The Four Winds Nature Program is open for enrollment for the 2026–2027 school year — discover the wonders of the natural world right outside your school door.
What is the Four Winds Nature Program?
Four Winds offers monthly natural science workshops in communities across Vermont and neighboring states. Designed for adult volunteers who want to share nearby nature with school children, each workshop blends natural science with hands-on activities — and plenty of joy and wonder along the way.
With over 40 lessons organized into five year-long courses of study, each concept focuses on a different key science standard. The program’s whole philosophy is simple: get kids and adults outside, together, learning about the natural world.
How does it work?
Four Winds educators meet volunteers outdoors — at the school or a local public space — for monthly training workshops. Volunteers then go into classrooms in teams of two or more, taking children outside to look, discover, and learn. It’s collaborative, community-driven, and grounded in place.
Each volunteer commits around 5 hours a month: roughly 2 hours of training, 1–2 hours of preparation, and 1–2 hours teaching alongside a partner. The adult training sessions are fun, collegial gatherings — and the children’s lessons are filled with questions, discoveries, laughter, and learning.
Who can volunteer?
No science degree. No teaching certificate. Just an enthusiastic interest in learning and sharing. Four Winds volunteers are parents and community members who value the chance to discover nature alongside children. Enrollment in the Nature Program includes training workshops for volunteers, teaching materials, and password access to online resources, including Nearby Nature from Home for in-class or at-home extensions of volunteer-led lessons.
How do I bring the program to my school?
If you are a parent or community member, start by sharing information about the Nature Program with your school’s principal and/or Parent-Teacher Organization. Once there’s interest and support, the next step is deciding how many workshops your school would like and filling out an enrollment form.
To get started, reach out to Nature Program Coordinator Hilary Redman at tnp@fwni.org — she’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.
What people are saying about the program:
Reflections from a teacher:
“Last week we had another incredible session with our Four Winds instructors. We got the chance to learn and see some really interesting owl and grouse wing and talon adaptations as well as dissect owl pellets in groups of 2-3. This was a wonderful lesson and I remain ever grateful that we have Four Winds at [our school] this year.”
Reflections from a parent:
“I really appreciate my kids having hands-on nature education that is focused on the wonders in our backyard, because I think it helps to ground them with a strong sense of place. And, they say it’s fun! It is amazing to hear that about something that happened at school.”
Reflections from a volunteer:
“Through curiosity and hands-on experiences in the natural world, Four Winds allows our love of nature and wildlife to shine!”
Reflections from students:
“I love that my dad teaches my class.”
“I love that people volunteer to come in and teach kids about all these amazing, cool things and I really appreciate it.”
“I think it’s a really fun way for people to learn about more animals and how they develop and their adaptations.”
“I think it’s really cool because you [the volunteers] spend your time with us and teach us some new things.”
