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Where the Wild Ones Gather
NatureWise
At Fern Gully Forest School in Olympia, Washington, our NatureWise homeschool enrichment program offers full-day nature immersion (9:30-3:30) and half-day (9:30-12:30 or 12:30-3:30) options for ages 6–12 that nurture the whole child. From our outdoor class and garden space at the Community Nature Center, children explore into the forest and exercise their creativity and incredible minds, bodies, and spirits. We celebrate each unique being and help them grow more capable and confident!
Rooted in nature and weaving together Waldorf and Montessori Methods, our interdisciplinary program integrates hands-on academics, creative expression, collaborative projects, team-building games, and social-emotional growth into a living curriculum guided by the seasons.
Along the way, kids grow brave, kind, creative, and resilient, gaining both wilderness and social-emotional awareness, as well as practical life skills and real-world knowledge.
Parents love our holistic homeschool support and community-centered approach. Here, children discover a sense of belonging, deep connection and care for themselves, others, and nature.
Together we are cultivating community with a culture of kindness and hope for a brighter future.
Details & Rates
Sliding Scale Tuition
Supported/Regular/Supporting
Daily Drop-in Rate: $60/$80/$100
*While availability lasts.
Monthly Rates Full Days (6 hour class)
1 day/week:
$240/$300/$380
2 days/week:
$480/$540/$580
3 days/week:
$700/$740/$780
4 days/week:
$940/$980/$1020
5 days/week:
$1020/$1060/$1100
*10% Discount for Siblings or for Pay in Full
**Half Days are Half the Tuition
Please contact us if you have any questions or cost is prohibitive. We envision a world where quality outdoor education is affordable for all. Low-income discounts or work trade options may be available. Inquire to Apply.
REGISTRATION
Registration fee: $50 - $100 non-refundable admin and supplies fee.
Enrollment Deposit: $200 deposit refundable with a 30 day notice.
We prefer cash or check, in-person or snail-mail to:
Fern Gully Forest School
2210 15th Ave SE
Olympia, WA 98501
We cannot save your spot until we receive the registration fee and deposit. You can also pay online at this link. If you want to set up recurring payments click monthly at check out.
Thank you for choosing outdoor education that gives back to the environment!
Apply Now to Save your Spot!
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Click below to download the parent handbook and the fillable PDF application then email it to us here.
A Holistic Approach
Students learn through real-world experiences that bring learning alive. Our interdisciplinary approach blends practical skills and important life lessons with fun role play games, creative expression and collaborative problem-solving.
Our experienced teachers meet each child where they are for individual physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual development.
Students are gently encouraged to take healthy risks, be brave and boldly yet consciously explore their environments, ask questions, think critically, connect deeply and learn how to be in relationship with and contribute meaningfully to their world.
Rooted in Connection
We believe that when children feel safe, seen, and supported, they thrive. In our small, mixed-age groups, students form deep friendships, practice social-emotional skills, and grow confidence.
Grounded in nature connection and all-weather adventures (building team-work and resilience along the way), children explore through the 4 Realms:
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The Heartwood (Self): Emotional intelligence, mindfulness confidence, personal growth
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The Circle (Community): Teamwork, empathy, collaboration, communication, social skills. The Restorative Forest Council process builds trust, communication, and group cohesiveness.
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The Wild Path (Nature): Naturalist knowledge, wilderness awareness, sensory exploration
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The Craft (Ancestral Skills): Traditional knowledge and techniques for living with nature, tool-making, weaving, wilderness awareness, honorable harvest, environmental stewardship, homesteading & other life skills
In a Woodland Classroom
Our forest classroom is alive with wonder. From forts built with logs and secret hideaways deep in the forest to sunny meadows and climbing apple trees. Children are immersed in nature exploring:
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Wilderness awareness: nature connection, animal movement & mindfulness practices
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Survival skills: shelter-building, fire-making, tracking, maps, navigation & more!
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Social-emotional learning, compassionate communication & collaborative projects
We have covered outdoor areas for:
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Making food, wildcrafting, circling & sharing
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Integrating diverse subjects (science, math, social studies, natural history, language arts, etc.) with team games, roll play explorations, hands-on projects, and experiential learning
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Creative expression, group storytelling, music, art, crafts, ancestral skills & seasonal rituals
With Cyclical Wisdom
Through all seasons, we celebrate the cycles of nature within and all around us. We recognize the benefits of all-weather and honor the diverse gifts of life. We see learning as a fun adventure of discovery and belonging weaving through these themes and wisdom of the wild rhythms:
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Fall – Roots & Relationships: Forest foundations, foraging, plant ID, harvest celebrations
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Winter – Creating Our Dreams: Animal tracking, storytelling by the fire, weaving, crafts
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Spring – Awakening & Renewal: Scavenger hunts, gardening, wildcrafting, forest restoration
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Summer – Abundance & Adventure: Team Forest games, nature magic, navigation, and survival skills through imaginative journeys and play!
Daily Themes
Our Outdoor Holistic Education programs run year-round, with a consistent daily rhythm and weekly themes woven within the natural cycles of our seasonal Curriculum. We begin each week with awakening our senses and gently arriving into what's present in ourselves, our community, and nature.
MINDFUL MONDAYS
Through guided mindfulness, awareness practices, and heart-centered check-ins, children learn to notice their thoughts, feelings, and sensations with curiosity and care. Sitting beneath the trees, listening to birdsong, and slowing down together, we cultivate presence, emotional resilience, and a deep sense of belonging.
TINKERING TUESDAYS
On Tuesdays we move into more hands-on science and handwork projects learning to weave, knit, felt, sew, and play with multiple mediums and techniques. We focus on STEAM activities as well as process art and crafts to cultivate critical thinking, confidence and creativity.
WILDCRAFT WEDNESDAYS
Team forest games heat up on Wednesdays with the wild ones in the magical woodland playground learning edible and medicinal plants, wildcrafting, nature art and crafts, handwork, wilderness awareness skills, compassionate communication, collaborative problem-solving and lessons on stewardship and caring for the Earth and each other.
MUSIC & RHYTHM THURSDAYS
Thursdays bring in more music and learning the language of the land with playful nature connection games like putting on our deer ears, fox feet, and owl eyes. Kids use field guides and nature journals to identify the plants, animals and bird calls. We share tea and creative stories around the fire, singing and playing music with the sounds of nature and attuning to the group rhythm
FANTASTIC FRIDAYS
Combining our fan favorites of all our forest school activities into one day! Practicing group decision making and choosing the adventure together, students get to cook food on the fire, explore and find hidden gems in the forest, craft and create to their hearts delight, research and share their favorite subjects, and play the educational games they love.
Meet the Team
Our Experienced Teachers Guide Children to Greater Awareness, Knowledge and Skills that Help Them to Bloom into Their Own Confidence and Creativity.
Lead Teacher
Robin Bartel
Robin teaches on Mondays and Tuesdays and is certified to teach elementary education in Washington State. He has a Master in Teaching from The Evergreen State College and is excited to create hands-on, student-centered learning experiences in the NatureWise class that connect academics and the natural world.
Originally from New York, Robin is experienced in the outdoors, social-emotional learning and comes from a family of educators. You may have seen him teaching at our summer camps or working as a manager at one of the Vic’s Pizzerias over the past few years.
Program Coordinator
Lindsey Rhodes
Lindsey is the Volunteer Program Coordinator helping with seasonal events and fundraising for forest conservation. She helps teachers integrate diverse subjects into our program curriculum, including Waldorf philosophies, music, group rhythm time, collaborative problem-solving, and important life skills.
She is a mom of 6 beautiful children, singer, teacher, herbalist, and doula. She has organized and facilitated events and educational groups of children and adults for over 20 years in the Olympia area.
Lindsey is devoted to holistic child-development, educating families, and building community through shared experiences and seasonal celebrations. Her children have grown into greater social and cognitive skills through outdoor education, Waldorf, and other nature-based learning.
Director & Wilderness Awareness Teacher
Charissa Waters
Charissa teaches Wednesdays and Fridays. She studied wildlife biology and ecology of the PNW and has worked in the environmental education and conservation field for over 20 years and has been the founder and Director of Fern Gully Forest School since 2021. She is a mother and naturalist that finds hope in connecting with nature. She loves teaching through role play, stories, fun team games, wilderness awareness and outdoor adventures.
Charissa is inspired by Waldorf and Montessori methods and continues to study the latest works in child development, education and psychology. She integrates natural science and academics with social-emotional learning, mindfulness practices, team-building exercises, compassionate communication and whole-brain child strategies into our unique curriculum.