🌲 Forest School

This amazing offering is one of a kind in the Jacksonville area! The Spring River community has a long and rich history of supporting outdoor education—including the founding of the only all-outdoor K–8 program in Northeast Florida.

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🌎 Our Mission

Our Forest School mission is to instill in students a love and reverence for our local parks and natural wonders. After all, our children are the future stewards of this beautiful earth!

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Rooted in the Forest School traditions of Northern Europe, our nature-immersion program emphasizes experiential, learner-centered education. Through hands-on exploration, our students—“foresters”—build lasting relationships with the land, their educators, and one another.

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📘 How We Learn in the Forest

Elementary Program (Grades K–5)
During our time in the forest, exploration of the natural world around us is our curriculum. Through direct discovery, students learn through firsthand experiences that engage all five senses. Observing, collecting, and categorizing natural objects—as well as other hands-on activities—help acquaint students with the natural world in general and our local landscapes in particular.

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Students study topics in physical geography such as:

• Weather and seasonal changes

• Plant and animal identification

• Eco-studies

• Trail reading and etiquette

• Basic navigation

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Our elementary foresters follow a consistent rhythm that includes:

• Morning circle

• Nature hike and exploration

• Silent snack time to foster quiet observation

• Nature journaling with study-based reflections

• Artistic or skill-based outdoor activity

• Lunch

• Nature-infused storytime

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Middle School Program: Bushcrafting & Primitive Skills (Grades 6–8)
Our middle school program builds on the foundational nature immersion work of the younger years, offering students more independence, responsibility, and practical skill development.

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Through experiential, project-based learning, middle schoolers explore:

• Advanced tracking and plant identification

• Fire-making and outdoor cooking

• Shelter building and knot work

• Tool use and carving (with supervision)

• Orienteering and compass skills

• Ecological awareness and human impact

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In addition to skill-building, students take part in:

• Group discussions and leadership challenges

• Nature journaling and reflective writing

• Quiet observation time

• Mentorship roles with younger students (when applicable)

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This program supports social-emotional development, real-world confidence, and a deeper sense of stewardship and connection to the natural world.

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🏕️ Where We Learn

Forest School classes take place twice a week in Jacksonville’s incredible natural spaces, such as:

• Timucuan Preserve

• Dutton Island Preserve

• Hanna Park

These landscapes—ranging from forests and wetlands to marshes, hammocks, and dunes—create the perfect environment for nature education and exploration.

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🌟 Our Educators

Forest School is led by trained and experienced outdoor educators passionate about child development and connection to the land. You can read more about them on the “Meet Our Teachers” page under the Enrichment and Specials section.

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📚 A Homeschool Enrichment Program

Forest School is a powerful complement to any homeschool program. The benefits of outdoor learning are well documented: it boosts physical health, emotional balance, creativity, social growth, and academic engagement.