“I’ve been with Peel District School Board for 23 years, but really, this journey started long before that.” Rob Ridley laughs when he says it, thinking back to a Grade 3 assignment where he wrote about becoming a park superintendent somewhere far away, maybe the Yukon. “I guess I’ve always known I wanted to stay connected to the land,” he says. “Education just gave me a way to bring others into that connection too.” Today, as the Coordinator of Land-Based Learning, Rob helps thousands of students and staff each year learn with the land, not just on it. His work stretches far beyond field centres. It’s in program design, school partnerships, pre- and post-learning, and those small, unexpected moments - like pausing with students to listen to a waterfall or marvel at a salamander. “Land-based learning matters because it reconnects us to place, to community, and to ourselves,” he explains. “It’s hands-on, relational, and grounded in the understanding that learning is holistic and lifelong.” This work is about more than outdoor education, for Rob. It’s about building relationships with the land, with each other, and with Indigenous ways of knowing that remind us learning is rooted in connection and responsibility. “If we don’t feel a relationship to the land we live, learn, and play on every day, what are we really connected to?” he asks. What keeps him going after more than two decades isn’t just the philosophy, but also the transformation. “You see it right away. The moment students step outside, something shifts. They take risks. They collaborate. They start to see the world, and themselves, differently.” He’s proud of the programs the team has helped to build - experiences that honour local ecosystems, centre Indigenous perspectives, and support students in developing a sense of stewardship and belonging that lasts long after a field trip ends. “Legacy isn’t about how long you’ve been somewhere,” he says. “It’s about what continues to grow because you were there.” And then he smiles. “I love hearing new staff say, ‘I remember coming here as a student.’ That’s when you know the impact lasted.” For Rob, that’s the goal. Not just learning for a day, but a relationship that lasts a lifetime. #PDSBEducationWeek #OurStoriesInAction