New Growth

By Hella Coenen

Learning and exploring beneath the trees at Forest School.

Once upon a time, there was a thought that stood out. It began with a question.

Do we owe our children more wonder and surprise? More connection with nature? More hands, heart and head education? More time nestled amongst the undergrowth, near streams and in wild places? More opportunities to light fires, both within and around us?

And so, a seed was sown.

We were in our sixties when the idea began to unfurl, an age that can bring fresh bursts of energy and a renewed impulse to contribute.

New Forest School officially opened in 2019. Over the following years, thousands of children came to experience a day of learning in our outdoor classroom.

The natural contours of the land, a small spring-fed streamlet and spaces beneath mature trees offered something quite special. The setting provided wonderful opportunities for learning, but above all, it offered experiences that children would remember.

At the end of 2023, retirement brought the Forest School to a close, and we began searching for new leadership.

But while the Forest School rested, the whenua continued its work.

Ferns unfurled, the undergrowth grew more diverse, and canopy trees continued to emerge. Seventeen years of regeneration across these 240 acres, adjoining the Tararua Forest Park, had given the land back its voice. And it was thriving.

Then, at the beginning of 2026, a new burst of enthusiasm arrived in the form of capable, experienced and hands-on people who shared the vision.

Throughout the year, we have been steadily building a new foundation for the initiative.

In May, we held a well-attended Nature Connection wānanga, followed by a hui in August that brought together many of the people wanting to help bring the Forest School back to life.

A creative expression from the August hui, made with materials from nature.

Throughout the year, we have been steadily building a new foundation for the initiative.

In May, we held a well-attended Nature Connection wānanga, followed by a hui in August that brought together many of the people wanting to help bring the Forest School back to life.

At this hui, we also blessed the initiative with a new name: Mikimiki Forest School.

A new group is forming, with five people preparing to take on trustee roles and four new leaders and kaiako stepping forward. The trust deed is being finalised, and we are working towards welcoming school and early childhood groups again in early 2027, perhaps even sooner if preparations allow.

It has been a truly joyful process.

Coming together to help Mikimiki Forest School flourish again.

The unfurling can continue, growing and showing its beauty from the inside out.

And that question we asked all those years ago remains. Perhaps it has become even more urgent.

Our children need wonder, connection and opportunities to discover the living world around them. They need positive role models and kaiako who feel called to head into the bush and help nature-based learning flourish.

The seed has rested, the roots have remained, and now there is new growth.

Follow the journey

To hear more about Mikimiki Forest School and its plans for reopening, find Mikimiki Forest School on Facebook.

Hella Coenen
on behalf of the Toru Education Trust