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Belonging Outdoors:

Nature-Based Early Learning

Gathering, listening, reflecting... together.

Thank you for registering to attend “Belonging Outdoors: Nature-Based Early Learning” on Friday, April 10th and Saturday, April 18th, 2026 at Humber Polytechnic. We are very excited that you will be joining us.

Please note that this conference has been rescheduled. It was originally planned for Fall 2025. If you registered for the original dates, your registration has automatically been transferred to the rescheduled dates in April, so there is nothing additional you need to do.

If you are not able to attend the new dates, please email citywidetraining@humber.ca, and we will be happy to support you.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

CONFERENCE DETAILS

April 10 & April 18, 2026

Cost: No cost for this conference

Location: 

Humber Arboretum (located behind Humber Polytechnic North Campus)

205 Humber College Blvd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 5L7

Please note: This is a fully outdoor experience that will take place rain or shine.

We encourage you to plan ahead and dress appropriately for the weather.

We are excited to share a unique professional learning opportunity focused on outdoor environments and nature-based learning. This conference will be held entirely outdoors and will offer rich, hands-on experiences in collaboration with our Indigenous partners.

This experience is open to all early learning professionals who work in licensed child care centres, licensed home child care and EarlyON Child and Family Centres, who are interested in deepening their understanding of outdoor pedagogy, nature-based learning, and how to create meaningful, quality environments for children in natural spaces.

Building on the success of past conferences, this year’s gathering will offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, engage in reflective practice, and strengthen your connection to the land. Through a variety of sessions, you will have the opportunity to engage with nature in new ways, reflect on your own practice, and learn alongside Indigenous partners who will generously share knowledge, stories, and perspectives.

We are honoured to gather, listen, and reflect together on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, as well as the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat Peoples, where the Humber College Arboretum is situated. This land remains home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, and we acknowledge the enduring presence and stewardship of Indigenous Peoples who continue to care for these lands and waters.

Overview of the Day

STREAM 1

8: 00 am - Registration (morning refreshment)

9:00 am - Welcome & Opening Ceremony - T132 Coutryard

9:30 - 10:30 am- Session 1 

10:45 - 11:45 am- Session 2

11:45 - 12:45 pm - Lunch 

1:00 - 2:00 pm- Session 3 

2:15 - 3:15 pm- Session 4 

3:30 - 4:00 pm - Closing

STREAM 2

8: 00 am - Registration (morning refreshment)

9:00 am - Welcome & Opening Ceremony - T132 Coutryard

9:30 - 10:30 am- Session 1 

10:45 - 11:45 am- Session 2

12:00 - 1:00 pm- Session 3 

1:00 - 2:00 pm - Lunch

2:15 - 3:15 pm- Session 4 

3:30 - 4:00 pm - Closing

 

 Stream 1- Morning & Afternoon Learning Circles

 

 

Presented by: Elder Albert Marshall, Louise Zimanyi, Kristin Tyrer

When we walk together in a good way, we learn to see and know the world through two eyes.   This playful and interactive storywalk and collective reading of Walking Together (Annick Press, 2023), co-authored by Elder Albert Marshall and Louise Zimanyi, illustrated by Emily Kewageshig (Saugeen First Nation) will introduce participants to the concept of  Etuaptmumk (Eh-doo-aph-de-mumk), the gift of multiple perspectives in the Mi’kmaw language, also known as Two-Eyed Seeing. Braiding the strengths of Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives for the benefit of all, including our eco-kin, the story follows a group of young children connecting to and with nature as teacher, nurturing respectful, reciprocal and responsible relationships.

Participants will meet Painted Turtle, Green Frog, Weeping Willow, Monarch Butterfly, Red-Winged Blackbird and Great Blue Heron as they engage in the storywalk while deepening their relationship with the waters and lands of the Humber Arboretum, located within the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit.  

Elder Dr. Albert D. Marshall, Mi’kmaq Spiritual Leader, O.C., LLD, is from the Moose Clan and a fluent Mi’kmaw speaker residing in Eskasoni, Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island), Nova Scotia, the territory of the Mi’kma’ki. Elder Marshall is the spokesperson for the Mi’kmaw Nation on matters related to natural resources and environmental issues and tirelessly promotes cultural revitalization, the Mi’kmaw language and the need to live sustainably.   He is a passionate advocate of cross-cultural understandings of healing and of our human responsibilities to care for all creatures and our Earth Mother. Elder Marshall coined the term Etuaptmumk, a guiding principle to foster the understanding that humanity cannot live within one perspective or one consciousness of the world.

Louise Zimanyi, of French-Canadian and Hungarian descent, is a mother, professor of Early Childhood Education (teaching Land-based Play and Co-Learning through Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing) and researcher at Humber Polytechnic. She lives and plays in Tkaronto—Trees Standing in Water (Toronto), part of Treaty 13 and the Dish with One Spoon territory. Louise explores how Earth-centered pedagogies and practice in the early years can plant the seeds of sustainability for current and future generations through respectful relationships and reciprocity. She and Elder Marshall have been working together for the past 6 years to promote Land-based play and co-learning through storytelling, an approach that has national and global relevance for protecting biodiversity, climate action, and resilience.

Kristin Tyrer: Kristin Tyrer is Ililiwiskwew, a Cree woman from Moose Cree First Nation, who currently resides in Brantford, ON. Kristin has her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Nipissing University and a Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Adult Education from Brock University . Currently Kristin works as an Indigenous Learning Consultant for the Centre for Indigenous Professional Learning. She also has experience working with Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg as a cultural safety resource developer/facilitator. Additionally, she has spent the past ten plus years working within the Indigenous Community of Hamilton in various roles. Her passion for the revitalization of traditional Indigenous practices has driven her desire to support the Indigenous community. Indigenous Ceremony is an integral part of Kristin’s life. Walking the path in a good way, healing and integrating the teachings of her Elders is how Kristin dedicates her commitment to this work in supporting others.

Presented by: Aaron Sykes

Land as Teacher: Foundations of Indigenous Land-Based Education

This session introduces core principles of Indigenous land-based education and explores how land can be understood as a teacher in learning environments. Grounded in ideas of relationship, reciprocity, and observation, the session will offer practical examples and reflections that participants can adapt within their own contexts. The goal is to provide a starting point for thinking about how land-based perspectives can support meaningful, respectful learning experiences.

Aaron Sykes is Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and serves as an Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy Specialist at Humber Polytechnic. His work focuses on supporting educators in thoughtfully integrating Indigenous knowledges, land-based learning, and relational approaches to teaching. Aaron works with faculty across disciplines, as well as staff and students at Humber, to encourage respectful engagement with Indigenous knowledge in education.

Presented by: Maya-Rose Simon & Dr. Hopi Martin

Join us for an experiential workshop on Doodoom Aki, rooted in Land-based learning. Participants will explore the principles of seasonal pedagogy — birth, movement, relationship, and passing — through guided wandering on the Land. This immersive experience invites educators to slow down, observe, and reflect on the natural cycles of Doodoom Aki, considering how these teachings can inform our relationships with children, communities, and the environment. Together, we will engage in conversation, storytelling, and practices that honour Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

Dr. Hopi Martin has mixed Lenni Lenape and British/European ancestries and a PhD in Ojibwe Development Psychology and Education from the University of Toronto. His Waabizheshi Doodem (Marten/Warrior Clan) teachings come from his Niiyawe'enh (Namesake), Dr. Gokoomis (Grandmother) Jacqueline Lavallée from the bush at the edge of Shawanaga First Nation on Georgian Bay. He has spent most of his life fighting for kind early learning for all children here in Tkaronto. 

Maya-Rose Simon is Anishinaabe kwe from the Chippewa Tribe of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and belongs to Ajijack Doodem (Crane Clan). She is the Niiyawe’enh (Namesake) of Dr. Gokoomis Jacqueline Lavallée from Shawanaga First Nation. Maya-Rose is the Associate Program Head of Indigenous Early Childhood at the University of Guelph-Humber. She has a Masters in Early Childhood Studies and is currently doing her PhD at OISE. For over thirty years, Maya-Rose has walked alongside children, families, and communities, practicing and sharing Indigenous pedagogy in Early Childhood Education.

Presented by: Lyndsay MacKay, BA, MA (ECS)

Join us for a hands-on, sensory-rich workshop where we explore the art of fire-making using a Kelly Kettle and the educational value of risky play in early childhood settings. Guided by an experienced facilitator, participants will learn how to safely build and maintain a small fire, then brew tea using freshly harvested cedar from the Humber Arboretum.
As the tea steeps, we will gather in a circle to reflect on the role of fire and other forms of risky play in fostering resilience, confidence, and problem-solving in young children. Together, we’ll discuss strategies for introducing these experiences in a safe, appropriate way, and how to advocate for their inclusion in outdoor learning environments.
Whether you are new to outdoor education or looking to deepen your practice, this workshop offers a warm, welcoming space to reconnect with nature, community, and the sparks of curiosity that drive meaningful learning.

Lyndsay MacKay, BA, MA (ECS) is a dedicated Registered Early Childhood Educator with a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University. She currently serves as a full-time professor in the Early Childhood Education program at Humber Polytechnic, where she fosters inclusive, critically reflective, and empowering learning environments. Her pedagogical approach centers on co-learning with students, valuing their diverse perspectives and lived experiences as essential to transformative education.

Jennifer Rose Smith is an Indigenous Kwe of the Marten clan, born and raised in the Robinson Huron Treaty Territory. She is a proud mom of three daughters and is soon to be a Nookomis in Aug with the birth of her first grandchild. She and her husband Marc moved south from Sault Ste Marie this past September when she took a position here at Humber as an Indigenous Professor for ECE 234 Etuaptmumk class.    Jennifer has always had a strong want to share and spread her Indigenous culture and she is beyond excited to be starting to do that here at Humber.

 

Stream 2 - Morning & Afternoon Learning Circles

Presented by: Lynn Short

Enjoy a guided walk through the Humber Arboretum to the Medicine/Teaching Garden. Learn about the Four Sacred Medicines and the Four Directions Teaching. (Re)connect with our Plant and Animal Relatives along the way. 

Lynn Short (Educator, Mentor, Scientist, Mother, Grandmother) is of mixed Ojibwe, Irish, German, Scottish and English heritage. For the past 20 years, she has been connected to Humber Polytechnic as a staff member in Early Childhood Education, the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, Indigenous Education & Engagement and the Humber Arboretum. Recently retired, she is still involved in Ecological Stewardship, Research, Early Childhood Education and Indigenous Issues, focused on how respect, balance and harmony on the Earth is key to not only personal well-being but also to sustaining the ecosystems that support all life.

Presented by: Shannon Murphy & Bora Kim

This session invites early childhood professionals to reimagine the classroom as a place without walls and to rethink the outdoors and the Land as a living classroom. Together, we will explore how outdoor spaces - whether forests, playgrounds, gardens, or urban environments - can nurture children’s curiosity, support their wholistic* development, and foster a deep sense of belonging for children on the Land. This session includes reflection on how the Land is upheld as teacher and relative, and how Indigenous perspectives can guide outdoor learning through interconnection, relationship, and responsibility.

Participants will:

  • Look for everyday play and learning opportunities in outdoor settings.
  • Explore the Land as a teacher, a source of knowledge, and a living classroom.
  • Reflect on their role in co-creating and co-learning with children in outdoor environments.
  • Consider how to honour and integrate both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives in outdoor learning.

This session will support early childhood professionals in finding meaningful, everyday opportunities to deepen children’s connection to the natural world, while honouring the Land on which they live and play.

*The term “wholistic” is used intentionally to emphasize nurturing the whole child – spirit, heart, mind, and body.

Shannon Murphy is a member of the Mohawk Bear Clan from Six Nations with Irish heritage, living on the ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee in Niagara Falls. An Early Childhood Educator with over 20 years of experience, Shannon is dedicated to advocacy, healing, and wellness in Indigenous communities. Her work spans early learning, human resources, and capacity building across Indigenous and mainstream services. Guided by reciprocity, she contributes to local, provincial, and national initiatives that uplift Indigenous worldviews and strengthen communities.

Bora Kim has been learning, unlearning, and promoting outdoor and land-based pedagogy through her role as a faculty member in the Early Childhood Education program at Humber Polytechnic, drawing on her experiences working with children, families, and community members, and her journey as an immigrant of Korean heritage.

Presented by: Giselle Mirabelli, MAEd. Stephanie Gallant, Terry Kelly, RECE 

In this immersive outdoor workshop, participants will slow down, ground themselves in nature, and reconnect with the land just as we strive to help children do. Rooted in land-based learning principles and respect for the natural world, this session explores how to facilitate (not direct) meaningful, play-based experiences for children in forest environments.

Through hands-on participation in sensory nature activities—such as mindful walking, “sit spots,” sound mapping, and loose parts exploration—participants will experience firsthand how the natural world supports well-being, creativity, and inquiry. Role-playing exercises will invite adult learners to embody both the facilitator (child-led, curious, observational) and the director (adult-led, outcome-focused) to deepen their understanding of how adult stance shapes children’s experiences in nature.

Participants will:

  • Engage in land-based sensory practices to foster awareness and presence.
  • Practice guiding child-led exploration through open-ended prompts and reflective observation.
  • Explore the balance between safety, risk, and autonomy in outdoor play.
  • Reflect on ways to nurture children’s connection to place, land, and community.
  •  Leave with adaptable nature-based activities, prompts, and facilitation tools to use across settings and seasons.

Bio:

Septemebr 19:

Terry Kelly (she/her), RECE, is a professor in the School of ECE at Seneca Polytechnic. Her interests are in reconceptualizing and strengthening ECE through ongoing learning and challenging old assumptions and biases, and through decolonizing her practice through a lens of Truth and Reconciliation. She has a holistic lens based on her qualifications as a registered yoga teacher, a Forest School Practitioner student, mother & grandmother.

September 27:

Giselle Mirabelli is a dedicated lifelong learner and college professor based in Ontario, Canada. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and has been working in post-secondary education for over five years, most recently serving as the Summer Program Manager at Humber College. With more than 20 years of experience spanning early childhood, elementary, and post-secondary settings, Giselle brings a rich, multi-layered perspective to her work with learners of all ages.

Her career has been shaped by diverse roles across the education sector, fueling a deep commitment to fostering strong educational foundations for young children. Giselle’s approach is grounded in co-facilitating meaningful learning experiences with both students and adults. She is passionate about building innovative, responsive curricula that reflect current research and the evolving needs of today’s learners.

Her research interests, shaped by hands-on experience, allow her to challenge conventional practices and inspire fellow educators to adopt forward-thinking methodologies. As a leader and mentor, Giselle is known for motivating diverse learners and creating inclusive, engaging classroom environments. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that every child deserves a strong foundation for lifelong learning and that educators thrive when they learn and grow together.

Stephanie Gallant is an Indigenous Early Childhood Educator, mentor, and community leader with over 20 years of experience in early learning and care. She is the founder and director of Mindful In Bloom, an Indigenous-owned organization that supports children, families, educators, and communities through inclusive education, land-based training, and culturally grounded outreach. Her work centers Indigenous knowledge systems, community wellness, and advocacy for equity and inclusion in early childhood settings.

Stephanie has supported countless students and professionals, helping to shape reflective, inclusive, and culturally responsive educators. Her leadership extends to curriculum development, where she has embedded Indigenous worldviews and program revision as a subject matter expert.

Presented by: Patrícia Borges Nogueira 

Early childhood educators are experts at building relationships and following children’s lead to create learning opportunities based on their interests. But… What happens when we let ECEs’ own curiosity lead the way?
In the ECE Field Trip, participants are invited to build community with the land, creatures, and one another: we are making space for ECEs to experience and explore their surroundings together, without being in the role of caregiver.
Join us for a special ECE Field Trip at the Humber Arboretum for a chance to (re)connect with your inner child, tap into your sense of wonder, and learn more about why intentionally creating opportunities for ECE joy, curiosity, and friendship is crucial to sustaining our passion for the wonderful and demanding role of early childhood educator.

Patrícia Borges Nogueira (she/her), BJ, RECE, is an educator, communicator, and community advocate. Patrícia has over 15 years of experience working with children and families in various settings, but working in child care with preschoolers was by far her favourite. Currently, she is the Communications Coordinator at the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, a role that allows her to use her background in journalism, her knowledge of the Ontario early learning sector, and her creative skills to make policy, advocacy, and legislation more accessible to ECEs and child care workers. Patrícia was born in Brazil and came to Canada as an international student ten years ago.

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