There is no denying that children who spend too much time indoors or on portable, handheld tech devices like phones and tablets have higher mental health and behavioural issues and struggle more with learning and memory retention. These devices are proven to have negative effects on an adolescent’s development.

Many school divisions across the country are restricting or completely banning phones in classrooms while provincial, territorial and federal governments are introducing policies and legislation to protect youth from the digital harms.

While these are necessary steps, if they are to succeed, adolescents need alternative options to replace their addictive devices. Re-Nature Foundation founder, Adam Bienenstock, believes the solution is found in a natural environment.
Re-Nature Foundation has developed an innovative learning program for schools. Their two-year program includes creating outdoor classrooms, planting micro forests on school property, integrating their curriculums into class learning programs and ongoing staff mentorship and support.

The curriculums have been developed for every grade level in the country, and alliance with provincial standards by a team of experts. Functional outdoor learning spaces will be designed using natural and sustainable materials indigenous to the area.

Re-Nature works with each school individually to provide the resources and learning plans needed to create an outdoor classroom and forest on the school’s property that students and staff will enjoy for years to come.

The program is offered to schools in large urban settings where access to trees and nature are limited. One of the main goals of the Re-Nature Foundation’s school program is to fill in the inequity gaps in schools. Over the years, Bienenstock noticed that schools in disadvantaged areas have more pavement and less access to natural environments. This program is designed to close the inequity gap so all students can benefit from natural environments.

Bienenstock got the idea for this program during the COVID-19 pandemic. As indoor gatherings were restricted and, at times, banned, people looked for more outdoor places in their communities they could spend time with their friends and families.

The structures and program development were inspired by the nature-based playgrounds that his company, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, ships globally as well as by the research about the health benefits of nature and dirt on the body and its immune system, which was pioneered by his late father, Dr. John Bienenstock.

Re-Nature Foundation plants 50 trees to create a dense, biodiverse forest on school property. Because trees are planted in a highly concentrated manner on small urban plots, they grow faster and become self-sustaining in year one.

The foundation’s team uses past climate and habit information as well as current trends when choosing trees that are indigenous to plant so they will thrive for years to come.

Nature is a proven and natural healer. It lowers stress levels and blood pressure, increases brain activity, and improves heart rates, the ability to focus and problem-solving skills.

These school forest systems also provide numerous environmental benefits and provide natural shade for schools and the attached grounds. The shade from the trees helps keeps the pavement and classrooms cooler, making in-class learning more comfortable during the hot temperatures.

Re-Nature Foundation’s school program is available to all school divisions in highly dense urban centres across Canada. The Foundation covers 75 per cent of the cost while school divisions cover 25 per cent. Over the next year, Re-Nature Foundation will be working with developing outdoor classrooms and forests for 20 schools in Ontario. Another 1,800 across the country are on their waitlist.

School divisions interested in getting more information about or applying for the program, can do so on the Re-Nature Foundation website,
www.renature.org.