Naturskole

Since 2006, the Børge Hinsch Foundation has made the Børge Hinsch Foundation Nature School available free of charge to anyone interested. The nature school is run by nature guide Claus L. Olesen. Claus has 20 years of experience running the Foundation's Nature School.

In 2025, the Nature School developed a brand new and groundbreaking project: Project: Experience Nature – Special Classes, 2.0 Biodiversity. The project started on 1 January 2026 and will run for three years.

Through Project: Feel Nature – Special Classes 2.0 Biodiversity, the nature school offers a range of exciting activities and educational programmes. The individual educational programmes are tailored to the age and academic level of the visitors e school classes. See more under Educational Programmes, or talk to nature guide Claus L. Olesen.

For other groups, events with different content can be arranged, such as foraging trips, campfire meals, guided tours and much more. If you are planning an event with a scout group, an association or a social event for a school class, please do not hesitate to contact nature guide Claus L. Olesen. He has extensive experience in providing advice and guidance on such events.

A visit to the Børge Hinsch Foundation's Nature School is free of charge. Those interested can contact nature guide Claus L. Olesen to arrange a visit:

Tel.+45 23 95 81 06

Email claus.l.olesen@gmail.com

Educational offerings:

The Børge Hinsch Foundation Nature School has a vision that children in special classes should have a greater understanding of Danish nature and has therefore created Project: Experience Nature – Special Classes 2.0 Biodiversity. The nature school offers a range of different teaching modules to support this vision. Below, you can see which class levels the various teaching modules are specifically aimed at. Most teaching modules are described in relation to the Common Objectives for Primary Schools.

A description of the content of each of the different teaching modules can be found via this link: here

Project: Experience Nature

Special Classes 2.0, Biodiversity, builds on a successful project from 2023–2025, in which the Børge Hinsch Foundation's Nature School introduced vulnerable children and young people to nature as a space for learning and well-being. The project is now being expanded to give even more children and young people in special classes the opportunity to experience biodiversity and nature as a safe, sensory and inclusive learning environment that enhances well-being, understanding of biodiversity and participation in the community.

Project activities

In version 2.0, Biodiversity, the central activities will focus in particular on:

Understanding the importance of rich biodiversity.
Practical nature experiences where students explore local ecosystems, tracks and species in nature.
Working with natural materials, including making figures, jewellery and tools from wood, horn and antlers.
Preparing meals based on ingredients that the pupils themselves have collected in nature.
Observation and understanding of biodiversity, including through field studies, species identification and nature stories.
Development of differentiated learning programmes in close collaboration with teachers and educators in special classes, adapted to the needs and development level of each group of pupils.

The project's view of nature and pedagogical approach

The project is based on a view of nature in which biodiversity is a living community of species, processes and resources with which humans are closely connected and dependent on. Nature is not only regarded as a place for recreation, but also as an ecosystem with its own value that requires understanding, respect and active protection.

The pupils encounter biodiversity and nature through their senses, actions and academic insight, which creates a deeper relationship with the landscape and its species. Through concrete experiences, they gain insight into:

The importance of rich biodiversity
the cycles of nature
the interdependence of species
the importance of robust ecosystems
the role of humans as both an influencing and protective factor

In version 2.0, Biodiversity, the communication will focus particularly on the importance of biodiversity and on being practical, sensory and highly differentiated to ensure participation for all students – including those with special needs. We use hands-on activities where students learn by doing, stories about biodiversity and ecology directly linked to what students encounter in nature, visual and tactile learning tools that support understanding among students with special needs, and situation-specific communication based on the season, weather and current state of nature.

Project organisation

The project will be carried out in the period 2026–2028 and is led by the Nature School's full-time nature guide, Claus Olesen, who has over 20 years of experience in nature communication and developing learning programmes for children and young people with special needs. He has overall responsibility for planning, quality assurance and coordination of activities.

In addition, the project will be carried out in close collaboration with the Nature School's permanent team of experienced communication assistants, all of whom have in-depth knowledge of working with special classes and inclusive teaching. The activities are based at the Nature School's facilities at and around Gram Castle in Southern Jutland, where specially designed buildings and outdoor areas provide the ideal setting for the project's objectives.

Target

The project is aimed at children and young people in special classes (aged 6–16), including children and young people with cognitive, social or emotional challenges, who particularly benefit from:

structured and manageable learning programmes
sensory-based and practice-oriented activities
safe environments where they can experience success through concrete actions

Nature gives students the opportunity to step outside traditional learning spaces and learn in ways that are tailored to their needs and strengthen their self-confidence, well-being and participation.

Expected effects

Natural science effects

Stronger understanding of biodiversity, species knowledge and ecological relationships
Increased knowledge of sustainability and insight into nature's cycles
Greater interest in and engagement with nature

Psychosocial effects

Improved well-being, security and participation
Increased self-esteem and sense of mastery
Strengthened social skills through collaboration in nature

Long-term effects

Development of lasting relationships with nature among a target group that often has limited access to nature and outdoor activities
Inspiration for schools and municipalities to use nature as an educational learning environment
A stronger foundation for future understanding of nature and sustainable behaviour among future generations

Project sustainability

The sustainability of the project is understood in ecological, educational and operational terms.

Ecological sustainability

Pupils learn about the importance of rich biodiversity and the responsible use of natural resources
The activities are based on local materials and seasonal opportunities
Students are introduced to species conservation, habitats and the importance of biodiversity.

Educational sustainability

The teaching materials, methods and activity models developed are made freely available to teachers and educators so that the courses can be continued and anchored in practice.

Operational sustainability

The nature school integrates the project's activities into its regular operations after the project period, so that experiences and methods are naturally embedded in a long-term programme for special classes in the region.

The project's experience base and knowledge sharing

The project builds on three years of experience, during which more than 1,700 pupils have participated in nature courses with extremely positive effects. Version 2.0, Biodiversity, aims to:

inspire more special schools and municipalities to incorporate biodiversity and nature into their regular learning platform
show how practical activities can open up science topics to children with special needs
serve as a method-developing project that can be used nationally by teachers and educators

In addition, the project can inspire the development of similar programmes at other nature schools and nature centres.

As the project is based on several years of experience with nature courses for special classes, the methods will be systematised in the form of activity descriptions, seasonal courses, exercises and educational approaches. These materials will be made freely available to other schools, nature schools and professionals. This will give other actors a well-documented, easily accessible and proven concept to build on.

The specific activities – e.g. gathering raw materials, preparing natural meals, working with natural materials and observing biodiversity – require only limited equipment and are therefore suitable for replication in other natural environments. The activities can also be adapted to local conditions, seasons and student groups, making the project scalable and applicable across different types of institutions.

The project demonstrates how nature can serve as a powerful learning space for children and young people with special needs – a target group that is often not included in traditional nature education programmes.

The experiences can inspire others to expand their target group and develop inclusive nature initiatives that make room for all children in nature.

Communication and national inspiration

The nature school will actively disseminate the project's results through:

regional and national networks for nature education
workshops and professional presentations for teachers and educators
digital materials and demo videos
collaboration with municipalities and special schools

This dissemination strategy ensures that the project's methods and results reach a wide audience and can be translated into new initiatives at the national level.

The project's anchoring in the Nature School's regular operations shows how nature-based special education can be integrated into an institution's practices in a long-term and economically sustainable manner. This can serve as a model for other nature schools that wish to develop lasting programmes for particularly vulnerable target groups.

Brief summary

Feel Nature – Special Classes 2.0, Biodiversity, is expected to inspire others because the project:

shows the way to inclusive nature education for children with special needs
offers concrete and well-proven methods and activities
actively and openly shares knowledge for use by other actors
demonstrates that nature can be a powerful learning space for all children
builds a concept that is easy to implement, test and scale