Our Story

The Forest Learning Collective (FLC) was created during the summer of 2019 by the parents of children who had grown up in the forest programs at Lime Hollow Nature Center and wanted to continue that learning, along with homeschooling. Informally, that group became FLC's inaugural volunteer board, responsible for everything needed to get a program started in September 2019.

The mission of the Forest Learning Collective is to foster a deep connection to nature in children by providing nature-based, place-based education, where the learner's curiosity is centered. We are committed to creating an environment that fosters a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity and a sense of belonging for the families in our community.

In 2023/2024, we moved away from the ‘board of directors’ model and to a sociocratic, consensus-based decision making model. This is instilled in our program throughout; from our 501c3 bylaws, to the decisions five year-olds make in Kindergarten Circle.

FLC occurs on gifted, wonderful, and expansive lands adjacent to Lime Hollow Nature Center. As we move forward, we're excited to find our forever home where we can put down more permanent roots.

Our Philosophy

Forest Learning Collective is guided by the idea that children are naturally drawn to nature, need nature to thrive, and learn with enthusiasm and a sense of wonder when they spend ample time in natural spaces. The forest and fields offer an ideal setting for children to learn about themselves, each other, and their place in the natural world.

We trust that the individual child can best determine their educational needs in the moment. By respecting the individual learner, and responding to their inquiry with leading questions, a child can build on the knowledge they already have. By providing a safe, joyful and playful experience, our learners learn that the forest is a welcoming place. By living daily, seasonally, and yearly in the forest, our learners learn that it is a place they belong to. By using their natural curiosity, having their questions carefully considered, our learners learn to be lifelong learners. By running, jumping, climbing, wrecking, building, splashing, balancing, digging, and swinging, our learners learn to enjoy their physical fitness. By modeling peacemaking and respect, our learners learn to be peacemakers and respectful. By practicing gratitude, we all become grateful for the gifts of our natural world and the love all around us.