Brasstown Rachel McCoy is a stay-at-home mom, and as her son aged she realized his learning style wouldn’t fit well with mainstream public schools. She began homeschooling her son but wanted to find a way for him to learn and still engage and socialize with other children.
Many local co-op groups had long wait lists or classroom settings similar to public schools. When she began researching co-op opportunities, she found forest schooling pedagogy, something popular in classrooms in the United Kingdom, which offered the type of sensory outlets and differential learning experience her son needed.
In September 2024, Rachel created a Facebook page and got permission to use the Rivercane Walk by John C. Campbell Folk School as a meeting place, open to all ages from 1-5 p.m. every Thursday. The group also tries to host a Saturday event at least once a month so there are opportunities for all children to participate, not just those who are homeschooled.
The Facebook group today has more than 200 members, with 38 people attending the most recent meeting. Appalachian Wildlings Forest School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with plans for further expansion.
McCoy hopes they can get land of their own to form a base campus to create even more opportunities for kids in the area. That could include forming an official co-op group, as this is something she noticed was lacking.
She is also passionate about land conservation; McCoy believes opening a nature center would be incredibly beneficial to the area. Bringing attention to land conservation can help prevent overdevelopment and destruction of an area that has one of the highest levels of biodiversity due to being a temperate rainforest.
In the long term, McCoy would like to host classes that would allow others to be certified to more easily start forest schools in the area. Beyond that, she would like to bring other nature-based programs, forms of environmental education and conservation opportunities to the community all with the goal of preserving and enjoying the beauty Appalachia has to offer.
“Our focus is to develop skills which make us good stewards of the land, ourselves and each other,” McCoy said.
McCoy and fellow board member Sarah Weice have been working on their own certifications, though this isn’t a requirement in the United States. Both have completed Level 1, with plans to complete Level 2 by the end of March and Level 3 in May.
McCoy is also working to complete her N.C. Environmental Education Certification through the N.C. Office of Environmental Education & Public Affairs, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
She would later like to work toward a master’s degree in experiential and outdoor learning. McCoy holds active massage therapy and paramedic licenses, working more than a decade in each field before stepping away to grow her family.
During her time as a paramedic, McCoy ran wilderness calls, and her focus for continued medic training is in wilderness medicine. This will ensure that there will be a certified medic at all meetings and events.
Her background is also a reason she incorporates wilderness first aid into their activities. The group requires a waiver to be signed for each meeting, but is insured to ensure the safety of all participants.
“We are a neuro-affirming group that believes that nature is the environment that best fits all sensory needs. Nature gives endless opportunities for rest and for play,” McCoy said when describing the group.
Each meeting offers opportunities for children to participate in. They are not forced to do the activities and can instead explore nature or other sensory opportunities being offered.
“We use the acronym WILD, which stands for Wilderness Immersion for Learning & Development,” McCoy said.
The weekly meet-ups are typically related to the current season. For example, in the winter the group has focused on shelter building, fire building and safety, animal migration, plant behavior and seed sowing. The group also offers field trips and clubs for kids to join.
“We are so grateful to the community for their willingness to host some of our clubs and field trips,” McCoy said.
Some of these include N.C. Blacksmithing Experience, Murphy SCUBA, High Lonesome Stables, Everwilder Farm, The Enchanted Forest @ Magic Mountain Resorts, Wehrloom Honey and Brasstown Valley Stables. The group also hosts a hiking club that focuses on local hikes, environmental care and safety.
McCoy expressed gratitude to all of the volunteers who help each week, as well as to fellow board members Dakota McCoy and Weice.
“I came up with the group, but Sarah has worked tirelessly in the background and at events to help make this happen. My husband, Dakota, helps wherever he can,” McCoy said.
Appalachian Wildlings Forest School is not a drop-off program, but all are welcome to come anytime.
Details: Visit the Appalachian Wildlings Forest School Facebook page or email Rachel McCoy at appalachianwildlings@gmail.com.