VWS History

Great Blue Heron Community School is a learning community that has been evolving since 1999 when 22 homeschooled children and nine staff and interns came together at Littlewood in West Brattleboro (then owned by co-founder Brian Robertshaw) under the name of Oyase Community School. The program began with a request from the Brattleboro Homeschooling Group for Brian Robertshaw to weekly teach a day on wilderness living and naturalist skills. Knowing he needed help with such a large group, he went looking and reconnected at a gathering with Mark and Luz Elena Morey. The Moreys joined Brian in Brattleboro and also invited several young folks inspired by a vision of long term mentoring youth in nature connection. A couple months in, Steve Young joined Brian, Mark and Luz Elena in both running Oyase Community School and setting up the non-profit Vermont Wilderness School. This completed the founding team of four.