NATURAL PROGRESSION
Fiddleheads Farm and Forest School offers a transformative forest learning curriculum
STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY FIDDLEHEADS FARM AND FOREST SCHOOL
O n a striking 1768 Manchester homestead , seeds of curiosity are sprouting into bright and well-balanced futures for Southern Vermont ’ s young learners . Jessica Rhys , founder of Fiddleheads Farm and Forest School , has drawn on decades of experience as an early childhood educator to create a unique and dynamic early childhood education program . Through her work at Fiddleheads , she nurtures the minds of her students while encouraging positive connections with other children and their surrounding environments . Fiddleheads ’ curriculum is grounded in observation and interaction with the natural world , offering opportunities for participating children to develop mindfulness and empathy while strengthening their neurological development . Their summer program , farm stand , and garden workshops further their mission beyond their primary pre-kindergarten curriculum , building additional bridges of environmental awareness and community participation .
60 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine . com