Join Jeff Flinn from the Boerne Star as he sits down with Brian Davenport (Communications Director) and Alysa Meeks (Director of The Nest School) to discuss the exciting expansion of this outdoor nature school.

The Nest School offers a unique educational experience where preschool children (ages 3-5) spend 75% of their day exploring 60 acres of the historic Herf Farm property. Kids learn through child-led curriculum, climbing trees, tracking animals, identifying birds, and developing deep connections with nature.

Key Highlights:

Expanding to kindergarten in Fall 2024

84 students currently enrolled across 4 preschool classrooms

~50 families on the waiting list

Children spend 5 hours outdoors daily, rain or shine

Focus on risky play and calculated risk-taking

Conservation education (water conservation, recycling, wildlife)

"Taste of the Nest" program for 18 months to 3 years old starting March 18th

Contact: (830) 357-7711 | alisa@sclo.org

Visit the Farmer's Market every Saturday 9am-1pm at Herf Farm (33 Herf Road)

Timeline

0:00 - Introduction to The Nest School

1:08 - Age groups and outdoor learning structure (3-5 years, 75% outdoors)

2:12 - A day in the life: Exploring 60 acres of Herf Farm

3:52 - Kids' deep knowledge of the property and wildlife

5:19 - Classroom structure and kindergarten expansion announcement

7:09 - Kindergarten program details and curriculum

10:10 - Child-led curriculum philosophy

11:30 - Emergent curriculum example: Turning potty talk into animal tracking

13:00 - Kids teaching parents about conservation

14:48 - 50 families on waiting list, enrollment process

18:16 - Physical development benefits from outdoor learning

19:27 - Risky play: Tree climbing rules and safety

22:37 - Saturday Farmer's Market at Herf Farm

23:41 - "Taste of the Nest" program for 18 months-3 years (starts March 18)

24:59 - School history and growth (2016-2024)

Original Air Date:  February 28, 2026, as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM

https://www.boernestar.com/