2024/25 School Year
Wild Tenders is a weekly drop off group for youth 12+
Wild Harvest Nature Connection groups start our day in a circle, including parents/caregivers that are able to make it, share gratitude, sometimes as song, and play a game. After opening circle we head out on our day's adventure. While we come prepared each day with a variety of nature connection games and activities ultimately we let the curiosity and passions of the participants as well as whatever is happening out in nature guide what actually happens. At 2:45 we circle back up near the parking lot (parents encouraged to join us) to tell the stories of what we all did during our time apart.
Our nature connection programs involve intentional mentored time in the outdoors. The foundation of this is finding each person’s curiosities & passions and asking questions to lead the learning. Our programs are designed to instill a sense of community; to deepen relationships to oneself, to others, & to nature; while bringing out natural powerful human attributes like empathy, happiness, & being truly helpful to name a few. Our hope is that each child/person will grow into their gifts and we design our programs to support this. We also design our programs to develop each person's sense of caretaking the Earth, themselves, & each other. Not only do people have a lot of fun and gain understanding and knowledge about the natural world, primitive skills, & primitive crafts, they also learn skills for life such as awareness, quiet mind, creative problem solving, peacemaking, good conduct, intentional action, reflective processes, etc.
As an older group our ability to practice good conduct, listen carefully, motivate ourselves, and focus will allow us to go much deeper in our practice of the vast plethora of wilderness skills and activities offered.
This group is going into their 8th year. Many kids have been with us multiple years. They explore long distances, play games, create games to play, track animals and each other, make fires, carve, forage, and much more. Woven into the year are activities that build mental, emotional, physical, and relational skills.
Covid Protocols
We will pay attention to science, public heath, Dane County orders, and more importantly those who feel most vulnerable will take priority in our protocols regarding Covid. If you would like to participate and have needs around Covid precautions or any concerns please reach out to us. Our protocols are updated alongside current local and federal public health recommendations, community spread data, and recommendations from our grandparent council.
We are currently not wearing masks or distancing outside, although we are sensitive to the needs of each participant family. Each cohort has an agreement based on needs of participating families.
We ask that folks Stay Home: Please keep kids at home if they have knowlingly come into direct contact with anyone with Covid or if they themselves have cold or flu symptoms or if anyone in their home has cold or flu symptoms. Please contact mentors and [email protected] (Heather) to let them know and we will talk about next steps.
*Upon registering for any programs, you will receive a Parent Orientation that has a section on Covid and goes into a bit more detail.
2024/25 Information
Schedule
Fall Session starts: Wednesday Sept 18, 2024
Through Thursday December 12, 2024
1 week off for Thanksgiving
Winter/Spring Session starts: Wed Jan 29th, 2025
2 week Spring Break - weeks of March 24-April 4, 2025
Last week: May 21st, 2025
When & Where:
9am - 3:00pm at Lake Farm County Park
When & Where
Thursdays, 9-3, Lake Farm County Park
Tuition
Thursdays Wild Tenders
27 weeks
Sliding Scale 1750-2400 (Asking all to go up from last year)
*$200 non-refundable deposit - toward trial and tuition
*A note on our tuition.....How the Sliding Scale works, please pay what you can within the amount noted. If those who can pay more do so, then those who need to pay less can and we still get our financial needs met. We want our programs to be accessible for those who want to participate. We do not prorate for most pre-planned misses (ie, gone for 2 weeks of vacation). Sibling discounts are given for 3 or more children enrolled. Offering a sliding scale allows you to take into consideration any pre-planned time missed or having more than one child enrolled with us. There are exceptions and special circumstances so please contact us if needed about this. If our sliding scale tuition is not affordable for your family, please contact us, and we can start a conversation to see what works. We may have assistance through our Community Supported Tuition Fund, we barter, have work trade, and in general work to find creative solutions to support people in joining our programs. We also offer payments plans.
Wild Tenders is a weekly drop off group for youth 12+
Wild Harvest Nature Connection groups start our day in a circle, including parents/caregivers that are able to make it, share gratitude, sometimes as song, and play a game. After opening circle we head out on our day's adventure. While we come prepared each day with a variety of nature connection games and activities ultimately we let the curiosity and passions of the participants as well as whatever is happening out in nature guide what actually happens. At 2:45 we circle back up near the parking lot (parents encouraged to join us) to tell the stories of what we all did during our time apart.
Our nature connection programs involve intentional mentored time in the outdoors. The foundation of this is finding each person’s curiosities & passions and asking questions to lead the learning. Our programs are designed to instill a sense of community; to deepen relationships to oneself, to others, & to nature; while bringing out natural powerful human attributes like empathy, happiness, & being truly helpful to name a few. Our hope is that each child/person will grow into their gifts and we design our programs to support this. We also design our programs to develop each person's sense of caretaking the Earth, themselves, & each other. Not only do people have a lot of fun and gain understanding and knowledge about the natural world, primitive skills, & primitive crafts, they also learn skills for life such as awareness, quiet mind, creative problem solving, peacemaking, good conduct, intentional action, reflective processes, etc.
As an older group our ability to practice good conduct, listen carefully, motivate ourselves, and focus will allow us to go much deeper in our practice of the vast plethora of wilderness skills and activities offered.
This group is going into their 8th year. Many kids have been with us multiple years. They explore long distances, play games, create games to play, track animals and each other, make fires, carve, forage, and much more. Woven into the year are activities that build mental, emotional, physical, and relational skills.
Covid Protocols
We will pay attention to science, public heath, Dane County orders, and more importantly those who feel most vulnerable will take priority in our protocols regarding Covid. If you would like to participate and have needs around Covid precautions or any concerns please reach out to us. Our protocols are updated alongside current local and federal public health recommendations, community spread data, and recommendations from our grandparent council.
We are currently not wearing masks or distancing outside, although we are sensitive to the needs of each participant family. Each cohort has an agreement based on needs of participating families.
We ask that folks Stay Home: Please keep kids at home if they have knowlingly come into direct contact with anyone with Covid or if they themselves have cold or flu symptoms or if anyone in their home has cold or flu symptoms. Please contact mentors and [email protected] (Heather) to let them know and we will talk about next steps.
*Upon registering for any programs, you will receive a Parent Orientation that has a section on Covid and goes into a bit more detail.
2024/25 Information
Schedule
Fall Session starts: Wednesday Sept 18, 2024
Through Thursday December 12, 2024
1 week off for Thanksgiving
Winter/Spring Session starts: Wed Jan 29th, 2025
2 week Spring Break - weeks of March 24-April 4, 2025
Last week: May 21st, 2025
When & Where:
9am - 3:00pm at Lake Farm County Park
When & Where
Thursdays, 9-3, Lake Farm County Park
Tuition
Thursdays Wild Tenders
27 weeks
Sliding Scale 1750-2400 (Asking all to go up from last year)
*$200 non-refundable deposit - toward trial and tuition
*A note on our tuition.....How the Sliding Scale works, please pay what you can within the amount noted. If those who can pay more do so, then those who need to pay less can and we still get our financial needs met. We want our programs to be accessible for those who want to participate. We do not prorate for most pre-planned misses (ie, gone for 2 weeks of vacation). Sibling discounts are given for 3 or more children enrolled. Offering a sliding scale allows you to take into consideration any pre-planned time missed or having more than one child enrolled with us. There are exceptions and special circumstances so please contact us if needed about this. If our sliding scale tuition is not affordable for your family, please contact us, and we can start a conversation to see what works. We may have assistance through our Community Supported Tuition Fund, we barter, have work trade, and in general work to find creative solutions to support people in joining our programs. We also offer payments plans.