Hi, I’m Brooke; a mountain-living, ocean-loving naturalist who’s happiest with dirt under my nails, a trail under my feet, or a cup of tea cooling beside me while I knit something slightly wonky but made with love. I’ve always believed that nature isn’t something “out there”. It’s right here in the wind that sneaks under the doorframe, the moss that grows between sidewalk cracks, and the small, wild moments that tug us back into our bodies.

At my home in the central Sierra Nevadas, I spend a part of most days wandering the woods and shores of alpine lakes with my kid and our dogs, Tango and Calypso, noticing all the little things: a new mushroom after a rain, the feathering pattern of ice on a puddle, the way the light shifts on the clouds in late afternoon. As a recent arrival from a life lived well in the Pacific Northwest, I’m in thrall to the sunshine between storms here in California. I believe lake swimming is the best kind of swimming. When I’m not outside, you can usually find me reading next to the fireplace, piecing together a stained glass mosaic, splashing watercolor across the page, or trying to remember where I put my keys.

I’m equal parts curious scientist, dedicated educator, and cozy craft-maker, and I believe play, wonder, and gentle attention are powerful teachers. I left the walls of the classroom behind after over 20 years as a high school science teacher and I opened Heartwood Mindful Nature School here in the Sierra Nevadas to dedicate my time to my passion for outdoor education. Trees not screens is my personal education mantra and I moved out of the city to offer my daughter the opportunity to slow down and access the feral childhood I was privileged to have had growing up off grid in Alaska.

Whether I’m hiking among giant sequoias or watching the waves crash against a rocky shore, I’m always asking the same quiet questions: What can I learn here? How can I feel more alive, more rooted, more connected?

This space is my way of sharing that sense of curiosity and delight. I hope when you’re here, you feel welcomed – like you’ve stepped onto a soft forest trail with a friend who’s just as excited as you are to discover what’s around the next bend.