Wild Presencia: The Childhood Outdoor Nature learning Experience

When the world slowed during the shutdown of 2020, Heidi Lopez Gutierrez was working in Early Head Start. As the pandemic changed daily life, the connection she so enjoyed with young children was interrupted. She found herself spending more time outdoors than ever before, where nature became a place of healing, reflection, and renewal.

Another realization quietly took shape.

"As I walk among the trees, I recall thinking, I want to be out here with children, sharing the beauty, the wisdom, and the peacefulness that nature brings."

That simple realization would eventually become Wild Presencia, an outdoor learning community where children build a lifelong relationship with nature through exploration, curiosity, and shared discovery.

The Turning Point

Life had other plans before the dream became a reality.

Heidi met her husband, moved to Forest Falls, and soon welcomed her first child. The vision for Wild Presencia remained quietly in the background until one afternoon at a neighborhood park.

There, her young son eagerly followed a group of older children, hoping to join their game. Watching her little boy trying so hard to connect stirred something deep within her.

That was the moment everything became clear.

"I realized I needed to build a community that fosters connectedness for him and other children. Experiencing that kind of connection is most valuable during our formative years," she said.

That moment transformed the idea of an outdoor nature learning experience into a mission.

Wild Presencia became more than simply spending time outdoors. It became a place where children and their families could experience meaningful connection, build confidence, and develop a genuine sense of belonging through the shared experience of being present in nature.

Learning With Nature

Heidi's degree is in child development, and that foundation guides every experience she creates. Rather than beginning with a predetermined curriculum, she begins by observing the children's curiosity and expanding the moment into opportunities for discovery, learning, and connection.

Learning often begins with a child's question, an unexpected discovery, or a moment of wonder that unfolds naturally inspired by nature. Children are encouraged to observe, imagine, ask questions, solve problems, and engage with the world around them in meaningful ways.

A woodpecker tapping on a nearby tree becomes an opportunity to notice.

Leaves floating downstream become tiny boats.

A fallen log becomes a bridge.

The forest becomes another teacher.

Heidi carefully observes what captures the children's curiosity and builds learning experiences around those discoveries.

When Curiosity Leads the Way

One day, a child noticed a lizard disappearing into a small opening between the rocks.

That simple observation changed the entire morning.

Questions quickly followed.

What other animals live in rocks?

Do bears have homes like this?

Could we build one?

Soon the children were gathering stones to create a pretend bear den. Before long, they were imagining themselves as bear cubs while learning about habitats, wildlife, cooperation, storytelling, and creative play.

It wasn't the activity Heidi had originally planned.

It became something even better.

"Children's curiosity becomes the curriculum," is perhaps the simplest way to describe the experience.

A Place Where Two Languages Grow Together

Wild Presencia also presents bilingual learning in a way that feels completely natural.

Throughout each session, Heidi introduces English and Spanish through conversations, discoveries, songs, and everyday experiences. Families who already speak Spanish feel welcomed and represented, while enjoy giving gentle exposure to a second language in a relaxed, meaningful way.

That vision recently expanded beyond Forest Falls with the addition of a Spanish-language program in Loma Linda, making these experiences available to even more families.

Beyond the Classroom

Each season, Wild Presencia offers six- to eight-week outdoor sessions where children, ranging from toddlers through early elementary ages, gather weekly to explore forests, creeks, trails, rocks, wildlife, and one another's imaginations.

The program also hosts community hikes, creating opportunities for families to connect with one another as much as with nature itself.

While children may leave talking about woodpeckers, streams, or the fort they built that morning, parents often leave with something equally valuable: a growing sense of community.

The Presence of the Wild

The name Wild Presencia carries a special meaning for Heidi.

Inspired by her own children while reflecting the ideas of both wildness and presence, it represents being fully engaged with one another while honoring the natural world around us. For Heidi, the forest isn't simply a beautiful backdrop. It is a place that invites wonder, curiosity, peace, and belonging.

In a world where childhood is increasingly scheduled, hurried, and spent indoors, Wild Presencia offers something refreshingly different.

Time to be present, notice the moment, and let curiosity lead.

Perhaps most importantly, it is time for children to build a lifelong relationship with the natural world that surrounds them.

Connect:

Wild Presencia offers seasonal outdoor learning experiences for young children and their families, along with bilingual programming and community hikes.

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