Learn The Land
Year Long In Person Naturalist Study Program in Waterloo Region
Year Long In Person Naturalist Study Program in Waterloo Region
800 - 1000$ Sliding Scale // Sundays, 9-1pm.
build relationship with yourself, with each other, and with the land.
Learn The Land is a year-long in person program for adults in Kitchener Waterloo for those who want to develop and deepen their nature connection and naturalist knowledge in a community setting. One day each month, we’ll gather in a different natural environment around Kitchener Waterloo to learn about wildflowers, trees and shrubs, animal tracking, and fungi, all the while exploring how we fit into the broader ecological community.
IN A NUTSHELL:
Want to learn more about wildflowers, tree identification, animal tracking, birds, and the web of relationships that makes up our local ecology? Do you want to develop relationships with the landbase beyond consumption? Would you like to learn in the fields and forests with friends?
THE BONES:
Learn The Land offers hands-on community based mentorship, with knowledgeable naturalists to help you get to know the wild nature close to home.
What will we be doing? One Sunday morning each month, we’ll gather in a different location within Waterloo Regional area to explore and look at local plants, animals and their ecological connections together in a small group setting. Through the art of questioning, open discussion, field guides we’ll come to know many of our wild neighbours.
THE DETAILS:
Deepen your learning journey by joining the group for the monthly Sunday outings in the parklands, forests and along the river's edge throughout the region, where we will investigate the flora, fauna, and fungi we find along the way. There we will practice observation, field journals and sharing of knowledge based on what the group knows so far. We will use field guides to learn how to properly identify the species we encounter. This field work will be complimented by in depth at-home study, follow up research, focal species assignments, and self-directed projects supported by mentors.
We are here to support, guide, and mentor on this learning journey.
THE APPROACH:
Why do a program that asks for a commitment to looking beyond learning the names of the species we encounter?
We believe that a profound relationship requires patience, questions, listening, and understanding. By investigating the ecologies which link the mushroom to the pine, the pine to the bird, the bird to the squirrel, then we really start to know and understand our wild neighbours for who they really are; complex organisms in delicate communities learning how to be in relationship with each other.
“I am so grateful for the deeper level of awareness, inquisitiveness and knowledge that I have gained since beginning Learn The Land. The instructors have been super knowledgeable and inspiring. Providing supportive, positive guidance, a TON of great resources along the way and even ideas on how to organize your various field findings.
— Jen
These are lessons we can learn from for the benefit of our own interconnected relationships, with our communities, our families and ourselves.
Learn The Land is an experiential naturalist training program for adults, with a focus on curiosity, questioning, mentorship and self-directed learning at your own pace. It is for adults of all experience levels. Together we'll build our knowledge of plant, tree, animal tracking, and broad ecological connections.
In the field we will be practicing awareness routines of nature connection and working toward building lasting relationships with the place where we live and with each other. Each Learn The Land session will be a reflection and celebration of what emerges on the landscape through the seasons. We welcome everyone from the nature-curious, to avid naturalists who want to get together with others and keep the wonder alive!
Fill out the form below to register or ask any questions you may have.