Welcome to Human Nature School

  • Welcome to Human Nature School

    The great outdoors is our classroom and every day is a child-led adventure. We believe in meeting students where they are, blending the magic of the natural world with a curriculum that breathes alongside the changing seasons.

  • Our approach

    Mentorship: We maintain low ratios, our mentors connect one-on-one with every student, every day. 

    Nature-Led Learning: Sessions are held entirely outdoors, ensuring a deep, tangible connection to the environment.

    Skill Building: We focus on developing the knowledge of the Naturalist, the skills of the Survivalist, and the attitude of the Caretaker.

    Holistic Growth: We work naturally to build common sense, teamwork, leadership, peacemaking, and a deep sense of gratitude.

    Experiential Education: We weave learning into the fabric of compelling stories, songs, games, and hands-on activities. By focusing on the connection to nature, community, and self, we turn every lesson into a fun, memorable exploration.

  • Homeschool Session (Coyote Program)

    Designed for homeschoolers and unschoolers, this program provides a consistent weekly rhythm for children to dive deep into nature skills and community building. 

    • Ages: 6–12 years
    • Schedule:10-week sessions (Fall, Winter, Spring), held Tuesdays or Thursdays from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
    • Focus: Students practice fire-making, shelter building, plant identification, wildlife tracking, carving, or creative projects using natural materials. Learning is experiential and student-driven, allowing curiosity to lead the way.

  • Forest Kindergarten (Kinder Foxes)

    Our Forest Kindergarten serves as a gentle, nature-rooted transition for our youngest learners. 

    • Ages: 4–6 years
    • Schedule: 8-week Sessions (Fall and Spring), held 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
    • Focus: Child-led curriculum guided by the seasons. Children learn common sense and teamwork through stories, songs, and games.

  • Spring Session Registration OPEN

    Spring brings warming temperatures and lengthening days, triggering a burst of life, from the greening of the canopy to the arrival of the first spring ephemerals like trout lily, hepatica, and trillium. Students will explore the wonders of vernal pools, track the return of migratory birds, and search for the first signs of insects, amphibians, and reptiles emerging from their winter sleep.

  • Seasonal highlights and activities include:

    🌿 Foraging and Edibles: Edible roots, buds and spring shoots.
    ⚒️Carving and Craft: Practice nature crafts and safe carving and tool use.
    🐾Mud Tracking: Identify the clear prints of forest inhabitants.
    🌳Shelter Building: Construct woodland homes
    🌱Deep Observation: Engage in longer "sit spots" to hear the subtle sounds of plants pushing through dry leaf litter.

  • Registration Details

    Coyote Homeschool: age 6-12, 10 week session Thursdays, April 9 - June 11, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, $600

    Kinder Foxes: age 4-6, 8 week session, Fridays, April 17 - June 5, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, $300

    • Location: Near the Seeds Building/Botanical Gardens at the Grand Traverse Commons.
    • Deadline: Register by Wednesday, March 18 
    • Assistance: Scholarships and payment plans available
    • Volunteer Discount: Receive a $50 discount (Coyote Homeschool) or $30 discount (Kinder Foxes) for each day you support our instructors (up to two days per session). Opportunities may be available to volunteer equivalent hours assisting with tasks outside of regular program hours.

  • Register here: HNS Spring Session Registration


    From chilly mornings to summery afternoons, we are excited to embrace the full "gamut" of spring weather, celebrating the mud, the movement, and the magic of a world coming back to life. 

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