Our Mission

At Turkey Tails Forest School our mission is to create a welcoming, accessible place for children aged 4-12 to connect to the land and learn critical developmental skills through free play in the forest. We hope to cultivate a space where children and adults can play alongside each other in a way that fosters curiosity, confidence, and creativity. We are dedicated to providing a holistic educational experience that nurtures each child's physical, emotional, and cognitive development. We believe that connecting to and learning from the land is empowering. Children quickly develop self-awareness in their body and mind and quickly gain trust in themselves and others. Our goals are to develop a strong social and ecological community. By instilling respect and a lifelong sense of wonder for the natural world, we hope to grow the future generation of land stewards in Mi'kma'ki.

What is Forest School?

Learning and playing are inquiry-based and child-led. The activities of each day depend on the curiosities of the child, inspired by the land. Our staff are highly experienced in working with kids outdoors, and have skills to encourage children to pursue their specific interests in the outdoors. This may include shelter building, plant & tree identification, tree-planting, gardening, Indigenous teachings of the land, tree climbing, story telling, cooking, art, map-making, etc. Giving children autonomy in how and what they learn gives them great confidence and leadership.

Learn more at Child Nature Alliance of Canada

Meet Our Board of Directors

  • Sally Rees

    Originally from Wales, via a C14th watermill in the south of France, Sally has been in Nova Scotia for 17 years and was the first person to qualify in Nova Scotia as Level 3 Forest School Practitioner. She went on to co-found several recreational Forest School models including Wild Child Forest School and the Urban Farm and Forest School, Spryfield, and continues to be Forest School mentor. She is trained in Therapeutic Skills and Challenging behaviour in the Outdoors, with a special interest in the role of Forest Schools for mental health, and for several years, brought the St Johns Ambulance therapy dog program to youth-based outdoor sessions.

    Labels seem to be what define us: so if you need labels, she would say ”it’s Mother, Arts Graduate, Advocate for women rights and Social Justice, ex Head of Marketing & PR, Environmentalist, Conservationist, Gardener, amongst many others”. But in fact Sally says “it should be our journeys and experiences along the way that define us”. 

    Her goal is to increase access to Forest Schools in local communities, and build on the UK model of integrating Forest Schools into the public school system.

  • Madelyn Smye

    TREASURER

    Madelyn (She/Her) is a dedicated bookkeeper. Madelyn believes you can find creativity in numbers as long as you stay curious. When she’s not crunching numbers she loves exploring the outdoors and sharing meals with friends.

  • Jill Swaine

    I’m Jill Swaine, a local educator and parent. 

    I work at our local school and have years of experience working with children in the outdoors. 

    My background is in Earth Education and running Forest school programs for school aged children. 

    I studied at Acadia University as well as Camosun College and have worked with many exciting Environmental Education programs. 

    I love being part of Turkey Tails Forest school and so glad to see kids getting more time in Nature.

Our Team

  • Bryanna Kenny

    Executive Director

    My name is Bryanna (she/her) and I have grown up and lived as a settler on Mi’kma’ki all of my life. The inspiration to start a program such as this began with understanding the importance attending summer camp as a child has had on my personal growth. Every year I looked forward to meeting new friends in the forest without technology, telling stories, learning outdoor survival skills in a welcoming and creative environment. Summer camp is where I connected deeply to the land, and developed some of my most long-lasting and meaningful friendships. I live on a farm/homestead in Lapland, NS and enjoy foraging, hunting, hiking, playing music, and spending time with friends outdoors.

  • Katy Maclachlan

    Forest School Educator

    Hello! My name is Katy (she/her) & I work as an artist and educator on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. I’m passionate about instilling a sense of PLAY and CREATIVITY in childhood. 

    I’ve worked in all sorts of creative industries including Film/TV, Music and Photography, but I came to find out that the magic really does lie in the creativity of the child! Children have so much to teach us with their boundless curiosity and spirit. 

    I received by Bachelor of Education in 2017 and have loved teaching beyond the four walls. I live with my partner, 5 bunnies, giant garden and 30 house plants near West Dublin.