“Children more than ever, need opportunities to be in their bodies in the world – jumping rope, bicycling, stream hopping and fort building. It’s this engagement between limbs of the body and bones of the earth where true balance and centeredness emerge.”
~ David Sobel
Q: What happens when an ecology professor and a school administrator buy a farm?
A: A commitment to natural ecosystem conservation, wildlife habitat restoration, and providing as many opportunities as possible for kids to connect and commune with nature.
Our Story
In the fall of 2020, after five years of tiny house living, our family of 5 stumbled upon a Pacific Northwest slice of heaven just 2 miles from our home in Oregon City. We didn’t have any experience farming but knew that this property was special, so we committed ourselves to being the caretakers of this 150 acre piece of Earth.
Since purchasing the property, we have established a small farm operation with sheep, chickens, and a market garden. We have also taken every opportunity to create educational opportunities for children and young adults — from kindergarten to college. Students have planted acorns as part of an oak woodland restoration project, learned about indigenous ecosystem management practices, conducted original scientific research, and simply enjoyed the serenity of communing with nature.
Tree Folk is the beginning of us branching out (get it?) to create more formal educational opportunities for the broader Portland Metro community.
Teachers
Lia Cernauskas
Lia is an ivy league trained artist and lifelong lover of the outdoors who can’t wait to keep discovering nature’s wonders alongside kids! She loves expanding her understanding of the flora and fauna around her and sharing her growing appreciation of the natural world with everyone she meets. Outside of Tree Folk, Lia is a Pre-K Teaching Assistant at the Marylhurst School. When she’s not teaching, you can find her learning to mountain bike, swimming, doing art projects, and cuddling with her dog, Roman.
Hannah Kaba
Hannah is a recent graduate from Reed College where she studied environmental science, specifically focusing on the effects of wildfire and urbanization on lichens in the forest canopy. She is passionate about learning from the complex relationships of species around us and developing a respect for all beings, no matter their size. Before tree folk, Hannah worked on a team developing a more accessible and inclusive Biology course for her college, and she hopes to extend her knowledge of pedagogy to the camp. When she is not helping with tree folk, you can find her growing flowers, dancing at the river, and doing yoga.