About Wild Wonders

We are two teams of adventurous day homes who have been exploring and playing outdoors together daily since 2017. We are neighbouring dayhomes in the community of Glenbow. Our nature focus takes us throughout the Cochrane Ranche's beautiful and diverse landscape of rolling hills, grassland and bush, into the woods, wetlands and in and along the banks of Bighill Creek and down to the Bow River. We connect children to nature through child centered play and hands-on exploration and we follow the Forest and Nature School of Canada ethos, a model of inquiry based, emergent and experiential learning approaches.

Our Mission

Our mission is to give children the opportunity to be nurtured in nature, to explore the wonders of the changing seasons and feel the natural rhythm of the world.

Our Vision

A generation of confident, independent explorers with an essential connection to themselves, to their community, and our natural world.

Our Core Values

Cultivating the growth of the whole child
Hands-on, messy experiences and child-initiated play fosters authentic early learning and is essential to development
Children are respected and listened to, encouraged and supported to foster resiliency, self sufficiency and growth in all areas of development as unique individuals
Children are supported and trusted to safely take healthy risks playing outdoors, learning to thoughtfully assess their own safety and skill, solve problems creatively, build confidence and have new experiences
Children are given freedom and time to follow their interests and direct their own learning
Supporting children on their journey towards stewardship for the planet

Meet the Educators

Level 1 Early Childhood Educator, Forest and Nature School Practitioner, Co-founder

Sarah Marshall

I am a married mother of two phenomenal girls, ages 17 and 19. I grew up in Cochrane, playing at Cochrane Ranche, and spent my preteen and teenage years living on a small farm just minutes west of town. I was privileged to spend much of my childhood working with my family on the farm and making my own fun outdoors, building forts, exploring, and being creative. Many hours were also whiled away lying in the field with a good book, in the company of the horses, the birds and the insects, and a distant coyote - immersed in my natural surroundings. I developed an appreciation for the beauty of the foothills, an interest in local flora and fauna, and a deep connection to nature.
I knew I wanted to root my family and my day home in this beautiful community and in the embrace of Cochrane Ranche. I have dedicated more than 18 years to my passions of working with children in the early years and the outdoors. It makes my heart sing to be outside learning alongside children everyday!
When I’m not playing with our group of young adventurers, the Wild Wonders, I enjoy playing with my family in Kananaskis, pursuing my hobbies of hiking and learning photography, and enjoying the peace that nature provides.

I am inspired by the children’s sense of wonder and love of these magical places we visit each day; I see them becoming stewards of the natural world.

Level 3 Early Childhood Educator, Forest and Nature School Practitioner, Co-founder

Jess Walker

I am a horse riding, sport playing, photography loving, outdoorsy kind of girl. Growing up on an acreage South of Strathmore and spending summers working on my family's cattle ranch southwest of Cochrane provided many opportunities to explore and test my abilities as I set out on this journey of life. Growing up I was always outside. Back then I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have the freedom to explore. Today I see the importance of children being out in nature and how valuable each moment is because, with each moment, children are growing and developing into their very own self. I absolutely love what I do for a “job”. It is truly my passion to be able to share my love of nature with today’s young children. As a lifelong learner, I am always on the hunt for new research and information to further my education on early childhood development; to ensure my program continues to grow as I do and to guarantee I am using best practices. When I am not with the Wild Wonders Team or planning activities for our team you can find me out exploring, whether it’s on my kayak, fishing or camping out in the bush. My happy place is out in the wild wilderness.

Land Acknowledgement

Wild Wonders recognizes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada as traditional stewards of the land. The land we live, work, play and learn on is located within Treaty 7 territory, traditional territories and home of the Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot and Tsuut’ina Nations, as well as Zone 3 Metis. We recognize all indigenous people who were here before us, live with us now and future generations. As indigenous people have done since time immemorial, we strive to be responsible stewards of the land, and to respect the cultures, ceremonies and traditions of all who call it home. As we open our minds and our hearts to the past, we commit ourselves to working in the spirit of truth and reconciliation to make a better future for all.