FSL Membership criteria

FSL membership requirements overview (please contact FSL for detailed requirement descriptions): 

Program director and lead instructor qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree

• CPR/First Aid certification child-adult

• Wilderness first aid certification, and/or Wilderness First Responder certification if your site location is more than 1 hour from the nearest emergency medical unit

• Training/professional development hours in: 

  • Child development (college credit or certified professional development courses)

  • Forest/nature-based education (via ERAFANS, Forest School Association, etc)

• Naturalist skills (Master Naturalist training, Living Earth-type programming approved by FSL)

• Continuing education credits every year

Assistant instructor qualifications:

• HS diploma; ages 18+

• 60 hours of training/professional development hours in a related field (child development, forest/nature-based education, naturalist skills, etc.)

Professional portfolio of your team structure including:

• Parent and staff handbook and detailed description of your program outlining how you are meeting FSL best practice standards including a 1:6 adult:child ratio for children aged 4+, 1:5 for ages 3+, 1:4 for ages 2+, and 1:3 for children under 2-years-old

• First aid kit on site 

• “Leave No Trace”

• Toileting and sanitation practices

• Daily hazard checks

• Snack mid-morning, and lunch if program is longer than 3 hours

• Rest time if program is longer than 4.5 hours

• FSL weather closure policy regarding dangerous temps, storms, and high winds, etc. 

• Emergency preparedness plan

• Professional risk assessment site report (format available in FSL documents section)

• Background checks for all adults working with the children

• Keeping attendance

• Children’s medical records

• Site visit assessment and observation 

• Yearly renewal application and full re-evaluation every 4 years