Taking in Toronto

After an interesting night flight from Bogota to Toronto (on which I sat next to a dog, yes a dog,) I refuelled with coffee and refreshed at Mairy’s apartment - my lovely room mate from Colombia. With the help of Trip Advisor, I quickly found a walking tour in downtown and off I went in an attempt to stay awake and soak up the sunshine. The tour was fabulously led by Adam, a chap from the north of England who married a Canadian and has made Toronto his home. I would highly recommend it - here is a link: http://torontofreewalkingtours.com/

As well as my days spent sightseeing in the city, including going to see a baseball game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, I also volunteered with the P.I.N.E Project. They are an inspiring group of people working with children and families on outdoor education. Read more about them here: https://www.pineproject.org/

As well as exploring wild, edible plants, there were lots of games, songs and a full day Masterchef style cook off competition in the forest. I was invited to be a guest judge, who had come all the way from England to try the appetisers, which the children thought was great! Pictured are the mini burrito bites which won the round - mmmm, delicious! The project’s motto ‘be more, need less’ certainly rings true with me and these children were learning resilience, independence, confidence and a respect and understanding of our natural world. It was a pleasure to be able to spend time with them and also reflect on my own educational practice.