KPU Wild Spaces is an interdisciplinary teaching and learning hub that focuses on ecological place-based education in post-secondary. Our team of faculty, staff and students explore intentional outdoor learning at and near the campuses of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. This includes Cougar Creek, Watershed Park, Delta Nature Reserve, Logan Creek in Langley, and the KPU Richmond Farm. Respect, responsibility and reciprocity are some of our guiding principles, and we recognize that our work is being done on the unceded, traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples. Indigenous ways of knowing and accessibility are priorities for Wild Spaces.
In place-based learning the environment becomes a co-teacher. The local forests and streams, as well as the university campus grounds, are active agents in the learning process. In addition to enhancing community connections, learning in outdoor spaces is inherently experiential and boosts our health and creativity. Taking learning outside of the classroom allows for immersive experiences and can engage us in the work of land-based pedagogy, decolonization, and responding to the climate crisis.
In addition to hosting regular outdoor events, another goal of KPU Wild Spaces is creating a variety of resources for those interested in engaging in place-based teaching and learning, including example activities and assignments, audio-visual aids and more.
Wild Spaces is made possible by the Teaching & Learning Innovation Fund.
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