Weekly Nature School
Parent Testimonials
"The Weekly Homeschool Program has been a wonderful experience for my son. (He describes it as life changing!) I am so grateful that something so special exists in Austin, and I'm immensely thankful for the amazing instructors who have helped my son to bloom. I wish every child could experience this invaluable nature time."
~ Aimee N.
"My son has been going weekly for 1.5 years. To say he *loves* it is an understatement! He gets all of his gear ready the night before with no reminder from me, has no issue with getting up early the day of, pretty much leaves me in the dust with barely any form of goodbye as soon as we pull up (He's 11), thoroughly delights in trekking around for 6 hours outside in all kinds of weather, wears his brier scratches and chigger bites with pride, tells me stories of what happened on the ride home until he sometimes falls asleep because he's so exhausted from all the fun, dutifully cleans out his gear when we walk in the door and then uses knowledge he's gained from these days throughout the days, weeks, and months ahead. All of this makes the driving long distance to class worth it. (We're in Far NW Austin, practically Cedar Park.)"
~ Angela M.
“Two kids in the weekly program, both of them love it. 8-yr-old son is in his 3rd year and still as enthusiastic as ever; 5-yr-old daughter started last fall, also loves it. Even when the weather is cold and rainy they start the day with enthusiasm and come home tired, hungry, filthy, often wet, and always happy. They are learning about native plants and animals, edible and toxic plants, animal scat (always a fun one), local ecosystems, weather, seasons, building shelters and fire, everything to do with the outdoors. Most of it is taught through experiencing it or storytelling or games, very little teaching in the form of lectures from instructors - so they experience it as a day of outdoor play. If only I had the time, I'd be taking ENWS weekend classes at least once a month myself!”
~ KS
"We are a new Earth Native family this school year, and everything about the school - from the organization, to the community, to the staff, to the curriculum/material, to the way they relate to the children - has been positive, inspiring, and impressive.
My 9 year old son has been attending since September, and he regularly comes home covered in mud, happily wrung out, and telling me about all the animals they discovered or places they explored and adventures of the day. The teachers interact with the children with a blend of natural, gentle authority, curiosity, care, openness, and warmth. I sense how this mix helps the kids feel safe, respected, at ease, cared for, liked and open to learning and exploration. My son has developed a relationship with the natural world - plants, animals, sky, and earth - while also being able to run around outside and just be a kid, something that feels a bit like an endangered thing today.
The administrative side of the school is equally well run and a joy to work with as a parent.
I highly recommend it - it's been an enjoyable and nourishing experience for our family. I'm so grateful for this experience for my son!"
~ Karly P.
For more information about this program give us a call at 512-299-8870 or email us at
Earth Native Nature School is a weekly nature education course that runs during the school year for ages 5-16. Program days that are offered are Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
During weekly nature school, students and instructors work closely in a variety of settings to develop skills that will lead to a deeper knowledge of the natural world and authentic connections to nature, awaken sensory awareness and cultivate knowledge of place, as well as build self confidence and peaceful interpersonal relationships.
At Earth Native, our unique teaching methods center around “Coyote Mentoring”, a method of teaching and learning that is based on education models used by indigenous populations across the world for thousands of years. Our “invisible school” teaching philosophies are based on natural learning cycles that use your child’s passions and natural inspirations as the spark that drives their education in the outdoors.
Each week at Earth Native Nature School, children will explore, hear inspiring stories, practice primitive and wilderness survival skills, play games and practice core routines to develop strong skills and knowledge in areas such as:
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Edible and Medicinal Plants
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Wildlife Tracking
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Bird Language
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Ecology
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Wilderness Survival
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Natural Navigation
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Primitive Arts and Crafts
...and much more!
Students are divided into 4 programs by age:
Ringtails - Ages 5-6 (must be 5 by 9/30/20)
Kit foxes - Ages 7-8 (must be 7 by 9/30/20)
Coyotes - Ages 9-11 (must be 9 by 9/30/20)
Red Wolves - Ages 12-16 (must be 12 by 9/30/20)
Location: The first day of class each month is held at our beautiful wooded campus 20 minutes east of Austin at 137 Woodview Lane, Bastrop, TX 78602. All other class days are held at McKinney Falls State Park in Southeast Austin at 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway, Austin, TX 78744
Days/Times: This program meets from 9:30am-3:30pm one day a week for a total of 32 class sessions between September and May. (See 2020/21 dates at bottom of page.) Wednesday, Thursday or Friday program options are offered. Max 9:1 student to instructor ratio
Program Tuition: $1695 or pay monthly for $150 a month*
Deposit: $300 non-refundable deposit due at the time of enrollment
*Payment plan based on 10 monthly payments (from August-May) after a non-refundable $300 deposit. Click here for complete payment prices and options.
Interested in 2021-22 school year?
2020/21 Program Dates
This program meets one day each week throughout the school year. We offer Wednesday, Thursday or Friday program options.
First Week of class: September 9, 10 or 11
Last Week of class: May 19, 20 or 21
Holiday Breaks - NO CLASSES
Thanksgiving Break - November 25-27 (1 week)
Winter Break - December 23 - Jan 1 (2 weeks)
Spring Break - March 10-19 (2 weeks)
Already enrolled in the 2020-21 Weekly Nature School?
Click here to reach the Weekly Programs Info Page
(The password was emailed to you in your Program Details)
INTERESTED IN THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR?
VISIT DAY
If you are interested (but undecided) about enrolling in Weekly Nature School for 2021-22 we offer a Visit Day each year in April. (Tentatively scheduled for April 6, 2021) This is a chance for your whole family to meet our teaching team. The kids will get a sample of what a class day is like and parents will have the chance to meet with our Directors to ask questions and hear more about these programs. Click here to be notified when Visit Day sign-up opens
PRIORITY ENROLLMENT
In the past, we have had many families who have waited for months or a year for a spot in the program and have still been unsuccessful getting into the program or getting a spot in their preferred program day. To address this concern, we created this priority list to make the enrollment process more fair and to favor those who have been waiting to get into the program the longest. This list is for those who have already made their decision and are sure they want to enroll in this program. Those who join this list will receive early enrollment into the program PRIOR to the Visit Day. Click here to join the priority list
PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR BOTH THE VISIT DAY AND PRIORITY ENROLLMENT. If you are undecided about enrolling - signup for the Visit Day or wait until regular enrollment opens on April 7th. If you are decided about enrolling, join the priority enrollemnt list.