Learning Outside

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Learning Outside

Learning Outside provides children with experiences outdoors that enhance their current lives & lear

Learning Outside offers outdoor education programs that are interest-led, experiential and environmentally and seasonally-based. All of our programs are held entirely outdoors at Triangle Land Conservancy's beautiful 269-acre Irvin Nature Preserve. Program activities involve learners from diverse backgrounds with experiences that support curiosity, creativity and wonder and that foster a love of t

he outdoors. Research confirms that immersion in nature promotes science knowledge and fosters happier, healthier, more enggaged children both at school and at home.

05/29/2026

Today marks the last day of our School Program Year.

Adventurers, Trailblazers, Explorers, Pathfinders, and Forest Kindergarten enjoyed their final days at Irvin Nature Preserve.

As the year comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the connections we’ve built, the growth we’ve witnessed, the adventures we’ve shared, the campfires we’ve cooked over, the creeks we’ve splashed through, the games we’ve played, the discoveries we’ve made, the questions we’ve asked, and the joy we’ve experienced together.

Our year was full, and so are our hearts.

A youngster said today,

“I wish I could come here for a hundred thousand more years. I wish this was my home.”

To that we said,

“This is your home.”

And we truly meant it.

Everyone who spends time here forms a relationship with this place. The land becomes familiar. The trails hold memories. The creek, the forest, the garden, the animals, and the meadows become part of their story.

And in return, this place has a way of becoming part of them.

Thank you for a beautiful year 💚

05/28/2026

Savoring these sweet moments in the final days of the school year 💛

05/26/2026

Pathfinders Campout 2026 🌲✨

This year’s Pathfinders campout was full of meaningful work, laughter, teamwork, delicious food, play, and deep connection.

Youngsters hauled gear to Woods Camp, set up tents together, cooked and shared meals, played Capture the Flag during golden hour, explored the woods after dark during an owl walk and Silent Sit where we heard so many barred owls, told jokes around the campfire well past bedtime, and woke up to breakfast around the fire after sleeping beneath the stars.

The Learning Garden offered so much nourishment for our meals, reminding us once again how powerful it is for children to grow, harvest, prepare, and share food together.

There is something special about spending extended time outdoors in community. And this community has been growing together since September. Our campout invited youngsters to slow down, take on real responsibility, collaborate, solve problems, care for one another, experience the natural world in a deeper way, and celebrate all the ways they have grown, both as individuals and as a group, over the course of the year.

We are so grateful for this joyful group of Pathfinders and for all the memories made around the fire, beneath the trees, and alongside one another 💚

05/22/2026

✨ The art of stopping to take a closer look ✨

We know it well: nature holds so much wonder, and youngsters have so much to wonder about.

Curiosity deepens when children are given the space to observe closely, ask questions, and follow what captures their attention.

Whether it is looking for salamanders in the creek, watching a butterfly drift over the meadow, examining a feather beneath a microscope, or stopping along the trail to study tracks, there are endless opportunities to learn in the natural world.

Sometimes all it takes is slowing down long enough to notice 🦋

05/19/2026

We love to see it: youngsters munching on freshly harvested carrots with gusto!! 🥕

Springtime in the Learning Garden is so very fruitful, and our community has been busy planting, watering, and tending to all the growing things!

There is something deeply rewarding about enjoying the fruits of our labor together 🧡

05/13/2026

🥯 Fundraiser Wednesday at Brandwein’s! 🥯

On Wednesday, May 20th, our friends at Brandwein’s Bagels will be donating a portion of sales to Learning Outside 🌿

It is the perfect excuse to stock up on your favorite bagels while supporting child-led, nature-based learning in our community.

It is also a huge help to Brandwein’s if folks place their orders ahead of time. Online ordering is available through their website, and there is an option to select both the date and time you would like your order ready. Your bagels will be waiting for you at their convenient mobile pick-up station inside the shop.

There really could not be a better time for bagels 😊

📍 Brandwein’s Bagels
505 W Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill

We are so grateful for community partnerships like this one. Thank you for supporting youngsters’ connection to the natural world 💚

05/11/2026

We’ve been seeing lots of turtles recently! Which means, it’s time to repost this reminder 💚

🐢 It’s turtle crossing season 🐢

As spring unfolds, turtles are on the move, often crossing roads in search of food, water, or nesting spots. We love seeing these slow and steady friends, but they could use a little help staying safe!

If you spot a turtle crossing the road:
➡️ Move them in the direction they’re headed (if it’s safe for you).
➡️ Don’t turn them around, they know where they’re going!
➡️ Never relocate them far from where you found them. Turtles thrive in their home territory.
➡️ Be extra careful with snapping turtles ⚠️ guide, don’t lift!

If you find a turtle that’s injured or sick, you can contact the NC State Turtle Rescue Team — a volunteer group run by veterinary students dedicated to rehabilitating wild turtles and returning them to their natural habitat. Thanks for all you do, !

📞 Call: 919-397-9675
📧 Email: [email protected]

Let’s work together to protect our wild neighbors and teach youngsters the importance of compassion and stewardship. 💚🌿

05/06/2026

Trailblazers have been hard at work crafting walking sticks 🌿

They spent focused time whittling to strip the bark from their chosen sticks. Youngsters were then given the opportunity to either wood burn designs into their walking sticks or decorate them using paint markers. Leather twine added even more personality to their creations.

Each walking stick reflects the youngster who made it.

Projects like these unfold over time, with support from intentional instructors. They ask for patience, forethought, focus, creativity, and care. There is no single way to participate, and no two finished projects look the same. That is part of what makes this kind of work so meaningful.

At Learning Outside, we believe children thrive when they are given meaningful work, real tools, and the freedom to follow their own ideas and interests.

05/04/2026

“We can’t make children learn, but we can let them learn.” - Alison Gopnik, “The Gardener and the Carpenter.”

This idea lives at the heart of what we do.

At Learning Outside, we trust that children are naturally curious, capable, and eager to make sense of the world around them. Our role is not to direct every moment, but to create the conditions where learning can unfold.

Through child-led exploration and emergent curriculum, youngsters follow their interests, ask their own questions, and build understanding through experience.

Learning, in its truest form, cannot be forced.
But it can be supported, nurtured, and allowed.

Address

2912B Jones Ferry Road
Chapel Hill, NC
27516

Website

http://www.learningoutside.org/

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