Since 2020, EverWild has been dedicated to ensuring our programs are a diverse, equitable, inclusive and safe space for all. We believe all children deserve to benefit from time spent in nature and all nature-based mentors deserve the space to nurture this connection regardless of race, gender identity, gender expression, culture, age, orientation, or set of abilities.

While nature connection is our primary focus, queer ecology is naturally observable in the animals, plants and fungi in our environment. As such, these topics may arise while exploring the landscape, when mentors or students choose to share their pronouns, in storytelling or books books, and when learning about the local ecology. 

For example, Matilija poppies, Bay trees, barnacles and nudibranchs have both reproductive parts allowing them to be male or female to support the reproduction of their species and in some cases they can reproduce entirely on their own. Male western fence lizards mount one another to defend territory. Seagulls do not always mate with females. Male bottlenose dolphins mate for life. And Fungi… Well, we’ll let you google that on your own.

We utilize the EverWild Agreements and age-appropriate language to implement an inclusive environment. In programs including children ages 7+ our mentors may share their pronouns and may invite the students to do the same (however, doing so is not required). Across all our classes our mentors model gender neutral language. For example when we see a hiker on the trail we might say something like, “wow, they are hiking really fast”. Or when spotting a frog, “they can jump really high!”. When the mentors are speaking to one another or with the children they will use proper pronouns and will encourage the same of others. 

We offer daily land acknowledgements during our morning gatherings or throughout our adventures by giving gratitude and honoring the Chumash, Tataviam, and Tongva tribes whose land and seas we play, craft, and gather on. Our curriculum includes their honest history. Whenever possible, we seek to include them in our programming. 

Read more about our commitment to justice diversity equity and inclusion: https://everwildla.com/diversifying-the-outdoors

When experiencing a possible exposure, positive case, or when an individual develops symptoms of Covid-19 while at EverWild, we are required to follow the Decision Pathways.

You are the best judge of your child’s health, and we trust you will not bring a sick child to EverWild. However, if in the opinion of the Mentor, program manager or Director, your child is sick, we will call you to come and pick-up your child as soon as possible. Your child will be isolated from the other children until you arrive and will remain under the watch and care of EverWild staff. This policy is put in place to ensure the health and safety of your child, other children attending the program, and program staff.

The following criteria will be considered in determining if your child must be picked up early:

• a fever of 100 degrees or more

• inflammation of the eyes (excessive redness, glassy or discharge)

• vomiting

• more than one incidence of diarrhea or loose stool which is not contained within clothing

• communicable disease as defined by the Department of Health Services/Center for Disease Control

• unknown rash

• excessive nasal discharge, especially if yellow or greenish, since this indicates infection

• Pain (earache, cramps, headache, etc.)

If your child is sent home due to illness, they cannot return to EverWild until they have been free from symptoms for 24 hours without the use of a fever reducer. This is to allow your child ample time to recover and stop the spread of illness to the other children and staff.

After your child has been ill, it is important to adhere to the following guidelines when determining whether or not your child is ready to return to EverWild.

• Mood, appetite, behavior and activity are normal

• No fever for 24 hours without a fever reducer

• Antibiotics (if prescribed) have been used for a full 24 hours (48 hours in the case of strep)

• Vomiting, diarrhea cleared for 24 hours

• Frequent coughing, excessive nasal discharge resolved

• Pain (earache, cramps, headache, etc.) resolved

  It is your responsibility to notify EverWild if your child has a communicable disease or infestation such as: Covid-19, measles, mumps, chicken pox, or head lice.

  A child may be readmitted without a statement from a physician only if the child has been absent for a period of time equal to the longest incubation period of the disease as specified by the Department of Health and Social Services. Children returned to EverWild with signs of illness or communicable disease will be asked to return at a later time.

The very nature of our outdoor program immerses us in our environment and exposes us to the elements. Our changing climate has brought with it extreme weather. Although natural disasters are few and far between, we understand the importance of preparedness, especially while mentoring your child in nature. We have developed policies and protocols to ensure your child’s safety should we experience extreme weather during class time.

When making decisions around closures/reopening classes due to extreme weather/climate incidents we refer to NOAA, Weather Underground, Air Now, and the Air Now Fire and Smoke map. AirNow was created by the National Weather Service and uses NOAA maps. We will do our best to notify families of any class changes immediately but will notify families by 8am. Any changes made 24 hours prior to the start of class time will be emailed to families. If we need to make any changes within 24 hours to the start of the class the mentors and support staff will make phone calls/send texts to alert you of last-minute changes. Mentors must always have a working and charged cell phone while at EverWild.

In the event of an emergency, should we need to relocate during class time our mentors will walk the group to the nearest open business or area of shelter and will contact families to pick-up early.

Heavy Rains, Cold Temperatures & Wind:

Classes will close or reschedule the location when there is a combination of any of the following two weather conditions: cold temperatures, high winds, and persistent rains. For extreme weather conditions we also follow the Weather Guidelines for Children chart most commonly used in Forest Schools throughout the country.

Extreme Heat Protocol:

EverWild schedules our locations in consideration of the high temperatures we often see in the summer months in Los Angeles. We schedule our locations near water whenever possible. Our program is equipped with transportable shade and shelter, coolers, squirt bottles and other fun ways to stay cool. During days of high heat, our van programs will head to the beach or to cool shaded canyon areas with water. Our drop-off classes will relocate or cancel if temperatures reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

Wildfire Protocol:

Mentors are trained to identify and be aware of the nearest fire station and residence/business to the location of their class. Should a fire break out within the same mountain range as the group, the mentors will contact all parents to coordinate an early pick up based on the time of the fire’s breakout, fire’s location, and weather conditions. Should the fire be within close proximity to the class, the mentors will also notify the nearest fire station of the group and their whereabouts, and if possible, will relocate the group away from the area safely to the nearest business or residence.

Should the class be utilizing a van, the mentors will relocate the class away from the to a safer location or closer to the pick up area (whichever is safer). Mentors will also notify parents so that all families are aware of the group's whereabouts/safety and will coordinate an early pick up if the group can not be relocated to a safe location within a reasonable distance and time.

Smoke & Air Quality Protocol:

We will close class if the AQI reaches unhealthy (AQI 151-200) or above. If the AQI is unhealthy for sensitive groups (AQI 101-150) we will continue with class, change locations to places with a better AQI if possible, and will not do any long hikes/climbing/strenuous physical activity. We will go for short walks to explore, focus on projects, read stories, write/draw/paint, utilize our nature journals, and play games that don't require any running/exercising.

Earthquake Protocol:

If an earthquake occurs during EverWild class time the mentors will lead children to:

• Move into the open, away from buildings, fences, trees, tall playground equipment, utility wires, and street lights

• Kneel or sit on the ground and cover your head and face with your hands.

• Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops.

If an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 occurs, the mentors will lead the children to the trailhead to be picked up. This magnitude of an earthquake may lead to broken gas lines under the Earth’s surface, forest fires, and quakes with a larger magnitude may trigger a tsunami. Whether or not parents have been notified by the mentors, parents are required to pick up immediately. Children and mentors who are waiting for pick up will wait at the trailhead if the trailhead is deemed safe. If the trailhead is not safe, the children and mentors will relocate to the nearest safe business or fire department.

If families are unable to pick-up, the mentors will stay with all children, continue to keep them in a safe place, and will continue to work to connect children with their parents.

Tsunami Protocol:

If mentors notice or are notified of receding oceanic water or warned of a tsunami, mentors will immediately relocate children to higher ground. Upon reaching a safe place the mentors will contact all families to notify them of their location and request an early pick-up if it is safe for families to do so. If families are unable to pick-up, the mentors will stay with all children, continue to keep them in a safe place, and will continue to work to connect children with their parents.

Relocating class:

In the past, we have utilized indoor spaces such as the Natural History Museum, Science Center, Libraries, and private residences during unhealthy or extreme weather conditions. Should we decide to move class indoors we will require all mentors and children to wear a mask and will give families the option to either receive a partial refund or send their child to the indoor location.

There are no restrictions on the food that children are allowed to bring. Please be mindful of packing lunches with several wrappers to avoid the chance of losing trash in the wilderness. Please do your best to pack a healthy lunch and snack for your child (please avoid candy and sugary drinks).

We are unable to accommodate parents joining the class.

Drop off classes: many families have found it helpful to arrive at the start of the drop-off window and stay until 10:30am. When the group hikes to basecamp we recommend trailing behind until they reach basecamp. At this time, please let your child know that you are going to go for a walk/hike of your own and will stop in to say hi in a little bit. After a brief walk parents often return to give a hug/say hi. Based on how your child is doing you may repeat the process or take off for the day and return at pick up. When taking these steps to transition your child we do ask that you respect the group by not staying with your child or impeding on the mentor’s time as their primary focus during class time is on the children.

We hope you find this helpful! This transitional technique should be temporary. Should you find yourself continuing this process beyond the first couple of weeks we may need to reassess whether or not our drop-off classes are a good fit for your child and perhaps pause their enrollment until they are ready to be dropped-off.

EverWild class time is focused on connecting your child to meaningful experiences in nature. Although screens and devices connect us to one another from afar, they almost always disconnect us from the natural world and those who are enjoying the moment with us. Therefore, we do not allow the use of devices with screens or devices with the ability to connect to a cell tower/the internet. Our mentors carry cell phones with them in the event you need to reach your child or if we need to reach you.

We do allow teens enrolled in Teen Fire Circle to bring their phones due to their ability to drive themselves and carpool with one another. We require that all cell phones remain powered off and in their backpacks for the duration of the program.

At EverWild, the primary focus is on the safety of the participants while maintaining the integrity and core values of the program. As a diverse community of learners, participants must adhere to EverWild’s Agreements - which are shared by mentors with the children at the program.

Our Agreements:

Take care of yourself

Take care of each other

Take care of this place

Behavioral Protocol

We believe an open line of communication and immediate action is the best way to support all children. If EverWild is unable to support learners with adhering to our Agreements, the following protocols and steps will take place.

• Upon noticing and identifying behaviors or conflict, the mentors will begin utilizing conflict resolution strategies including nonviolent communication while supporting the child(ren)’s social-emotional development. The mentors will share their observations and details with all families involved and with the parent(s), will discuss strategies for supporting the child(ren) through the behavior. Mentors may:

• Advise that the parent(s) continue the conversation at home.

• Text to coordinate a time for a phone call if there wasn’t time to connect during pick-up.

• Should the behavior or conflict continue, the mentors may require the child to be picked up early from class and the child will be required to miss the following class. The Mentors and Program Director will schedule a phone call or time to meet in person with all parent(s) involved, and in some cases will include the child(ren), to discuss EverWild’s Core Values and to further resolve the conflict.

• Should the behaviors continue after the child(ren) returns, the child(ren) will be required to withdraw from the class for the remainder of the school year. EverWild will provide a refund beginning on the 30th day after the child is removed from the class. This allows EverWild 30 days to fill the vacant spot in the class.

To return to class the following school year, EverWild requires the teacher/mentor who worked most closely with the child outside of EverWild, to send a letter of recommendation in addition to scheduling a phone call with the Program Director. The recommendation and phone call must comment on the challenging behaviors that led to the child(ren)’s withdrawal from EverWild. The Program Director will decide whether or not to re-enroll the child(ren) based on the recommendation and conversation with the child’s teacher/mentor.

Children must let mentor or screened volunteers know when they have to use the bathroom.  All children must be accompanied by a mentor/volunteer to the bathroom.  Mentor/volunteer may not enter the stall to assist the child.  Mentor/volunteer can hold the door shut for a child who struggles with the lock for safety reasons.  Children must get changed on their own without the help of a sibling or friend. One child per stall.  

We do not require children to be potty-trained in order to attend our 3-6 classes. Children are welcome in diapers or at any point in the process of potty training. Families provide their preferred diapers and wipes. EverWild mentors change children using a stand up change technique. We use public restrooms when they are available and always accompany children to the restroom. Many of our locations do not have public restrooms. Instead, we practice nature potty and instruct children using our nature potty technique “pants to knees, legs apart, squat like a frog”. EverWild mentors will demonstrate the motions with their clothes on and will assist children with their clothing if needed. We provide children with toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and soap/water for clean up. Mentors will pick up any waste in an effort to leave no trace protecting the environment and its visitors. We have found that children as young as three get the hang of nature potty with little practice but it’s important to send your child with a change of clothes in the event that they have an accident. To support your child with nature potty we encourage you to help them practice in your backyard or out in nature before they begin doing nature potty at EverWild.

Mentors may assist children with finding a spot in nature to go to the bathroom outside. Mentors provide toilet paper or a wet wipe, give children privacy during nature potty and provide them with hand sanitizer. All bathroom duties that occur outdoors are completed in an environmentally friendly way (pack out poo and properly dispose of waste and trash).

If a program you are interested in is full, please continue your registration to be added to the waitlist. Should space become available in the class we will reach out to all waitlisted families to provide the opportunity to enroll.

Forest School Year - EverWild is unable to provide refunds, makeups, or reschedule classes for cancellations. If EverWild cancels a class for any reason families who pay out of pocket will receive a 50% refund. We will do our best to work with our partnered charter schools to provide refunds for families utilizing charter school funds. EverWild is unable to provide refunds for any cancellations for any events or workshops. It is the responsibility of the account holder to notify EverWild’s Administrative Office of any cancellations.

‘24 Summer Camp - Refunds are not provided for cancellations that occur within 14 days of the canceled camp week.

• Cancel 15 or more days before the start of the camp week and receive a 50% refund minus the $50 non-refundable deposit (per child).

• Cancel 30 or more days before the start of the camp week and receive a 90% refund minus the $50 non-refundable deposit (per child).

The fee for late arrivals is $5 for every 5 minutes after the designated pick-up time. Minutes will be rounded up to the nearest 5 minutes. Fees will be billed by the office and are due electronically before your child's next scheduled class.

Our number one priority is your child’s physical and emotional safety. All mentors are required to be First Aid and CPR certified. We perform FBI background checks, professional and personal background checks on all mentors prior to hire. There are several policies that we have put in place to support your child in safe exploration and risk-taking in a group setting. EverWild provides mentors with in-depth training of these policies and protocols and ongoing professional development opportunities to retain highly skilled mentors. We provide a low student to mentor ratio of 6 children to 1 mentor to ensure we are available to support your child’s needs in a group setting.

EverWild values empowering our children through healthy risk taking. We believe that helping children navigate the outdoors not only teaches them how to assess their own risk taking, it empowers them to take agency over their own body and decision making. There are inherent risks and hazards associated with adventures at EverWild. At EverWild, we define risks and hazards differently. Risks allow children to navigate the natural world with mindfulness and are chosen by the child. Mentors will never under any circumstances force a child to take a risk they have not chosen independently. All ages are given the opportunity to engage in healthy risk taking. Hazards are dangers that pose a threat to serious bodily harm.

EverWild’s mentors are trained in mitigating accidents and injuries through identifying hazards, risk assessments, judgment and decision making, leadership and communication skills, and emergency response training including upholding active pediatric first-aid and CPR certifications.

Children are welcome to bring pocket knives to EverWild. Many children utilizing them to practice their whittling techniques, knife safety skills, and to create tools or objects. Whittling supports children with self-regulation and helps them advance their fine motor skills. Mentors support children with knife safety skills by providing assistance and oversight. The steps most often used to support children at EverWild with knife safety skills are listed below. Knives should have a fixed blade, a sheath, and be no more than 4 inches in length.

Step 1: Find a stick to whittle

Step 2: Create a blood/safety circle (have the child stand in a flat spot on the ground and use their wingspan to determine where to draw a circle on the ground. Mentors may help them by laying sticks, rocks or drawing a circle in the dirt/on the ground which will help other children in the area see the blood circle.

Step 3: Have the child get on either one/two knees in the center of the blood circle or sit crisscross with their knife and stick. Mentors often inform children of the que “freeze” to let them know they must stop what they are doing and look at you.

Step 4: Mentors invite them to take out their knife (or saw if they plan to cut their stick) 

• Saw is for cutting, Stick is for whittling

Step 5: If whittling, have the child point the stick down at the ground and with their knife lightly carve their stick down and away from their body.

• If the child looks away from their stick while carving, have them pause the carving until they have their full attention back on their stick.

• If using the saw, have the child point to where they want to cut their stick. Then have them measure from that point using the length of their saw to determine how far they should place their hand to hold onto the stick when sawing.

Step 6: When the child is done they must put the sheath on their knife and place it in their backpack before moving on.

We encourage children at EverWild to participate in stick play. Sticks may not be taller than the child and must never be used against another child’s body. If the child forgets this rule more than one time sticks/rocks are closed for that child for the day. Throwing rocks is ok as long as rocks are not thrown toward others or in a direction where there could be others hiking such as off of a ledge.

Children at EverWild often explore near bodies of water. Children are always accompanied by a mentor while in any body of water. Please be sure to specify your child’s swimming skill level when completing your child’s forms during enrollment. Your child’s swimming skill level is shared with all mentors.

While children are climbing mentors will give reminders such as “You’re doing a wonderful job climbing that tree/rock. I just wanted to check in to see if you’re comfortable climbing down on your own from there” or “I notice that branch doesn’t have any leaves on it, what does that tell you about that branch? Let’s avoid that branch because it’s not strong enough to hold your body weight” or “I notice that the tree limb is skinnier than your arm. We only climb on branches thicker than our arm so as not to break the limbs or accidentally fall. Do you see a stronger branch?”. 

The children must be accompanied by a mentor at all times while on any rock with a ledge taller than the height of the child. Children may not be within 5 feet of a ledge taller than their bodies unless they are laying on their bellies and accompanied by an adult.

We never eat anything unless we are 100% certain of the ID.

Poison oak makes an appearance while on the trail but is not extremely prominent in the areas in which we choose to set up basecamp and explore. EverWild mentors teach the children how to identify it as well as prevent any contact/rash (leaves of three, let it be). In the winter they help them identify the brown stems left behind when the leaves fall. If skin contact is made with the plant, Urushiol, the chemical component in the plants oils, will seep into the pores of the skin and may cause an itchy rash to appear in 1-4 days. There are many remedies to combat a rash if you think you may or may have touched it. We find it best to just avoid it completely but try as we might it is part of the wild and we are likely going to cross paths with it from time to time. Not everyone is allergic but some individuals can have a great sensitivity to it. Through trial and error we’ve discovered the following to be the best remedies/preventative measures:

• Wear pants/long sleeves if you know you will be in close contact with it.

• If children don't have long sleeves/pants and you must pass through it, mentors may have them cover the exposed areas of their body with dry dirt and dry mugwort so the oils absorb into the dirt and not into their pores.

• If we believe an exposed area of your child’s body has touched poison oak we will have them wash the area with tech-nu (EverWild mentors keep this in their first aid kits for emergencies). This is the best way to avoid the rash if contact has been made.

• If a rash develops: Apply a refrigerated aloe leaf to any area.

Many whole food stores including Rainbow Acres and Bristol Farms carry herbal remedies for the rash.

EverWild occasionally comes into contact with ticks during certain times of year. It’s important to know how to avoid a tick bite as well as what to do if you happen to find a tick on your body. Tick Season in the Santa Monica Mountains is typically between November and March. Warmer weather conditions deter ticks from surfacing so depending on the temperature of the winter months we may or may not see them for the entire season. We are likely to see them during the months of late Fall to early Spring when it’s not too cold or too hot. They typically appear in the Santa Monica Mountains after the first rains. Ticks are often found in shaded, cooler, and dense forest areas such as near creeks or shaded fields, and river beds. They can be found on the tips of grasses alongside the edges of trails. Ticks do not fall from trees but rather will sense CO2, reach from the tip of a plant/grass, grab onto your pant leg and work its way slowly upward in search of a sensitive area on your skin.

1. If mentors know the group is going to be exploring/hiking through a possible tick area, they inform the children to tuck their pants into their socks, their shirt in their pants, and pull hair back.

2. Mentors are often in the front of the group when hiking into an area.

3. Every 20ft or so, mentors will stop to scan the lower half of their body (waist and below is generally where they will be). If they see one, they will brush it off and have the kids scan themselves while mentors scan the outside of children’s clothes as well.

4. After exiting a tick area children may do a tick check on the outside of their clothes and (if needed) they may be encouraged to check their body in privacy without an adult. Mentors may check the insides of children’s clothes while the children check their own bodies.

If a child has been bitten by a tick mentors will use tweezers, a tick remover, or a cotton swab to remove it being cautious to not kill the tick while it's burrowed. After removing the tick, the mentor will kill it and put the dead tick in a plastic bag to give to the parent at pick up. The mentor will cleanse, use antibacterial cream and a bandaid on the child’s tick bite, and inform the parent of the time of the bite, where the child was bitten, and give the tick to the parent. Parents may choose to send the tick sent to a lab to be tested. Even tick bites from a diseased tick can be cured if caught early.

Although rattlesnakes can be seen year-round they are most active during the warmer months (April - October). The following snake safety and protocols are shared during our annual and summer training and revisited throughout the year during monthly meetings. A refresher of the information is given during Spring, or, when the weather begins to warm and rains begin to lessen. 

Prevention 

1. Enter a wild space with a mentor in the front of the group and a mentor in the back.

2. Before sending children out to explore an area, do a “snake sweep” to check for snakes to the best of your ability.

3. STOMP while exploring 

4. If we see a snake we FREEZE 

5. Take MANY steps away from the snake 

6. TELL a Mentor 

7. Mentor informs the group to stay clear of the area where the snake was spotted. 

Identifying 

All snakes can bite when feeling threatened 

Most Venomous snakes have: 

• A triangular head 

• Slots or vertical pupils 

• The thickness of their body will taper toward the tail and will be 1-8ft in length d. Rigid scales 

• Geometric patterns 

• Rattlesnakes have a rattle 

• Baby rattlesnakes don’t have a rattle until their first skin shedding, instead they have a “knob/lump/button”. Their large head and skinny neck may also be difficult to identify. 

Signs/Symptoms of a Rattlesnake bite 

• Fang marks 

• Swelling and pain. If absent after 30 minutes, envenomation probably did not occur. *evac. is still necessary 

• Ecchymosis (skin discoloration resulting from bruising) and bleb formation (a pressure cyst) over 6-36 hours 

• Weakness, sweating, and chills

• Nausea and perhaps vomiting 

•  Numbness and swollen lymph nodes

First Aid/First Responder: If bitten 

Data suggests that envenomation is not automatic every time a snake bites. Although 30-50% of reported snake bites are “dry bites” and do not experience envenomation, all snake bites require evacuation. 

1. If the scene is safe, move the patient to a safe space away from the snake.

2. If there is another adult nearby, have them call 9-1-1. If you are able to make the call faster than it would take for you to reach the other mentors, you make the call to 9-1-1.

3. Have another mentor call the patient’s parent/emergency contact number. If another mentor is not available, you make the call to the parent/emergency contact after completing steps 4-6. 

4. If possible, carry the patient back to the pick-up/drop-off location to meet emergency personnel. 

5. Support the patient in remaining as calm and as still as possible. 

6. Keep the bite level with the heart. 

7. Remove all restricting jewelry or items of clothing. 

8. Talk to the patient calmly until further help arrives.

Children at EverWild may be exposed to the following potential hazards:

• Domestic animals, wild animals, marine life, and freshwater fish, insects and critters

• Poisonous and venomous species including insects, snakes, plants, mushrooms

• Ticks that may have tick-borne illnesses or diseases

• Allergens and items commonly associated with allergies (animal dander, plant pollen, nuts, etc.

• Inclement weather exposure, including sun, wind, snow, hail, rain, sleet, heat, smoke, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, and other weather-related conditions.

• Terrain and locations including cliffs, ledges, uneven terrain, hills, slopes, organic plant matter, fallen trees and logs, rocks and boulders.

• Hazardous materials such as garbage, broken glass, or any other materials left behind in public parks.

• Shared use of public space

• Interacting with the general public

• Toileting and hand washing in porter potties and publicly serviced restrooms

• Hand washing may have limited access to running or clean water, and may include the use of hand sanitizer when no other options are available

Age-appropriate permitted activities at EverWild include:

• Hiking, running, or strolling in the forest, on trails, sidewalks, access roads, beaches, tide pools, and paths.

• Accessing bodies of water including but not limited to creeks, the ocean, estuaries, ponds, lagoons, seasonal spring runoff creeks, rivers, and puddles.

• Campfires in designated areas, monitored by staff at all times. This includes the use of a camp stove or barbecue.

• Climbing on objects that include but are not limited to trees, hills, dirt, logs, rocks, and stumps

• Jumping from appropriate heights without the use of a fall zone

• Manipulating real tools, including knives, hammers & nails, saws, hand drills, hot glue guns, permanent markers, ropes, scissors, kitchen tools, and more with appropriate adult instruction and supervision.

• “Cub play,” also called rough-and-tumble play including but not limited to tumbling, wrestling, rolling, and running.

• Foraging for, harvesting, and eating plants both in the wild and from community gardens.

• Playing with, building with, and using sticks, pallets, larger wood planks, stumps, and other “loose parts” deemed appropriate by EverWild mentors

• Creating an inclusive environment with children whose background, behavior, developmental ability, and home culture may differ from my own child’s

• Developing body awareness and senses through activities such as walking barefoot and using all our senses for safe observation of the world around us.

• Spending time outside includes using all five senses to interact with weather, nature, and the elements for appropriate periods of time. Taking off a hat to feel the raindrops is also risk taking.