Otters Den Nature School’s After-School Program!

One of the coolest things this blog has brought to life is connecting with some epic community members! I received a lovely message from Amy, the founding director of the Otters Den Nature School informing me about their nonprofit and how they provide an after-school outdoor learning program for school-age students in Bellingham!  With a name like “Otters Den” I was beyond excited to see what whimsy was taking place! 

I learned that they provide all sorts of things for families including things like STEAM Activities Outdoors – which is Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math! I was also told they focus on SEL support (which I believe stands for social and emotional learning). Just learning more about their goals and objectives as a whole makes it easy to see how they are inspiring young people to build a cohesive relationship with nature, others, and themselves. 

On their website they share their school philosophy which is to, “cultivate ecological literacy through developmentally responsive, inquiry-driven experiences in the natural world. Learning intentionally begins with curiosity, sensory awareness, and emotional connection, then flows into focused investigation of environmental systems, relationships, and human impacts through hands-on exploration. Educators facilitate reflection, dialogue, and evidence-based sensemaking, helping students integrate lived outdoor experiences with scientific understanding and real-world relevance.”

Recent programming at Otter Den Nature School included:

• Fall Outdoor School

• Wind Technology Summer Camp

• Ocean Technology Camp

Their after-school program focus on nature-connection and inquiry-driven pedagogies to create meaningful, developmentally responsive outdoor learning experiences. Which is just stunning. The “classroom” is entirely outdoors, “rain or shine, except for bathrooms and in emergencies.  The outdoor property includes about 4 acres of beautiful nature trail, amphitheater and campfire,  pond, wetland, and forest.” For insight into their curriculum samples and additional information they say to check out plt.org and projectwet.org. To see this after school program uplifted by high-quality, research-based environmental education curricula that also aligns with Washington State Standards is truly amazing. One of my siblings is in the process of becoming a school teacher and the amount of effort, training, and preparation it takes to make sure lessons are engaging and meet standardized requirements is no easy feat.

The After School Program I wish I had!

While I don’t have kiddos of my own, I know plenty who do, and who are actively seeking out after-school programs in Bellingham. I spent a lot of time in the theatre after school and playing soccer but to know that a program like this exists in our community is amazing. While there is tuition, they have plenty of information available to ensure that outdoor education is accessible to all families and encourage people to reach out to establish a plan if they are interested in the program.