Outdoor Education
At Berkwood Hedge School, outdoor education is vital to our program and supports student well-being. Today more than ever, students need regular opportunities to spend time in nature and engage the natural world, whether that is studying the native plants found in our schoolyard habitat or nature journaling in our local East Bay Regional Parks.
Our inquiry-based, hands-on Outdoor Education program is led by our skilled teachers, many of whom are Forest School certified. Students learn to ask “What do I notice,” and “What do I wonder,” looking at the world with an eye for patterns and details. Outdoor Education in the lower grades lays the foundation for our middle school Wild Ways program, building comfort and confidence with nature.
Forest Days
Forest Days are a cornerstone of our commitment to environmental and outdoor education. Several times in the fall and spring, the entire school spends the day in Tilden Park—hiking, exploring, journaling, and experimenting. The social emotional benefits of these days in nature are immeasurable. Spending time outdoors has been shown to broaden children’s perspectives and expand their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Wild Ways
Wild Ways is our three-year outdoor education program for sixth through eighth graders, designed to build on a foundation of social and environmental justice. Sixth graders learn about traditional tools and technologies with hands-on lessons including weaving a variety of containers from local materials, starting a fire using friction, making cordage, and more. In the seventh and eighth grade, students study plants, animals, habitats and ecosystems. Through extended study of the Wildcat Creek Watershed, students learn about the native flora and fauna of our area and study how interactions with humans and invasive species impact important ecosystems.
Spring Journeys
Spring Journeys are a culminating moment of the school year, when students embark on day or overnight field trips that help foster independence, leadership, and learning in transformative ways. The destinations and nature of the trips change from year-to-year to best suit the needs of each group of students, but never fail to be a highlight of the year for students. Discover some of our past Spring Journeys below.
K-4 Spring Journeys
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Kindergartners explore Chinatown and the murals of the Mission in San Francisco.
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First graders visit Año Nuevo to experience the molting season of elephant seals.
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Second graders and their families spend a weekend camping.
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Third graders spend two days at a local farm practicing sustainable agriculture.
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Fourth graders venture back in time to 1849 on their overnight trip to Coloma.
5-8 Spring Journeys
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Fifth graders spend two nights at the NatureBridge Golden Gate in the Marin Headlands.
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Sixth and seventh graders camp, hike, and kayak in the Ventana Wilderness near Big Sur.
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Eighth graders travel to Puerto Rico for a service trip and learn about the culture of San Juan.
