About Us

Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a mom of three, an educator, a musician, and a lifelong nature enthusiast.

After spending more than 13 years teaching in the public school system, I began to feel that something important was missing from the way children experience learning. I wanted my own children to grow up with more time outside—exploring, wondering, and learning through the natural world.

So I made a big leap. I left my job, my home, and the familiar roots of our life to pursue a dream: creating a nature-centered learning environment for my children and, eventually, for other families as well. That dream became Root and Roam.

Before launching Root and Roam, I spent five years running a successful nature-based homeschool cooperative, Nurture in Nature. This co-op followed me from a homeschool center, to a rental property, and finally, to our forever home. During that time, I saw firsthand how powerful outdoor learning can be for children—how curiosity grows when they are free to explore, and how deeply learning sticks when it happens through real experience.

Root and Roam grew out of that experience. It is a teacher-guided, drop-off outdoor learning program where children can explore academic subjects through hands-on discovery, exploratory play, and meaningful work with the land and animals.

Our program takes place on 22 acres of wooded land in Middleton, New Hampshire, where the homestead itself becomes the classroom. At different times of the year, the property is home to chickens, turkeys, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, and lambs. Through caring for these animals and stewarding the land, children naturally encounter concepts from science, math, language arts, history, and environmental studies.

While here, children learn to:

• Explore the world through rich literature.

• Identify native trees, plants, and animal tracks.

• Practice stewardship of animals and the land.

• Build confidence through skills like fire and shelter building while also learning about safety and preservation of the natural world around them.

• Create useful items from natural materials, such as jams, salves, tools, and toys.

• Enhance their team-working skills by working with others towards a common goal.

• Develop independence, resilience, and curiosity through outdoor exploration.

My hope for every child who comes to Root and Roam is that they leave with a deeper connection to nature, confidence in their abilities, and a sense of wonder about the world around them—because sometimes the most meaningful learning happens far beyond four walls.