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Rad! Traditions is a one-day-per-week after-school program that integrates our “Grow Eat Make Peace” principles into a comprehensive experience at The Ecology Center. This unique program provides insight into sustainable living through the practices of the farmer, the chef, and the adventurer, focusing on connecting with the environment in a meaningful way.

Afterschool Sessions

Discover what it’s like to be a farmer chef while exploring the possibilities of connecting with nature and Regenerative Farming.

Participants will engage in an exploration of nourishment for our bodies, communities, and land, learning to synchronize with the natural cycles. Our activities, set on a Regenerative Organic Certified farm, encompass a range of themes.

 

Rad! Traditions

Join us on a journey into the farm kitchen as we explore new ways to nourish and provide for the community. As the new season draws near, abundance in the fields encourages new discoveries in the kitchen. We’ll explore the rich flavors of the season on our Regenerative Organic Certified™ farm, with thematic projects that could include:

An adult hands something to a child on the farm.

On the Farm

  • Planting, Cultivating, Harvesting: Engage with the life cycle of plants.
  • Cover Cropping: Learn about the benefits of cover crops for soil health.
  • Herbal Exploration: Discover the uses and benefits of various herbs.
  • Compost and Compost Tea: Introduction to natural fertilization techniques.
  • Seed Exploration and Saving: The importance of seed diversity and conservation.
  • Soil Care and Bed Preparation: Practical work in our Farm Lab.
  • Flower and Pollinator Exploration: Understanding the ecosystem’s interdependence.

In the Kitchen

  • Kitchen Skills & Cooking Basics: Foundation for culinary exploration.
  • Fermentation and Preservation: Techniques for extending the bounty of the harvest.
  • “Farm to Fork” with Café Campesino:  Exploring a menu from what we grow.
  • Seasonal Flavors: Experiment with the changing palette of the seasons.

Embracing Adventure with Skate Wild

 
  • Skateboarding: Master the basics of skateboarding, including safety, balance, and fundamental tricks on our farm’s skate ramp.
  • Wilderness Survival Skills: Todd Larson guides participants through essential survival techniques, emphasizing a hands-on approach to learning. Topics may include:
    • Shelter Building: Techniques for constructing shelters in the wild.
    • Friction Fire: Mastering the skill of starting a fire without modern tools.
    • Spoon/Bowl Making: Carving your own utensils from wood.
    • Archery: Developing focus and coordination through the practice of archery.

 

Todd Larson, the visionary behind Skate Wild, brings more than two decades of youth outdoor education experience. His dedication to connecting children with the outdoors is manifested through adventure-based learning, emphasizing skateboarding and wilderness skills as mediums for environmental education and self-discovery. Learn more about Todd’s mission at skatewild.org.

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Rad! Traditions Afterschool: Mondays (Age 7-12)

The Ecology Center 32701 Alipaz Street, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA, United States

Mondays focus on Visual Arts including sculpture, drawing, painting, ceramics, nature art and/or Agroforestry where we unpack the elements of our edible landscape in our on-site food forest. Rad! Traditions is a one-day-per-week after-school program that integrates our “Grow Eat Make Peace” principles into a comprehensive experience at The Ecology Center.

Get Tickets $480.00

Rad! Traditions Afterschool: Tuesdays (Age 7-10)

The Ecology Center 32701 Alipaz Street, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA, United States

Tuesdays focus is on mindfulness and body movement as we skate our half-pipe and develop our ancestral skills together. We also explore Agroforestry, where we unpack the elements of our edible landscape in our on-site food forest. Rad! Traditions is a one-day-per-week after-school program that integrates our “Grow Eat Make Peace” principles into a comprehensive experience at The Ecology Center.

Get Tickets $480.00

Rad! Traditions Afterschool: Wednesdays (Age 7-12)

The Ecology Center 32701 Alipaz Street, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA, United States

Wednesdays focus on Culinary Arts , exploring taste, texture, and seasonal abundance from the farm and/or Agroforestry where we unpack the elements of our edible landscape in our on-site food forest. Rad! Traditions is a one-day-per-week after-school program that integrates our “Grow Eat Make Peace” principles into a comprehensive experience at The Ecology Center.

Get Tickets $480.00

Rainy Day and Cancellation / Refund Policy

Our program is designed to proceed rain or shine, ensuring that participants can make the most of every session.

Full refund for withdrawal up to 30 days before the program begins. Purchase pays for all series days – no prorated discount if you plan to attend fewer than offered. No refund for absences; program runs rain or shine. In the event of extreme weather conditions, 24-48 hour advance notice by The Ecology Center will be provided in which case a refund will be issued, only for days deemed unsafe. Tickets are not transferrable.

Rad! Traditions at The Ecology Center is where education, adventure, and environmental stewardship meet, inviting children to grow with the rhythms of nature.

Teens cut vegetables
Young hands mold clay.
A group of children make tortillas.
Kids examine flowers close up with microscopes.
A young hand picks berries off the plant.

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