Shared Experiences In Nature
We believe that access to nature is essential for all humans. Our programs for youth are designed to provide engaging learning experiences that encourage advocacy & appreciation for the environment, build self-confidence & resilience, and reduce depression & anxiety.
Our mission is to create shared outdoor experiences that awaken curiosity, build personal resilience, and cultivate caring relationships with self, community, and the natural world.
FREE Playgroup 2025/2026 (Ages 2 – 5 w/Caregiver)
Tiny Piney Playgroup (Kids 2-5 and Their Families!)
Calling All TINY PINEY’s! Join us for a unique, nature-based all-outdoor preschool drop-in program! Designed for children ages 2-5, this program offers young explorers, their caregivers and siblings the opportunity to discover, play, and learn in the great outdoors. Led by experienced naturalists, children will engage in hands-on activities, explore local ecosystems, and foster a connection with the natural world—all while building social and developmental skills in a fun, supportive environment.
Hosted in partnership with York Land Trust at the Fuller Forest Preserve.
This program fosters creativity, resilience, and physical activity, laying the foundation for happier, healthier futures. Join us every Tuesday, and let your child experience the magic of Fuller Forest!
Bring: Water & Snacks
Wear: Clothes and shoes that can get WET & DIRTY!
Ages: 2-5
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 9-10am
2026/2027 Schedule TBD
Location: Fuller Forest, 33-69 Bartlett Road, York
Free: Drop on in! No registration needed
Youth Programs 2026/2027 (Ages 4 – Grades 4/5)
Acorn Weevils Forest Kindergarten & Preschool (Ages 4-6)
Our Forest Kindergarten & Preschool offers 4 to 6-year-olds a unique, play-based learning experience. Held entirely outdoors, the program runs from October through May on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 AM to 3 PM. Families can choose to enroll their child in one or both days.
In today’s digital age, our kids are more connected than ever – but not always in ways that support their mental health. One of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, remedies for childhood anxiety is spending time in nature.
Research shows that when children engage with the natural world, they experience reduced stress levels, improved mood, and enhanced focus. The simple act of being outdoors helps them disconnect from the pressures of screen-based living and reconnect with themselves.
But the benefits don’t stop there! Time in nature fosters creativity, builds resilience, and encourages physical activity, all of which contribute to healthier, happier lives. These experiences can leave lasting, positive imprints on their mental well-being, providing them with tools to manage anxiety throughout their lives.
Ages: 4-6 (must be age 4 by October 15, 2025)
Time: 9am – 3pm
Dates:
Wednesdays: Oct 1 – May 20
Fridays: Oct 3 – May 22
Location: Zacharias Farm, located at 7 Colby Turner Lane in York, Maine. This historic, scenic property has abundant woodlands, fields and frontage on the Smelt Brook & York River.
Fee:
Wednesdays Full Year: $3060
Fridays Full Year: $3060
Join us for both days if you choose!
*$100 application fee applied to tuition
White Pine Nature Club (Ages K thru 5th grade)
Join us for an after school adventure with White Pine Programs! Your child will have the opportunity to explore, play games, try skills such as fort building, wild edible safety and ID – and more – all under the care of our experienced and passionate teaching staff. Children build their self-confidence through trying new things and expanding their senses. They connect more deeply with nature, often resulting in a greater understanding of what it means to be good stewards of the Earth.
Program Objectives
- Encourage curiosity, have fun, and learn!
- Further develop a sense of self and community.
- Connect more deeply to nature.
- Understand environmental stewardship and participate in a community stewardship project related to the land/earth.
Ages: Kindergarten through grades 4 or 5 (location dependent)
Times:
York: Mondays 3pm – 5pm
Kittery: Tuesdays 3pm – 5pm
Eliot: Thursdays 1:20pm – 4pm
Portsmouth: Thursdays 2:30-4:30pm
Dates: October 2024 – May 2025
Locations:
York Nature Club: Coastal Ridge Elementary School, 1 Coastal Ridge Dr, York, ME
Kittery Nature Club: Mitchell School, 7 School Ln, Kittery Point
Eliot Nature Club: Eliot Elementary School
Portsmouth Nature Club: Camp Seawood, 350 Banfield Rd, Portsmouth, NH
Fee:
York Sessions
Fall: $315
Winter: $210
Spring: $315
Full YEAR: $798 – Save 5%
Kittery Sessions
Fall: $260
Winter: $260
Spring: $260
Full YEAR: $741 – $5%
Portsmouth Sessions
TBA
Eliot Sessions
Sign up through Eliot Rec Dept
Youth & Teen Programs 2025/2026 (Ages 7 – 14)
Ways of the Wild – Weekly Youth Forest School (Ages 7-14)
Ways of the Wild (aka/WoW) is a full-day, all outdoor forest school program for children ages 7-12 designed to support their growth and development through immersion in nature. While the curricular focus includes wilderness survival skills, naturalist knowledge and self-care, the days are centered on learning about what it means to be honest, compassionate, respectful and responsible humans. Mentors set clear conduct expectations and support the development of positive interpersonal relationships between individuals, within small groups and among the larger WoW community.
The program is outdoors, all day no matter the weather, developing in the children personal strength and resilience. Cancellations occur only when travel is deemed unsafe or if high wind conditions exist. Spending full days on the same patch of woodlands and fields throughout three seasons, fosters a deep connection to and respect for the land. Structured, experiential learning opportunities are blended with free play to honor children’s need to feel a sense of personal agency while introducing curricular components that encourage experimentation with new skills in a safe, supportive environment. Key curricular components include fire-making, navigation, wildlife tracking, birding and shelter-building.
The day begins at 9am when the full community gathers for gratitude, song and inspiration, and afterwards, small groups of 10-12 children and 2 educators set forth for a full day of lessons, challenges and ‘funtivities’ that focus on increasing awareness, cultivating curiosity, engaging the senses and developing confidence. Utilizing games, songs, stories and community work projects, educators introduce each new topic with creativity and field-tested competence. At the day’s end, the groups gather again to share their experiences, giving each child a chance to practice having their voice heard by their peers and mentors in a large group setting. Children often finish the day with mud on their boots, twigs in their hair, and tired, but chock full of stories to share with their families.
Ages: 7-13 (must be age 7 by October 15, 2025)
Time: 9am – 3pm
Dates:
Wednesdays: Oct 1 – May 20
Fridays: Oct 3 – May 22
Location: Zach’s Farm, 7 Colby Turner Lane, York, Maine. This historic, scenic property has abundant woodlands, fields and frontage on the Smelt Brook & York River.
Fee:
Wednesday Full Year: $2832
Friday Full Year: $2832
Join us for both days if you choose!
Gray Fox Guild: The Next Adventure for Nature-Loving Middle Schoolers
For graduates of White Pine’s Nature Club, the journey continues with Gray Fox Guild—an outdoor enrichment program designed to deepen curiosity, build resilience, and strengthen bonds with the natural world and each other.
Why the Gray Fox?
Across cultures, the gray fox symbolizes adaptability, insight, and courage. Known for moving skillfully through changing environments, it inspires us to stay flexible, think creatively, and meet challenges with quiet confidence.
What to Expect
True to its name, Gray Fox Guild helps students grow into confident, nature-literate leaders with a strong sense of environmental responsibility. Through exploration, games, and hands-on field projects, participants will:
- Follow their own curiosities and have the chance to develop advanced survival & bushcraft skills
- Learn alongside experienced White Pine mentors
- Plan and participate in group stewardship projects such as structure building, trail maintenance, and farm work
- Practice communication, teamwork, and problem-solving
- Gain additional skills that will help them on their journey towards becoming a Counselor in Training (CIT)
As CITs (and hopefully paid staff as they get older), they’ll guide younger campers, contribute to team success, and model curiosity, respect, and stewardship for the next generation.
Ages: 10-13 (must be age 10 by October 15, 2025)
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 2:30 – 5:00 pm
October through May
Location: Zach’s Farm, 7 Colby Turner Lane, York, Maine
Fee:
Seasonal Sessions – $378
Full year – $1,080
Limited financial aid is available.
Transportation is provided from the York Middle School. If your coming from another school please meet us at Zach’s Farm!
Forest Adventure Club – 1 Saturday a Month (Ages 7-14)
One Saturday a month from 9am -3pm, kids ages 7-14 explore the woods and fields of Zach’s Farm in York, Maine
Look forward to fun and challenging times in wild places with White Pine mentors! Each Saturday will be a little different, based on weather, seasonal change and group interests. Participants of Forest Adventure Club will have the chance to play games, explore the vast landscape and trail systems, and gain new naturalist skills. Learning and experimenting under the supervision of experienced, caring mentors allows for children to grow their confidence, something they will take with them long beyond the days of Forest Adventure Club.
These monthly adventures with caring, skilled mentors – continue to empower compassion, respect, self awareness & community in the children we serve.
Ages: 7-14 (must be age 7 by October 15, 2025)
Time: 9am – 3pm
Dates: 1st Saturday of each month. October 2025 – May 2026
*May Overnight
Location: Zach’s Farm York, Maine
Fee:
Full Year: 5% off $760
Fall: $350
Winter & Spring: $500
Teen Programs 2025/2026 (Ages 13 -17)
Teen Wilderness Weekends (Mini EXPEDITIONS) (Ages 13 – 17)
Weekends of teen wilderness experiences – survival and fun!
Teen Wilderness Weekends are 48-hour immersions into wild places under the guidance of top-notch mentors and educators. Teens will work both collaboratively and on their own to complete navigation, shelter & fire challenges each season, while broadening their competence as naturalists alongside skilled mentors. Participants will build confidence and respect for craft, nature and one another. This program will help with expedition preparedness and grow knowledge of back-country ethics and living – skills that’ll last a lifetime.
Program Objectives
- Learn and explore with the oversight of an experienced naturalist
- Rest the online learning brain with a device-free weekend outside
- Experience a variety of local, wild locations
- Gain advanced survival skills
- Grow confidence through team projects
- Increase comfort being outdoors in all conditions
- Energize for the week of learning ahead
- Connect with other teens
- Get dirty! Sleep under the stars!
Teen Ages: 13-17
Days/Times: 48-Hour format – 4pm Friday through 4pm Sunday
Weekend Dates:
Nov 14-16
Jan 30-Feb 1
March 13-15
May 29-31
Location: Vary. New locations each weekend designed to create new challenges and provoke expanded learning.
Because of limitations on group transport, we will require participants to be dropped off at our weekend location. If this is a hardship for you, please contact us once registered and we will arrange for your child’s transportation at no additional cost. We also have gear to share, so do not let lack of experience hinder your child’s registration! When registering, select the full year or one weekend at a time. More information on location will be provided prior to program.
Fee:
Full Weekend:$325
Sign up for all of our expeditions and receive 10% Off
White Mountain New Year’s: A Teen Retreat (Ages 13 – 17)
Three-day winter camping trip for Teens in The White Mountains – Jackson, NH
This Epic and long running program takes teens into the depths of winter, unplugged & climbing the mountains to access the power and beauty of winter wilderness that few ever get to experience. With rustic Forest Service cabins to call home, we spend three days & two nights in the crisp mountain air – exploring, tracking, and playing games by day; warming ourselves close to the fire and telling stories by night. We’ll ring in 2026 like no one else!
Objective: Give Teens an opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to safely and confidently lead their own winter camping adventures.
Ages: 13-17
Dates: Dec 30 – Jan 1, 2025-2026
Location: White Mountains Jackson, NH
Fee: $550 (If you’re a CIT – Call for a 10% coupon!)
White Pine Programs | 207-361-1911 | PO Box 802 York, Maine 03909
