Episode 144: Heather Wilson of Child and Nature Alliance of Canada

The work of Forest schools is becoming a bustling landscape of small organizations and business' trying their best to teach and share alongside the land in the best ways they can. But how do we transplant a European sourced model onto colonized indigenous lands without repeating the same racist patterns of harm? How do we not only stop harm, but work towards healing, reparations, and good relationships with all the communities we serve through the context of learning and teaching on the land?

Heather Wilson is the new (as of Nov. 18, 2020) Executive Director of Child and Nature Alliance of Canada and has been working towards some very specific goals:

• Building an inclusive organization that welcomes all people, especially Black, Indigenous and People of Colour
• Empowering staff to carry out their work to the best of their ability
• Embracing and activating healthy experimentation and innovation
• Decolonizing CNAC’s work
• Creating an organization that can scale

With these commitments in mind, I wanted to ask how CNAC is moving forward, building decolonial futures in the world of Forest Schools/Nature Connection, and how do we do this work in pandemic times and beyond? 

With humility and grace, Heather shares some of the work she and the CNAC are doing to push Forest Schools towards a more inclusive, safe, meaningful, and culturally relevant option for all stakeholders.

*Illustration by Jeff Kulak