About us
Âniskômohcikan is a nature program, accessible by request to classrooms and other organizations interested in connecting children with learning on the land. Sessions are facilitated from the lens of both Indigenous and non Indigenous ways of knowing. And they're fun!
With Forest and Nature School philosophy specific to our situation in Canada, 7 essential relationships are explored.
Land: We connect and care for the land. We learn from the land, and its Indigenous caretakers. Each Âniskômohcikan session is an act of Reconciliation, and Climate Action.
Trust: We are child centered. We trust that children are capable leaders and decision makers on the land. We trust that learning will occur.
Power: Educators step back and share power with the children. We listen and support.
Play: We make time for uninterrupted, unstructured play that is child-led and freely chosen.
Risk: Children are capable of recognizing and managing risk on their own or collaboratively. We allow this, as it is an essential life skill.
Story: We are all creating a story together. Stories are how we pass on knowledge and build relationships.
Learning: Through these experiences on the land, learning will happen, in an inclusive way.
*thank you to Lise Brown, Adrian Alphonso and the Child Nature Alliance of Canada for the creation of the 7 relationships framework of an ethical forest and nature school.
Our History:
Âniskômohcikan (formerly Bridging the Gap) initially began in 2004, as an innovative, non-formal environmental learning program based in Winnipeg. It was designed to address the lack of opportunities for youth from low-income urban neighbourhoods to explore high quality natural areas.
It was developed with the City of Winnipeg’s Naturalist Services Branch by providing free programs to Grade Four students from Winnipeg’s inner-city.
As part of full-day field trips, children visited high quality, urban natural areas, spending time in guided explorations, facilitated discussions, hands-on activities, and data collection. The original focus of the program was to address specific learning outcomes from the Manitoba Science Curriculum (Cluster 4 - Habitats and Communities) with a focus on discussing and exploring the concept of habitat (food, water, shelter, space.)
The program evolved to place equal emphasis on Manitoba’s Aboriginal Languages and Cultures Curriculum Framework by including traditional Indigenous cultural values and traditional ways of life, as these often appreciate the role and relationship of humans with the animate world.
In 2010, Âniskômohcikan (formerly BTG) integrated community garden development into its programming. The purpose was to create new opportunities for youth to address community issues of poverty through food sovereignty, while at the same time providing a platform to encourage youth to consider local and historical food sources.
The current program mandate is to provide low-income neighbourhood youth with free, culturally relevant, Indigenous and western science-based environmental programming. These students are given opportunities to engage in a variety of stewardship activities such as field trips to local natural areas and on site activities that explore Indigenous knowledge, nature play, and naturalization projects at their own school yard or outdoor space. Activities are non-formal, child-led, educator supported, and can include:
It was developed with the City of Winnipeg’s Naturalist Services Branch by providing free programs to Grade Four students from Winnipeg’s inner-city.
As part of full-day field trips, children visited high quality, urban natural areas, spending time in guided explorations, facilitated discussions, hands-on activities, and data collection. The original focus of the program was to address specific learning outcomes from the Manitoba Science Curriculum (Cluster 4 - Habitats and Communities) with a focus on discussing and exploring the concept of habitat (food, water, shelter, space.)
The program evolved to place equal emphasis on Manitoba’s Aboriginal Languages and Cultures Curriculum Framework by including traditional Indigenous cultural values and traditional ways of life, as these often appreciate the role and relationship of humans with the animate world.
In 2010, Âniskômohcikan (formerly BTG) integrated community garden development into its programming. The purpose was to create new opportunities for youth to address community issues of poverty through food sovereignty, while at the same time providing a platform to encourage youth to consider local and historical food sources.
The current program mandate is to provide low-income neighbourhood youth with free, culturally relevant, Indigenous and western science-based environmental programming. These students are given opportunities to engage in a variety of stewardship activities such as field trips to local natural areas and on site activities that explore Indigenous knowledge, nature play, and naturalization projects at their own school yard or outdoor space. Activities are non-formal, child-led, educator supported, and can include:
- garden planting
- loose parts play
- tree tapping and seasonal activities
- harvesting activities
- water exploration
- Indigenous ceremony, storytelling and land based teachings
- camp skills
- tents, balance lines and hammocks
- reading, stories
- species and habitat exploration and identification
- beadwork, leather, soapstone
- art
- and much more
Our Partners:
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Bridging the Gap is a program of Nature Manitoba and governed by their Board of Directors. To learn more, visit the Nature Manitoba website. |
Our Supporters:
Bridging the Gap programs are made possible thanks to the generous support of the following sponsors:
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