Forager School Summer!

Forager School Summers on the Mendonoma Coast: A Recipe for Play, Adventure, and Simple Living!

We were so happy to welcome students for another summer of exploration and fun here on the Mendonoma coast. Baskets in hand, the Forager students have been busy following their noses, taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of nature-inspired provocations: Session A: Build with Nature, Session B: Cook with Nature, and our final week currently in session, Session C: Move with Nature!

In planning our summer programming, we filter everything through the idea that all school year long, families and students of all ages are navigating the demands of busy schedules and ever-evolving must-do’s. To tend to this balance, our program aims to offer students protected time for uninterrupted play, meaningful experiences in the natural world, and opportunities to build connections with peers and community here along the coast. Whether visiting the area or cultivating a life here, these early relationships help to shape and expand a young learner’s emergent identity. Each week, our teachers work to replenish, adjust, and maintain a meaningful learning environment—a space for experimentation, creative expression, invention, celebration, and above all else, child-led learning and self-discovery!

Field trip highlights include a dewy morning hike to Gualala Point State Park to observe wildlife and waves, comb for beach treasure, create driftwood structures, and greet the friendly neighborhood sheep! Students also spent time exploring along the little north fork of the Gualala River, gathering copious wild blackberries, thimbleberries, sorrel, lemon balm, and fallen apples from our Adventure Camp orchard. This week, we had the privilege of frequenting the Stornetta Ranch, hosted by a local high school student. We toured the farm, fed the sweetest calves, observed the milk truck come for delivery, and met their giant bull with some truly impressive horns! All summer, we have also enjoyed the bounty of Nature’s Tune Farm, with beautiful produce boxes complementing our daily snacks and inspiring new recipes and cooking projects. We are so grateful to our dedicated community partners and family volunteers who help to make our field trips possible, and we look forward to many more throughout the school year!

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Recipe: Dandelion Cake (Gluten-Free!)

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Spring 2025 Classroom Gallery