Tag:education=nature_school
 education = nature_school
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| Description |
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| A dedicated educational facility with indoor and outdoor teaching spaces, focused on teaching about nature and the environment through nature-based activities for children and young people. |
| Group: education |
| Used on these elements |
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| Useful combination |
| Status: in use |
| Tools for this tag |
Use education=nature_school to identify a dedicated facility whose primary purpose is to provide nature-based education and outdoor learning for school-age children and young people, using natural surroundings rather than traditional classrooms.
A nature school is typically used by schools, youth institutions, and local community groups for educational activities ranging from short visits to extended stays, including overnight stays where facilities allow. The focus is usually on hands-on learning, nature awareness, practical experiments, and direct experiences with nature. Many nature schools also support broader topics such as sustainability, and science education.
Facilities and services
Facilities typically include both indoor spaces and outdoor structures such as shelters, fire pits, and workshops, combined with access to natural areas. Some nature schools are staffed by educators or nature guides who help facilitate educational activities and outdoor teaching. Others operate without permanent staff, relying on teachers or hired instructors brought by the visiting groups themselves.
Nature schools may be operated by municipalities, governmental nature agencies, private organisations, or non-profit associations, often through partnerships with local schools or communities. Unlike formal schools, nature schools are not part of the compulsory education system, but serve as supplementary facilities that schools and other institutions can choose to make use of.
Educational outreach service, forest kindergarten and forest school
Educational outreach services provided by museums, zoos, nature centres, or similar institutions may or may not qualify for this tag. If such a service operates a dedicated physical facility primarily used for nature-based education aimed at school-age children and young people, the tag may be appropriate. If the educational function is delivered as a programme or service without a dedicated facility of its own, this tag should not be used.
A forest kindergarten is a permanent day-care institution where young children are enrolled on a regular basis and spend their daily time outdoors in a natural setting. This is fundamentally different from a nature school in two ways: forest kindergartens serve pre-school children rather than school-age children and young people, and they function as permanent care institutions rather than dedicated teaching facilities visited by groups for specific educational purposes.
The forest school approach is a pedagogical method rather than a specific type of place. Forest school sessions can take place in many different settings and do not require a dedicated facility. For this reason, education=nature_school is generally not appropriate for forest school sessions unless they are based at a permanent dedicated facility with its own natural surroundings, equipment, and teaching spaces. Note that some facilities may describe themselves as a 'forest school' while functioning in practice as nature schools. In such cases, education=nature_school may still be appropriate if the facility meets the criteria described on this page.
How to map
Nature schools often occupy a large area, so it is recommended to create an area around the entire school grounds with the amenity=school and education=nature_school tags, plus a name=* tag at least. For a more complex multi-site facility then ideally it will be mapped using a multipolygon. If the area of the nature school is uncertain or cannot yet be mapped precisely, it is also possible to use a node near the center of the nature school. There should not be both a node and an area with the same tags.
The key education=* is still supposed to used along with the more common amenity=* key until a time when it's decided that the use of the education=* tags have reached a critical mass and all duplicate amenity=* tags can be removed. Before the education=* key was introduced, nature schools were typically simply tagged as a amenity=school, amenity=community_centre, or tourism=information