About us

Rooted in the land.Guided by wonder.

We are a forest and nature school in the heart of Hockley Valley, Ontario — a place where children come to explore, discover, and become.

Our story

How we began

Hockley Valley Forest & Nature School was born from a simple belief: that children learn best when they are outside, moving, touching, and wondering. Founded by a small group of educators and naturalists who had spent years watching children come alive in the forest, we set out to create a school where the land itself was the curriculum.

We chose Hockley Valley for its extraordinary natural richness — its mixed forests, cold-water streams, rolling meadows, and seasonal rhythms that offer children an ever-changing world to explore. Every program we offer is shaped by this landscape and by the children who move through it.

Today, we welcome children from across the region into programs that honour their natural curiosity, build real confidence, and cultivate a deep, lasting love of the living world.

The forest doesn't ask children to sit still. Neither do we.
— Founding Educator

Our philosophy

How children learn best

Our approach is grounded in the global forest school movement and shaped by decades of research in outdoor and experiential education. We believe that meaningful learning happens when children have time, space, and freedom to explore.

Child-led exploration

We follow the child's lead. When a child stops to watch a beetle or decides to build a dam in the stream, that is the lesson. We create the conditions for discovery — children do the rest.

Experiential learning

Children learn by doing. By building, digging, climbing, creating, and failing safely. Every experience in nature is a lesson that stays with them long after the day is done.

Connection with nature

Time in nature builds empathy, resilience, and a lifelong sense of belonging to the living world. We believe this connection is not a luxury — it is essential.

Managed risk and confidence

Safe risk-taking builds real confidence. Children discover what they are capable of when given the freedom to try, fail, and try again — with skilled educators nearby.

Seasonal rhythms

We work with the seasons, not against them. Rain, mud, cold, and heat are not obstacles — they are teachers. Every season brings its own gifts and its own lessons.

Becoming

Forest school is not just about learning facts or skills. It is about becoming — becoming curious, capable, connected, and whole. We hold space for that becoming.

What we stand for

Our values

Wonder

We protect and nurture children's natural sense of wonder — the engine of all real learning.

Belonging

Every child belongs in the natural world. We help them feel that belonging deeply.

Courage

We encourage children to take safe risks, try hard things, and discover their own capability.

Slowness

We resist the rush. Deep learning takes time. We give children the gift of unhurried exploration.

Stewardship

We cultivate a sense of responsibility for the natural world — not just appreciation, but care.

Joy

Learning in nature is joyful. We never lose sight of that.

Our educator

Meet our educator

Katherine brings deep knowledge, genuine warmth, and a real love of the natural world to every program.

Katherine Tolomiczenko

Founder · Educator · Forest & Nature School Practitioner

Katherine is an educator with nearly 30 years of experience and a deep belief in the power of learning outdoors. She created Hockley Valley Forest & Nature School to give children the time and space to explore, wonder, build confidence, and connect meaningfully with the natural world.

For Katherine, it's not only about what children learn — it's about who they become.

Come and see for yourself.

We welcome families to reach out, ask questions, and find the right program for their child.

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