Nature School Values

Mentoring

Mentoring means welcoming children into your heart. It begins with truly knowing them—their strengths, edges, and passions—and then asking the right questions, in the right moments, to support them on their learning journey. Mentoring is rooted in relationship: a deepening connection built on trust, curiosity, and a shared willingness to learn from one another.

This is why it is so meaningful when children return to our programs season after season, arriving with open hearts and growing excitement. The land at Circle R offers endless opportunities for what we call “mentoring moments.” When a child eagerly shares something they have discovered, we respond with thoughtful questions that guide their observations, build confidence, and invite them to wonder more deeply about the world around them.

Through these moments, mentoring helps shape children into problem-solvers, resilient leaders, and lifelong learners—grounded in curiosity, confidence, and connection.

Wonder & Curiosity

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”

– Albert Einstein

Cultivating a sense of wonder is at the heart of Nature School. When we ask questions, we deepen our relationship with wonder while nurturing creativity, empathy, and a genuine love of learning. Anyone can memorize facts and data, but curiosity invites us into a richer experience—one where the world opens up and possibility expands.

Wondering about the mysteries we encounter in nature naturally leads us to observe more closely, to study with intention, and to care more deeply about the wild beings around us. This process builds meaningful connection. I could walk through the woods and point out fifty different plants—but how many would you truly remember afterward? More importantly, how many would you feel connected to?

When we slow down to examine a single plant—its stem, roots, and leaf veins—when we ask about its habitat, healing uses, flowering cycle, and the creatures that rely on it, and then work together to identify it in a field guide, the experience becomes personal and lasting. This kind of learning is not only more memorable; it is more rewarding, fostering connection, understanding, and care that endure well beyond the walk in the woods.