About Nature School

"With one heart, one mind — Naat sa Mat Sqwu’lu’wun"
A place where children thrive, connect, and remember.

🌿 Welcome to Nature School in the Quw'utsun Valley 🌿

Our Nature School is not just an outdoor program—it’s an immersive, joyful, and supportive experience designed to deepen children’s connection to themselves, each other, and the natural world.

Here, children of all ages engage with the land and with one another through play, ancestral skills, and deep nature connection, at a pace that honors their unique stages of development. Through these experiences, we nurture curiosity, resilience, respect, and a lasting love for the Earth.

Our Educational Approach
Connection to land, self, and learning.

Nature School’s approach is grounded in the understanding that connection—to land, to self, to each other—is foundational to healthy development. Our programs are designed to nurture the whole child through:

Connection-Based Learning: Encouraging meaningful engagement with the outdoors.
Holistic Development: Nurturing physical, emotional, and intellectual growth.
Community Engagement: Fostering reciprocity, respect, and shared responsibility.
Mentorship: Empowering youth to guide and inspire one another.
Trauma-Informed Practices: Creating safe, supportive spaces led with care.

Each mentor at our school undergoes training in nature connection and Wilderness First Aid, and carries a strong foundation in trauma-informed and culturally respectful practices.

This philosophy is brought to life by our Director and Founder, Cari Burdett, whose leadership is the heart of our community.
For over 18 years in the Quw’utsun Valley, Cari has been building bridges—through music, service, and relationship with local Coast Salish Indigenous Elders—to foster connection, healing, and belonging. She is the founder of the Lila Music and Nature Center, a mother of three, and a lifelong mentor devoted to supporting all ages in rediscovering the joy and wisdom of nature.

Cari brings over 30 years of professional training in Anthroposophic and Waldorf pedagogy, music therapy, pre- and perinatal trauma work, and communication models such as Nonviolent Communication and The Way of Council. Her more recent studies include immersive training in Deep Nature Connection, ceremony, and rites of passage through Wisdom of the Earth, Thriving Roots, and ongoing mentorship with Sal Gencarelle and the Helper’s Mentoring Society.

Cari’s warmth, depth, and vision infuse every part of Nature School. She continues to inspire a culture of mentorship and reverence—where children are not only supported, but seen, heard, and celebrated for who they are.

Our Roots & Lineage
Honoring our mentors, traditions, and Elders.

Lila Music and Nature Centre’s Nature Programs are rooted in a rich lineage of nature connection mentoring, drawing inspiration from multiple traditions. With deep gratitude, we acknowledge the beginnings of this journey through Cari’s foundational year-long immersive training at Wisdom of the Earth on Salt Spring Island, guided by her mentors Jean-Claude Catry, Ingrid Bauer, and Arnaud Gagné. Her path continued with a second year of in-depth mentorship training at Thriving Roots Wilderness School, again with Arnaud Gagné, where she mentored, apprenticed, and participated in adult year-long programs. Both of these local nature schools are grounded in the principles of the 8 Shields Institute, shaped by the teachings of Jon Young, Tom Brown Jr., and Stalking Wolf of the Lipan Apache tribe.

Being from the Quw’utsun Valley, it was essential for Cari to begin this work by first seeking permission from the local peoples of this land. She respectfully asked if they would not only allow these programs to take place here, but also whether they would like to be involved—sharing their teachings, stories, and culture with the nature school children and families. We are deeply grateful for the growing relationship we have cultivated with the Quw’utsun Village. We hold this connection as sacred and vital—something to continually tend and honour into the future.

We humbly acknowledge and respect our longstanding relationship with the Quw’utsun Nation, a bond that may have begun in 2008 at the NAIG Games, where Cari was invited by Elders to support and sing with the tribes and their guests. This connection was deepened through events like the Symposium on the Threshold of Dying, which Cari organized with the support of local tribes and community members. This relationship forms a foundational part of our place-based mentoring approach—essential to our connection with land, nature, and community.

In 2020, Cari invited our Lead Elder, Qwiyahwultu-hw (Robert George, Quw’utsun Elder), to join the Nature Programs. She recognized the importance of honoring the local Indigenous peoples in the nature connection work she was engaged in. Since then, Qwiyahwultu-hw has been generously sharing his teachings, stories, songs, and drums with us. We are deeply grateful and honored by his ongoing support in building our relationships together. His core teaching, Naat Sa Mat Sqwu’lu’wun — One Heart, One Mind — is fundamental to our programs, emphasizing inclusivity, kindness, compassion, togetherness, belonging, and deep listening.

We also wish to honor Elders White Eagle Woman (Estelle Sinclaire) and Thuitsiye (Pamela Bourque), whose support and sharing have been invaluable to the heart of our village.

The 8 Shields Nature Connection model, created by Jon Young, is a weaving of wisdom from many cultures and traditions. These teachings were passed down by cherished Elders such as Ingwe (Norman Powell), of British descent and an initiated member of the Akamba tribe of Kenya; Gilbert Walking Bull, a Lakota holy man and wisdom keeper; Jake and Judy Swamp, Wolf Clan Elders of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation and founders of the Tree of Peace Society; and Ganuma, an Elder of the Naro (San Bushmen), among many others.

We express our deepest gratitude for the dedication of these wisdom keepers, whose lifelong commitment to the health and well-being of future generations continues to inspire and guide us.

Our mentors continue to train, deepen, and expand through a wide variety of traditions and present-day teachings. These include the work of Sal Gencarelle and the Helper’s Mentoring Society, Malidoma Somé, Martín Prechtel, Bill Plotkin, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Sharon Blackie, Francis Weller, Marshall Rosenberg, Joanna Macy, and many others. Their insights continue to shape and support the evolution of our programs, helping us walk the path of meaningful, reciprocal connection with the natural world and each other.

Our Story
Growing together in community and nature.

Founded in 2024, Nature School began with a vision of creating a safe, joyful, and grounded space where children could build deep relationships—with the land, each other, and themselves.

Our first year blossomed with 24 children joining us for Weekly Forest Fridays and Monthly Forest Sundays. These programs grew organically in response to a clear need: a place for continued, creative, and safe exploration in nature.

From day one, we’ve been guided by values of inclusion, respect, and community. Our Youth Leadership Program invites older participants to mentor younger ones, cultivating confidence, empathy, and shared responsibility.

This work is fueled by community support and a shared belief that children thrive when they are trusted, supported, and immersed in nature.

Respecting and Serving the Local Indigenous Community
A commitment to right relationship and reconciliation.

We acknowledge with deep respect that Nature School is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking peoples, including the Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Ts’uubaa-asatx First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, and Penelakut Tribe, among others.

These communities have been in relationship with this land since time immemorial. We honor their stewardship and are committed to walking a path of humility, allyship, and ongoing reconciliation.

We’ve been privileged to build relationships with Quw’utsun Elders, offering support for ceremonies, food for funerals, and financial contributions when possible. We’ve also participated in Sweat Lodge ceremonies and welcomed Indigenous teachings into our school community.

This work is a living, breathing, everyday commitment to healing, understanding, and building a future of mutual respect.
| With one heart, one mind — Naat sa Mat Sqwu’lu’wun

Scholarships for Indigenous Students

As part of our commitment to reconciliation and reparation, Indigenous students who are accepted into our programs receive an automatic scholarship, awarded regardless of financial need.

This offering reflects our deep respect for the original stewards of this land and our intention to walk in right relationship.

Your Mentors

Cari Burdett and Megan Farquhar, both highly trained in Deep Nature Connection and Wilderness First Aid, have been mentoring youth and adults for many years and lead our program with a passion for fostering deep connections between children and nature. They are supported by regular guest mentors, including local Quw’utsun’ elders who share their teachings and cultural heritage.

For over 18 years in the Quwut’sun’ Valley, Cari Burdett has been committed to fostering a diverse community based on connection through music, relationships with our local Coast Salish Indigenous Elders (ReconciliAction through community building, music and service), and most recently, a dedication to mentoring all ages in the importance, healing and profound joy of Deep Nature Connection.

As the Founder of the Lila Music and Nature Center and mother of three older children, Cari brings with her over thirty years of professional training, degrees, intensives that focus on the healthy development of children and adults, with special focus on Anthroposophic & Waldorf pedagogy trainings, music therapy, pre and perinatal trauma work, plus communication models including Non Violent Communication and The Way of Council. Most recently, she has added to her skill set all she has been learning from Deep Nature Connection (including ceremony and rites of passage training) from her course immersion in Wisdom of the Earth, Thriving Roots, with ongoing Mentorship with Sal Gencarelle and the Helper’s Mentoring Society. Cari’s warmth and dedication shines through as she welcomes these diverse, yet richly connected elements to the Wilderness Programs.

Since growing up in the woods of Vancouver Island, Megan has been involved in Deep Nature connection. Twenty five years ago Megan was on the original council that started Firemaker, an earth skills family gathering that is still running today and she is still involved. Megan has training in survival skills and earth based philosophy from the world renowned Tracker School in the US, and has completed a ten month Wilderness Living Skills program with Earthwalk Northwest in WA. Megan has a love of working with wood and has helped build a log cabin while striving to live with few modern technologies.

For her continued commitment to revillaging, reculturing and connection with self, others and nature, Megan has attended The Art of Mentoring at WAS , through Wisdom of The Earth Nature School on Saltspring Island as well as Coyote Mentoring through Thriving Roots, both of which she assisted with. More recently she has embraced the teachings of the Helpers Mentoring Society, adding layers to her understanding of what it means to support life, through Rites of Passages, and other ceremonies. Megan is excited to continue this journey of mentoring youth in nature beginning in September in the Quwut’sun Valley.

Meet Marie! She’s funny, mischievous, and a deep listener. She grew up on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, where the salty air fills the lungs and the ocean horizon is abundant. In her youth she found refuge in streaming up mossy bluff trails and unfurling in cool lakes.

She values creativity as a gateway to grow and invites youth into listening for nature’s invisible teachings. Marie relishes in spending nights under the stars and sleeping on the earth. Some of the many skills she loves are fire making, animal processing, butchering, skin tanning, foraging plants, awareness and opening senses in nature, singing, playing music and song circles, storytelling, and community building.

Her education spans the disciplines of nature-based mentoring, community event management, embodied arts therapy and clown. She is an experienced mentor and graduate of Wisdom of the Earth’s 2 year Immersion and Apprenticeship. For over a decade Marie has worked in youth programming and she has years of study in clown with the mentorship of David Macmurrey Smith in Pochinko style clowning.

Marie currently is a mentor for Thriving Roots full-time nature based childrens Wolf program and Lila music’s Nature program. She is one of the founders of Fire Woman, a business offering friction fire courses for circles of women. Growing in naturalist skills is now a way of life and a daily study, she is excited to continue becoming in this field and with the youth.

Claudelle (she/her) was blessed with a childhood of catching frogs and playing in nature under the canopy of sugar maple and birch trees, in Québec.

When she got a bit older she studied Fine Arts, horticulture and bioecology. It was in 2018, in Québec, with the Coyote programs that she discovered the magnificent world of deep nature connection and coyote mentoring.

The longing for deepening this way of living was so strong that she drove across Canada to do the 2 years program of Immersion and Apprenticeship at the Wisdom of the Earth school.

Since then she is mostly mentoring kids, and sharing her passion through ancestral skills workshops for women and adults. She brings both grounded compassion and playful enthusiasm to her work with youth, and is passionate about nature connection, community building, mentoring children, fire, hide tanning, scouting, play, sharing dreams, creativity and music making. Claudelle’s absolutly loves spending time with the River, tracking bear and elk while foraging for wild food.

Sebastien Arz is a dedicated student of the 8-Shields lineage, having completed his first-year immersion with the Wisdom of the Earth school and currently apprenticing in his second year.

A passionate community song student and song collector, Sebastien also enjoys traveling and the simple yet profound experience of goatherding. His journey includes mentorship with the Helpers Mentoring Society, where he continues to deepen his connection to nature and community.

With a love for play, singing, and weaving with the flow of life, Sebastien embraces every moment with curiosity and joy.

Testimonials

Cari is an amazing teacher who shares from her heart. She is an absolute blessing to our children. I'm grateful for her.

Sarah Macmillan, parent of youth nature program.

Cari is a magical weaver of hearts from the human being to the wild ones. She know how to Cary the fire and the water. She has the strength of the wind and feet on the earth. Her trust and commitment to life is pretty contagious and will definitely lift you up. Cari knows how to hold grief in one hand and hold joy and love in the other hand. I absolutely love her.

Claudelle Charette , Nature Mentor for Thriving roots and Wisdom of the Earth

Cari is a powerful and perceptive facilitator who walks with authenticity and love in all her relationships. She holds deep honour and integrity and will have you laughing and singing in no time. I’d highly recommend giving yourself the chance to be a part of this mentoring journey.

~Alaina Hallett, Director of Thriving Roots Wilderness School, Victoria, BC