In a Fairytale

About ten years ago, Iris and Ales Lavric purchased a farm on the top of a hill just outside of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Little did they know that they would become a destination for abused, injured and neglected animals from around the country. Today, their animal sanctuary has rescued countless goats, cows, chickens, pigs and many others from poor living conditions or a trip to the slaughterhouse.

Along with their five children, the Lavrics operate In a Fairytale sanctuary on four hectares of land with the main goal of giving their animals a better life than they had before.

However, they also began sharing their mission and love of nature with local Slovenian children through school visits and summer camps.

These experiences are meant to help kids re-connect with their environment, learn about the animals and teach them practical outdoor skills such as fire making or simply observing the nature around them.

The kids at the week-long summer camp also get to learn where food comes from and how to prepare it. They are taught how to make bread, pizza, butter and ice cream, often using organic ingredients found throughout the farm.

The disconnect experienced by many young people between food and where it comes from has led to a few surprising realizations during some of the kindergarten and school visits. So many children are surprised to see how the action of milking a goat or cow produces the milk the buy in a store. Even more kids think twice after learning how meat gets from the farm to their table.

The learning that happens during the school visits or summer camps is often done through exploration and creativity. Simply taking a walk through the forest and asking kids to be open to unusual sights, new smells or strange sounds, has led to the discovery and discussion about a deer skull or just a strange looking fungus growing on the trees. The learning doesn’t happen with a plan, but instead with the guidance of the leaders and the keen eyes of the children.

In addition, free time is plentiful during the camps, and children are encouraged to use their creativity and imagination to entertain themselves around the farm. It could be by helping to collect and chop wood for the fire, drawing what they saw in the forest, or democratically deciding on a game to play. Without the structure imposed by the adults, the results are that the kids get to be in charge of their experience and pursue something in their environment that interests them.

Through this, the kids leave with a greater appreciation for their world around them, and a respect for the animals that they cared for.

Find out more at: https://vpravljici.si