Grandma helps young ones grow an appreciation for outdoors at forest school

When your grandmother is a volunteer at a unique outdoor nature school, there's a good chance you're going to end up learning a lot about woodland creatures and exploring forests.

Jan Aubin volunteers at FortWhyte Alive's forest school program in Winnipeg.

"My parents weren't outdoor people but I always remember as a child, about three years old, going out into the backwoods and ... pretending I was building a home out of logs and twigs and stuff and sitting in there for hours and just loving it," said Aubin.

All four of her grandsons, including eight-year-old Finley Aubin and six-year-old Dax Aubin, are enrolled and get a kick out of finding flowers, feathers, caterpillars and other wild trappings that cover the forest floor.

Aubin said the program also keeps her on her toes. 

"My age sometimes kind of gets the best of me but I'm a kid at heart," she said. "Sometimes the body says, 'You can't do that.' But, you know, you keep yourself fit and you get out there and walk on the paths and just get away from the city."

CBC Weekend Morning Show host Nadia Kidwai visited Aubin and her grandchildren during a recent outdoor education session. The kids were tasked with gathering twigs of various sizes to then use to spell our their first names.

"We like to go outdoors and have lots of fun," said Finley. "We like to hang out with her because she's fun."

Listen in below.