivities, cognitive differences and neurodivergence, cultural and religious considerations, and financial limitations. Through real-life examples and guided discussion, participants will learn how to find and address accessibility and inclusion concerns within their own programs, workshops, courses and classes."
Speakers
avatar for AngelSuarez Esquivel

AngelSuarez Esquivel

Student and Community Engagement Specialist, Humber Arboretum and Centre for Urban Ecology
Angel Suarez Esquivel (he/him), RECE Angel Suarez Esquivel (he/him) is a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering and Sustainability. Angel currently works in the Humber Arboretum Nature Centre as an Outdoor Educator. He provides... Read More →
avatar for Mia Maceasik

Mia Maceasik

Digital Accessibility Consultant, Positive Persistence Coaching and Research
Emelia (Mia) Maceasik (They/Them/Any Pronouns) is a previous Student and Community Engagement Specialist at the Humber Arboretum and Centre for Urban Ecology, and current Digital Accessibility Consultant. They hold a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Intercultural... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Turtle

3:30pm MDT

Art in the Garden: Mindfulness, Joy, and Connection with the Land
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Step into the garden as a living classroom for wellbeing and reflection. This hands-on workshop invites participants to slow down, breathe deeply, and engage with nature through mindful journaling, sketching, sensory awareness, and simple creative practices using natural materials. Together, we’ll explore how tending to the land, observing pollinators, noticing textures, light, and color, can nurture presence, gratitude, and joy. Participants will leave with practical ideas for incorporating mindful, art-based reflection into outdoor programs that build connection between people, place, and community.
Speakers
avatar for Marjan Akbari

Marjan Akbari

Program Coordinator, Prospect Human Services
Marjan Akbari is an Art Program Coordinator with Prospect Human Services, where she has spent over nine years designing and facilitating art and outdoor-based programs that foster creativity, mindfulness, and community connection for individuals with developmental disabilities. Her... Read More →
avatar for Jon Beare

Jon Beare

Program Manager, Prospect Human Services
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Cougar

3:30pm MDT

Queer Ecology and 2SLGBTQI+ Inclusion in Outdoor Education
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Nature is queer! There is a multitude of diversity in the natural world, from fungi with over 23,000 sex types to 1500+ different animals who engage in same-sex sexual behaviour. Why is queer ecology so important? Queer people have been and continue to be oppressed and discriminated against, often with an argument that being queer 'isn’t natural', which couldn’t be further from the truth. Queer ecology has long been omitted from science because of human bias, but it’s time to celebrate the full beauty of nature!


In this workshop, we’ll share our curiosity and knowledge, go on a wander together and explore diversity in sex, reproduction, same-sex sexual and social relationships, and behaviour outside of stereotypical human gender roles and family structures. Julie will provide resources to help support educators in incorporating queer ecology into their teaching practices. We’ll also explore ways to be more inclusive to members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community while leading outdoor learning.
Speakers
JR

Julie Read

Program Manager, Take Me Outside
Julie is the Program Manager at Take Me Outside and is an outdoor educator, elementary school teacher, Forest and Nature School practitioner and enthusiastic naturalist with over 15 years of leadership experience within non-profit organizations. Julie created the Fanshawe Nature School... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Chickadee

3:30pm MDT

Rewilding Everyday Mindfulness: A moving exploration of place, connection to nature, and wellbeing
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Connection to nature is a term that is used to describe our relationship with the more-than-human world. It is often associated with an awareness of self and a sense of belonging or interconnectedness with the natural world. There is a rich body of literature suggesting that contact with nature is beneficial for health and wellbeing across the life course, as well as serving as a predictor amongst young people for future pro-environmental behaviours, that in turn have also been related with enhanced wellbeing. This collective workshop is envisioned as an outdoor interactive session, with opportunities for discussion and co-learning for facilitating opportunities that promote mindfulness in nature with young people. The session will be interspersed with discussion on theories and principles underlying the benefits of connection to nature, including examples of interdisciplinary programs I have helped to design and lead in early childhood, primary school, and high school settings.
Speakers
avatar for Dr Son Truong

Dr Son Truong

Dalhousie University, Dalhousie University
Dr Son Truong is an Associate Professor and Division Head of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. He is an interdisciplinary community-based researcher with extensive experience working in diverse community settings... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Bee

3:30pm MDT

Supporting Health and Well-being through People, Places, and Processes
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Outdoor and natural spaces hold numerous meanings and purposes for individuals and cultures. One universal strand is that our health and wellbeing are bound to it however far removed. Whether in a city park or remote forest, fostering connections to place, self, and others is enhanced through authentic experiences. This interactive workshop focuses on supporting educators to facilitate experiential learning in outdoor settings for youth and children to increase self-awareness, develop self-regulation strategies, and build social competence. This is while pursuing connections to outdoor places instead of just serving as a scenic backdrop. During the workshop, activities and discussion will revolve around optimal learning zones, intentional and progressive ‘games with aims’, and the use of natural spaces. The workshop is designed to mirror strategies and delivery methods ready to use by educators.
Speakers
avatar for Kat Wood

Kat Wood

Youth Career Catalyst Facilitator, Outward Bound Canada
Kat Wood is a full time facilitator for Outward Bound Canada, in Alberta. She has been guiding wilderness trips and teaching outdoor education for the last 15 years. She is experienced teaching immersive wilderness trips, including backpacking expeditions with students lasting up... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Great Blue Heron

3:30pm MDT

The Sending PReschoolers OUTside Study: How Early Childhood Education Setting Influences Parental Attitudes and Educator Well-Being
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
This informative and insightful session will introduce the Sending PReschoolers OUTside (SPROUT) Study, a three-year research initiative, part of the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play (CCOP), that explores the health and well-being benefits of an outdoor-focused ECE program for children and their care providers in comparison to conventional ECE programs in Ottawa. This session will provide valuable insight into how parental beliefs, educator satisfaction, and competencies shape children’s access to outdoor play and learning. Through evidence-informed reflection and discussion, the session offers a nuanced perspective on educator well-being and its connection to program type and daily practice. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of outdoor-focused early learning and play through the lens of both families and educators, while contributing to a broader dialogue that will help shape national research initiatives.
Speakers
BN

Brianna Nasrallah

Graduate Student, CHEO Research Institute & Carleton University
Brianna Nasrallah is a graduate student at Carleton University, conducting her research project with the Healthy Active Living and Obesity (HALO) Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), in collaboration with Outdoor Play Canada. After receiving her honours... Read More →
avatar for Paula ter Huurne

Paula ter Huurne

Project Manager, Outdoor Play Canada; Algonquin College; Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play
Paula ter Huurne is a Registered Early Childhood Educator, project manager with Outdoor Play Canada leading the SPROUT-Able project, outdoor enthusiast, and lifelong learner; she has a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Algonquin College, completing her final practicum in New... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Butterfly

3:30pm MDT

Wild Wellbeing: Using Conservation Education to Reduce Eco-Anxiety
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
This workshop explores how empathy and connection to place can transform eco-anxiety into empowered, hopeful action. Through the lens of a real local conservation project, participants will consider how hands-on stewardship experiences help students build emotional resilience and environmental understanding. Together, we’ll explore simple frameworks for creating small-scale conservation action projects that spark curiosity and collaboration across subjects. Educators will leave with ideas for weaving conservation themes into their classrooms, helping learners become not just informed about sustainability, but deeply engaged and compassionate change-makers.
Speakers
avatar for Hannah Friedenberg

Hannah Friedenberg

Manager of School Programs and Educator Development, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo
Hannah Friedenberg is the Manager of School Programs and Educator Development at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. She has over a decade of experience working with at-risk children and youth in varied educational settings and holds her Masters Diploma in Interdisciplinary Education... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Beaver
 


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