The Nature School

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) The Nature School is a Full Year (Sept to June) Forest School that provides an alternative form of education, designed to deliver the benefits of an inquiry, experiential, play, and place-based education while learning in an outdoor setting.

Enroll from one to five days per week to supplement and enhance your child’s learning experience. Read more about The Nature School.

Now at FOUR GTA Locations!

TORONTO
ZOO

CLAREMONT NATURE CENTRE

CLAIREVILLE CONSERVATION AREA

KORTRIGHT CENTRE FOR CONSERVATION

Registration for the 2025/26 school year is OPEN!

If you would like to enroll earlier, we still have some spots available for the rest of the 2024/25 school year. Please email [email protected].

VIEW THE NATURE SCHOOL FAQS

The Nature School Programs

The Nature School Locations

Click on each location to find out more.

Toronto Zoo
Toronto, ON

The Nature School at the Toronto Zoo takes place primarily outdoors at the largest zoo in Canada, on the Toronto Zoo’s more than 500-acre property.

Students will have access to the zoo’s outdoor learning areas and pavilions, the Kids Zoo area, the seven zoogeographic regions, and natural areas and trails down in the Rouge Valley on the property, not available to the public.

In the event of inclement weather, students will have a private indoor learning space at the Dja River research station located at the African Pavilion.

The Toronto Zoo is located at 2000 Meadowvale Road, Toronto, ON | MAP + DIRECTIONS

REGISTER FOR THE NATURE SCHOOL AT TORONTO ZOO:

QUESTIONS?
Please contact [email protected].

Claremont Nature Centre
Pickering, ON

The Nature School at Claremont takes place primarily outside at Claremont Nature Centre‘s 160-hectare property in the Durham Region. The pristine Duffins Creek runs through the property, which is flanked by valley slopes of mixed woodland and open meadows.

Students will have use of Claremont’s panabode cedar log building, which features a spacious lounge, wood-burning fireplace, dining area, and classroom.

Claremont Nature Centre is located at 4290 Westney Rd N, Pickering, ON | MAP + DIRECTIONS

REGISTER FOR THE NATURE SCHOOL AT CLAREMONT:

The Nature School at Claremont may be opening a Primary Level program on Tuesdays. If you are interested, please complete our waitlist form.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact [email protected].

Claireville Conservation Area
Brampton, ON

The Nature School at Claireville takes place primarily outside on Claireville Conservation Area‘s 848-hectare property, with access to a wide variety of natural ecosystems and accessible trails.

Students will have use of the Claireville Education Centre, which includes a private indoor learning space in case of inclement weather.

Claireville Conservation Area is located at 8180 Highway 50, Brampton, ON | MAP + DIRECTIONS

REGISTER FOR THE NATURE SCHOOL AT CLAIREVILLE:

The Nature School at Claireville may be opening a Preschool program on Fridays. If you are interested, please complete our waitlist form.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact [email protected].

Meet the Claireville Staff

	Adrian O’Driscoll, Senior Manager, Community Outreach & Education Adrian O’Driscoll is an experienced administrative professional working with environmental professionals, teachers, and educators in developing and delivering environmental educational programs and experiences for students and families. Adrian has worked with TRCA for 25 years and is currently Senior Manager, Community Outreach & Education, managing the Peel Community Learning team and Kortright Centre for Conservation, in addition to overseeing the education teams and programming operating out of Claireville Conservation Area. Adrian has four children, enjoys canoeing, skiing, and hiking, and is the principal for The Nature School.
	Ken MacGillivray, Teacher, The Nature School, OCT Ken grew up in Etobicoke but spent his childhood weekends and summers at his family’s cottage on Lake Huron on the Bruce Peninsula. He went to York University to become a teacher, and then to Humber College for a Certificate of Outdoor Education. Ken briefly worked at a museum near his cottage, then at a YMCA camp in a National Park. Finally, he worked for two years as a primary school teacher at a reserve in Northwestern Ontario. Ken started his time with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) as an environmental educator at the Kortright Centre, and he has been working for TRCA ever since. Ken enjoys camping, hiking, canoeing and birdwatching, and he still spends a lot of time at his family’s cottage. He also has a passion for conservation and volunteers with the Canadian Chestnut Council.
	Betty de Groot, Educator, The Nature Preschool Betty de Groot’s love for nature began on the farm where she grew up, in rural Bolton. As a child she knew she wanted to be a teacher, and she was educated in the Trent-Queens Concurrent Education program. Betty spent 31 years teaching elementary school children in Toronto, Brampton and Caledon. She especially enjoyed her kindergarteners, whose love for nature and sense of wonder never ceased. Betty was also a leader of her schools’ Eco Team. For 21 years, she learned and shared with her various enthusiastic members what it means to value our precious home, the Earth. From community clean-ups, to bike rodeos, to butterfly garden building, the experience led her and the students to know the beauty and joy of being outdoors. Betty looks forward to welcoming all children in outdoor settings to explore, and challenge themselves and experience wonder in nature.

 

Kortright Centre for Conservation
Vaughan, ON

The Nature School at Kortright takes place primarily outside on Kortright Centre for Conservation‘s 555-acre property, with access to a wide variety of natural ecosystems, accessible trails, and multiple facilities.

Students have use of a 30,000 square-foot Visitor Centre, which includes a private indoor learning space in case of inclement weather.

Kortright Centre for Conservation is located at 9550 Pine Valley Drive, Woodbridge, ON | MAP + DIRECTIONS

REGISTER FOR THE NATURE SCHOOL AT KORTRIGHT:

The Nature School at Kortright may be opening a Primary Level program on Tuesdays. If you are interested, please complete our waitlist form.

The Nature School at Kortright may be opening a Preschool program on Thursdays. If you are interested, please complete our waitlist form.

REGISTER FOR THE
NATURE SCHOOL AT KORTRIGHT WEEKEND PROGRAM:

QUESTIONS?
Please contact [email protected].

Meet the Kortright Staff

	Adrian O’Driscoll, Senior Manager, Community Outreach & Education Adrian O’Driscoll is an experienced administrative professional working with environmental professionals, teachers, and educators in developing and delivering environmental educational programs and experiences for students and families. Adrian has worked with TRCA for 25 years and is currently Senior Manager, Community Outreach & Education, managing the Peel Community Learning team and Kortright Centre for Conservation, in addition to overseeing the education teams and programming operating out of Claireville Conservation Area. Adrian has four children, enjoys canoeing, skiing, and hiking, and is the principal for The Nature School.
	Heather Stafford, Supervisor, Kortright Education, OCT Heather is an Ontario Certified Teacher and certified Forest School Practitioner. She has been with TRCA for more than 10 years, and has been part of the Education team at the Kortright Centre since 2012. Prior to joining TRCA, Heather worked at several other outdoor education centres and summer camps around Ontario, both delivering hands-on, exciting, nature-based programming and coordinating, supervising, and managing programs and staff. Heather has two young children as well as several fuzzy and scaly pets.
	Kelly Hosier, Teacher, The Nature School, OCT Kelly is a dedicated individual who holds a deep love and appreciation for the land where she plays, learns, and works. Throughout her life, she has been a committed lifelong learner, she is a certified OCT teacher, she is always open to new experiences and willing to unlearn in order to learn when necessary. Her existence revolves around her close connection with the land, which she both loves and respects. In Kelly’s life, engaging with nature is not just a choice but a fundamental necessity. Activities such as forest bathing, camping, hiking, paddling, and swimming serve as essential aspects of her life, allowing her to slow down, unwind, and find inner peace, which she then spreads to the people around her. One of Kelly’s primary goals is to inspire her students, family, colleagues, community, and friends to immerse themselves in nature and take risks to become lifelong lovers of the environment and life itself. She believes in the transformative power of nature and is dedicated to sharing this passion with others. Kelly’s life journey is a beautiful balance between the pursuit of new challenges and the serenity she finds in the natural world. Her commitment to lifelong learning and her unwavering love for nature will hopefully help guide the young minds of our youth.
	Kayleigh Newberry, Teacher, The Nature School, OCT Kayleigh is an Ontario Certified Teacher qualified to teach in the Primary and Junior divisions. She is passionate about outdoor education and uses its pedagogy to inform her teaching practice. She has worked for TRCA for five years and previously volunteered with the organization for four years. Kayleigh grew up visiting and exploring Kortright and the Village at Black Creek, which helped develop her love of the outdoors and learning. Kayleigh loves teaching and inspiring students’ curiosity, deepening their appreciation of nature, and getting them excited about learning.
	Rachel Stewart, Teacher, Kortright Programs, OCT Rachel started her career at TRCA at Kortright, teaching outdoor education to school groups and finding her happy place as a teacher after a number of years teaching in a classroom. After seven years at Kortright she moved to a program manager role, managing programs such as Peel EcoSchools and Monarch Nation before returning to Kortright in 2023 in a teacher role. She is thrilled to be working with early years programs at Kortright and remains passionate about connecting children and young people with the outdoors, seeing this as a vital brick in the wall we must build to combat climate change. Rachel is also a qualified music teacher and takes every chance she can to weave music into her environmental work.
	Julia Marks, Education Interpreter, The Nature School, RECE Julia grew up just a few minutes away from the Kortright Centre and has fond memories of visiting as a young student. Over the years, she developed a love for the outdoors, and enjoys being active and spending time in nature. While pursuing her studies in early childhood education, Julia completed a student placement at Kortright. After graduating, she began working at the centre as a camp counsellor, and is now the Preschool teacher for The Nature School. Julia is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and is completing the Forest and Nature School Practitioner course. She loves helping children learn and grow in a way that connects them to nature and the world around them.
	Education Interpreters Weekend programs are delivered by Kortright’s crew of qualified Education Interpreters. Our Education Interpreters have degrees in Environmental Science, Biology, Geography, Education, and other related fields. They receive extensive program training including training on child-led learning, nature-based and risky play. They are well versed in dynamic risk assessment and health and safety policies. These staff also sometimes support our weekday Nature School programming. They each bring their own passion for outdoor play and learning to the Nature School at Kortright.

 

Tuition Fees

The Nature School can be booked on a per day basis. When applying, parents may choose anywhere from one to five individual days (one or two for preschool).

You will be asked to indicate your preference of specific days of the week when completing the booking form. If you are enrolling after the September start date, the fee will be pro-rated depending on how many program days are left.

*Offered at Claireville and Kortright only. Must be 4 yrs old by Dec 31, 2025 to attend more than one day a week
**Offered at Kortright only.

2024-2025 School Calendar

2025-2026 School Calendar

Mission Statement

To provide a supportive outdoor student-led learning environment that empowers, motivates and develops the whole child.

Our Values

Take Risks

Provide opportunities to build a student’s innate motivation, confidence and skills to take supported risks within a nurturing environment where it is safe to fail.

Educate the Whole Person

Develop the physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects in our students and promoting their holistic development by linking school experiences to students’ life experiences.

Student-Led

Support student development through the use of learning approaches that motivate students to develop theories, questions and ideas that build critical skills in the learning process.

Environmental Stewardship

Utilize the diverse habitats that exists in the natural learning environment to foster a connection with and develop an appreciation for the natural environment.

Learning Approaches and Curriculum

Teachers use a student-led, inquiry-based approach when developing lessons.

Teachers facilitate student learning through providing a variety of tools, resources, and experiences that guide students to find answers to their own questions. This helps build confidence, self-reliance, and independent thinking skills.

The methods used by our teachers include:

• Inquiry-based: A dynamic and emergent process that builds on students’ natural curiosity about the world in which they live.
• Play-based: Recognizes the integral role of play in a child’s development. This approach engages the whole child by encouraging a depth of experience and treating a child’s emotional, physical, and social selves as interwoven.
• Experiential learning: Learning that is based on students being directly involved in a learning experience rather than being taught pre-determined lesson plans. Students learn through and reflect on their learning experiences.
• Place-based: The act of connecting children to a particular place through direct experiential contact.

At The Nature School, students learn language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, visual arts, music and drama through these learning approaches.

Cancellation Policy

A non-refundable deposit is due upon registration. If you wish to cancel your child’s registration prior to the scheduled end date of the school program, we require 30 days written notice by email to [email protected]. Fees will be pro-rated and charged for the notice period and the deposit will be forfeited. If you wish to re-enroll your child after cancelling, a new deposit will be due.

There are no refunds for school days missed or not participating in school activities.

If tuition fees are paid monthly, the non-refundable deposit due upon registration will be used to offset the last month of the scheduled school program.

Minimum registration numbers are required in order for The Nature School to operate. In the event The Nature School must cancel due to low registration numbers a full refund for the cancelled days will be issued.

School Closure Policy

In the event that The Nature School is closed to in-person learning due to a government order, including but not limited to reasons of COVID-19 related restrictions, The Nature School will reduce tuition fees by 50% and will move to online learning.

For Nature Preschool, online learning will not exceed three weeks in duration, at which time tuition fees will not be charged. For Nature Primary School, online learning will not exceed five weeks in duration. Withdrawals during school closures will follow the cancellation policy above.