The National Healing Forests Initiative is an invitation to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, institutions, and individuals to create green spaces throughout Canada to honour residential school victims, survivors, and their families, as well as murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and children who have been or were removed from their families.
The resource encourages teachers and students to create a healing forest or space and build on the ideas around the National Healing Forest to become involved in the reconciliation and healing journey. The healing forest could be a green space inside or outside of your school where you learn to grow and care for plants. It could be a class/school-wide initiative where you build a designated Healing Forest area in your schoolyard. This activity may inspire a community outreach program where a designated area within your community is used to create and learn.
Once teachers have chosen a space for their healing forest, students will assess the health of the forest by identifying different plant and tree species through leaves, bark, seed pods and flowers. Using the observation table provided, students will record the data. With the help of a plant identification book or iNaturalist, students will attempt to identify the tree and plant species in their forest. Using the point system provided, students will draw conclusions from their data and discuss how they can improve the health and diversity of forests.
This activity is an excellent way to create an outdoor learning space while participating in an action towards Truth and Reconciliation, honouring residential school survivors and their families. The suggested outdoor activity is easy to use and geared for grades 7 to 12.
Your designated Healing Forest can be a place to invite Elders to present talks, teachings, and stories or a special space where survivors can share and reflect on their experiences. An area could be set aside in the Healing Forest to grow medicinal plants and trees.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.