TULSA, Okla. — The great outdoors is a great classroom, and a Tulsa non-profit is working to help families enjoy activities like family camping trips, lake days, and hikes—for free.
It's called Tulsa Area Forest School.
"We're not an accredited school; we're a meetup group," said Executive Director Amanda Rudolph.
A mom on a mission, Rudolph started Tulsa Area Forest School in 2019.
I am so proud. I never expected our organization to take off the way it has. I just started it as a mom wanting to meet more families and have more friends for my kids," said Rudolph.
It turns out she's not the only one.
"We have reached approximately 70 families in the Tulsa area within the past year. It's all free. We don't charge our families a single penny. We are all donation-based. We are a non-profit organization," Rudolph said.
Piper Gottfried is the Board President and a mom who believes in the mission of getting outside.
"We help kids get out in nature. Getting kids in nature is really important. It helps with emotional regulation, confidence, and motor skills," said Gottfried.
That's why Tulsa Area Forest School holds three outings in local parks weekly, providing something for all age groups.
"For toddlers and babies, for our babies who are just learning to walk, we do a walk on a paved trail. We have a teen session so they can meet some of their peers. A lot of other sessions are playing because children learn best when they play," said Rudolph.
Families can join in on these free adventures any time of the year, but the non-profit said it takes a break in August because the Oklahoma weather gets too hot.
2 News met with the group on a spectacular spring day. The families read a story about rainbows, which led to a colorful scavenger hunt hike.
We discover everything from yellow blossoms to brown bugs along the dusty trail.
In addition to hikes, the non-profit holds craft-based nature events, picnics and playdates, and special events like campouts and lake days.
Many of the weekly activities run for an hour and a half. It's time spent connecting families with nature and with each other.
"The biggest thing I hope they take away from this is a sense of community that we're trying to build here and a love for our planet," said Gottfried.
Tulsa Area Forest School is working to improve this world by just being in it.
You can learn more about Tulsa Area Forest School here.
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