As the afternoon sun started to dip in the sky, Jenson and his coaches walked towards their gathering spot near the forest. They greeted the uncle tending to a coffee shop with a familiar nod and a ‘hi’, and continued their way towards their start. It was such a delight to see the communal interaction of the NES coaches and the coffee shop uncle. I knew at this moment that NES practices closely with community and contextual understanding.
Nature Explorer School (NES), is founded by Jenson Ong, a father of 3. NES has been around since 2019. Jenson truly believes in the Forest School ways and practices. It is not easy for a man to uphold family responsibilities while leading his own business, especially one that subscribes so differently to the usual economic models.
As the session began, Jenson and Lee Ern, an NES coach, greeted the children and parents as they arrived. There was a quiet quaintness to the rhythm of the session. Most of the children came stumbling into the space in excitement, with a strong sense of security because of the coaches and environmental presence.
However, there was a girl, K, who came with some reluctance to leave her mum and join her friends, likely due to socio-emotional elements before the session with her mum. Jenson held space, allowing K and her mum some time to settle, while the rest of the group picked up the FS items on the ground and went into the woods behind. It was impressive to see how Jenson held space for K and her mum to allow for a smoother transition to their separation.
The Forest School session begins with a little briefing on safety as well as caring for one another and the environment. It was gently shared, while met with excitement from the children. The NES sessions had more elements of craft and themes which the children explore within. Jenson and Lee Ern demonstrated positive role modelling through their interaction with the children.
There was this little moment when Jenson was building a tarpaulin with ropes, sticks and a ground sheet. I could see the children around him, watching closely as Jenson went to tie the string around the sticks, hammered the pin into the ground, etc. After about 15 minutes, some of the children took the equipment that was allowed to them to go about their craft, and they started doing what Jenson was doing, like mini-Jenson at work. Jenson basically taught them by showing first, then providing specific instructions. In a way, this is learning through experience and interest, a practice that happens often in Forest School. I was very inspired by that little moment, because it showcases the depth of Forest School practice that Jenson and the little community has in the midst of going about their “daily” work in the Forest.
After setting up the site for the session, Jenson invited the children to explore making “weapons” or craft-tools that they were interested in. The tools and equipment were laid on a mat under the tarpaulin. The key important action that he did here was that he invited them. In the invitation to the theme of the session, he did not force or instruct the children. He offered a safe space for the children to explore their own interest, while continuing to role-model and experience the process and craftsmanship involved in the making. Jenson had made a catapult using the materials around. His passion for craft, design and making was very evident, and this naturally inspired the children.
Through my conversation with Jenson, he showed a huge love for fashion and design. It’s something that he has always wanted to do and be part of. Even his dress-code and attire showcase this side of him. It is his interest. In a beautiful way, this personality of his shows up amazingly in the Forest School sessions that he leads.
During the whole craft-making episode, children weave in and out of the “work”, exploring the maze-field nearby at times together with the space-holding presence of Lee Ern. Throughout the whole session, both Jenson and Lee Ern showed a deep understanding of ‘Holding Space’. They were practising the elements of Forest School at a high level, giving space for children to explore, figure things out, and also delving into the children’s curiosity when it arises.
Towards the end of the session, they did a little Forest Bathing ritual, where the children intentionally use their 5-senses to connect with their bodies and surroundings. I was captivated by this ritual as it was a very beautiful way to consolidate the energy and flow of the session, before exiting the Forest School realm.
Remember K, the child who was crying and reluctant to participate in the FS session at the beginning of the session? Well, she continued to show discomfort throughout the session, despite the coaches accompanying her and offering support. Lee Ern and Jenson would kneel to her height level very often during the session to talk to her gently and encourage her to try, without being too pushy. It was a precious sight to behold, amidst our rushy modern world.
Jenson gently and firmly invited K to go around and forage for little floral and natural items to make something out of them. She went along with him, still sniffing a little. After 10 minutes, she calmed down as she held in her hand the items that Jenson and she had collected. She made a little bouquet of nature craft with the encouragement of Jenson. When it was time to go, while walking, K’s bouquet fell off her bag onto the bush shrub. She was initially not aware of her missing bouquet, but after realising that it was missing, K went all the way back to the bush shrub to pick it up and intentionally put it back inside her bag. At that very moment, you could see how much the bouquet meant to K, not just because of the craft, but because of the relationship that she developed with Jenson, Lee Ern, her friends and the space.
Even though this moment may not have been obvious, it is evident that K’s socio-emotional development and sense of relationship grew in that very moment, thanks to the support of the NES coaches.
I really like to emphasise on this moment-story of K, because for me, it sums up what Jenson and NES coaches practice. They focus on the children’s well-being and interest, through boundaries and a safe space, which they have intentionally created. It is not something that can be simply understood using theories or technical structure. This is deep relational work that comes from the heart: the heart of people of Nature.
ABOUT – Forest Pedagogy Research Project (FPRP)
FPRP is a research journey that I, Darren Quek, is embarking on to learn, re-learn and have a deeper understanding of the work, practice, challenges and guiding motivation of various practitioners of the Forest School and Nature pedagogy. I hope that through this project, I will be able to demystify the value and work of those who are practising in this field. The goal of the project is to create a Story Repository where others can connect and find inspiration from. Personally, I also see this as a pilgrimage journey for me to rediscover the magic of life through the experience of reaching-out, connecting, interviewing, journaling, writing and advocating for what I am passionate about.
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