06/11/2026
🌿 Why I Started Grow Wild Forest School 🌿
As a child, I was outside all the time. I remember spending hours exploring, watching bugs, looking for animals, and sitting quietly to see how close I could get to them. Nature was where I felt most at peace.
As I grew up, life got busy. Responsibilities took over, and somewhere along the way I lost that connection with nature that had been such an important part of my childhood.
Years later, I started working in a program where the focus was getting children outdoors as much as possible. It didn't take long before I felt something I hadn't felt in years—that same sense of calm, peace, and wonder that I remembered from being a child.
Being outside reminded me to slow down. To notice the birds singing overhead, the bugs crawling through the grass, and the tiny mushrooms growing on fallen trees. It reminded me that there's so much beauty in the little things if we just take the time to look.
That's why I started Grow Wild Forest School.
I wanted to create a space where children could experience that same connection with nature. A place where they can slow down, explore, wonder, and appreciate the world around them. A place where childhood isn't rushed, and where there is time to notice the tiny things that are so often overlooked.
Every day, I get to experience that peace again alongside the children. Watching them discover a salamander, examine a beetle, build a fort, or stop to admire a tiny mushroom reminds me why this work matters so much.
My hope is that the children who come through Grow Wild develop a lifelong connection with nature—one they can carry with them, even when life gets busy.
Because sometimes all we need is a little time outside to remember what really matters. 🌲✨
