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We acknowledge we gather on Lands of the Lisjan Ohlone and other Indigenous peoples
We choose to pay our Shuumi Land Tax and encourage others who live, work, and thrive on this land to do the same.
Our Philosophy
Stepping into the forest and witnessing the fall of a leaf, the sound of raindrops, or the call of a hawk can all spark a day’s investigation. At Oakland Saplings, we are inspired to follow the lead of children and their natural curiosity for the world around them. We believe in giving children space to play, explore, and come together in collaboration. By nature we are all scientists, researchers, mathematicians, and philosophers. It is our intention to uncover these multifaceted abilities and learn alongside children as we dive deep into our connection with the world around us.
ABOUT
Get to know us
Oakland Saplings Forest School was born from the coming together of two educators to create a space to dive deep with children into nature connection and bring their passion for project work into the forest.
Anna Zaugh
Founder/ Saplings Teacher
Anna has been working with children in multiple modalities for the past several years. After graduating with a degree in Psychology from Mills College in 2017, Anna began teaching in preschools as well as movement classes for children. After teaching at Stretch the Imagination preschool in San Francisco for the past four years in their hybrid nature program, Anna developed a passion for forest schools and connecting children to nature. Watching children risk take, problem solve, build confidence and grow community in the forest have all been facets that have blossomed a deep love of nature programs. It is a dream come true to co-found a program that encompasses all of the wonders of childhood in nature.
Tracy Bernardi
Founder/ Seedlings Teacher
Tracy has always known she would work with children. After obtaining her Teaching Credential and Early Childhood Education Masters from Mills College, she spent the last 10 years working in Reggio Emilia inspired schools in the bay area. Born and raised in Oakland, Tracy has always dreamed of sharing some of her favorite nature spaces with children, including the incredible redwood forests in Joaquin Miller Park. Having her own children has finally given her the push she needed into making this passion a reality. There is nothing that ignites her more than discovering alongside a child and seeing the sparks of lifelong learning come alive.
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Whitney Ellis
Dewdrops Educator
Whitney has an extensive background working with children and families, primarily in the early education sector. It is after years spent teaching kindergarten and preschool that Whitney realized that some of her most beloved times were spent connecting with parents - providing them little snippets of their child’s day or offering advice when it seemed like parents were fighting an uphill battle at home. In 2020, Whitney started her own consulting business - Tiny Tides and has been working with individual families and running parent-child classes and playgroups since then. Prior to starting Tiny Tides, Whitney served as Director of the Great Pacific Child Development Center for Patagonia, Inc. in Ventura, CA, and as Co-Director of Stretch the Imagination, a Reggio-inspired school in San Francisco. Whitney relishes in the benefits that nature connection provides young children with and believes there's no better space to develop the foundation for a love of learning than within the walls of a forest.
Adam Weiss
Saplings Teacher
Adam joined Oakland Saplings out of a desire for him and his family to have a place and community that would help develop a deeper connection to nature and foster fundamental learnings without walls. Adam was also excited about not only sending his kids to forest school, but to become a forest school teacher as well. The ideal opportunity was found with Oakland Saplings and both Adam and his two kids are now in the forest learning and teaching together with friends. Adam has lead a life filled with apprenticeships and ongoing learning. It is his preferred way learn new skills and try on new hats in life. From learning how to build, to expanding his culinary skills through different experiences across cuisines, Adam has done a bit of everything. You can catch Adam at Oakland Saplings forest school taking kids on hikes, pointing out everything edible, taking part in imaginary play, or creating tasty treats with friends in a dirt kitchen.
Alex Mentz
Seedlings Teacher/ Banana Slugs Aftercare Teacher
After working for over a decade as a licensed cosmetologist, Alex realized her passions and interests were shifting. Retiring from hair, she went back to school, graduating in 2020 with a Bachelors in psychology and an acceptance offer to a graduate program. She planed to peruse a degree in marriage and family therapy with dreams to focus on the child. During the uncertainty of the early pandemic Alex chose to put the masters program on hold and settle into her home, her work at a horticultural nursery and pregnancy. After having her son, the whole vision shifted yet again. As a full time stay-at-home-mom, Alex went back to college to study early childhood development and pursue a role as a preschool teacher. Finding Oakland Saplings has been the most incredible thing for Alex and her family. With her son enrolled and Alex teaching they are overjoyed to be a part of the Saplings community. Settling in as a first year teacher, Alex couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with young children, surrounded by such a supportive and experienced team of educators.
Julie Goshe
Saplings Teacher/ Banana Slugs Aftercare Teacher
Julie has long dreamed of honoring her life’s calling to support children’s growth and well-being through nature-based education. She joins Oakland Saplings with over 15 years of experience teaching and nurturing children. After graduating from Smith College with a major in psychology (focused on child and adolescent development) and a minor in Spanish, she taught English and studied Mandarin as a Fulbright grantee in Taiwan. Since then, she has gratefully made her home in Oakland, where she has taught and managed an early literacy and social emotional learning program, led playgroups for parents & caregivers with 0-5 year-olds, and has been an early childhood educator in preschool and home settings for the past 10 years. She is passionate about multicultural and multilingual education, brain-based learning, and child-led play as an essential foundation for all growth and development. She highly values the importance of a deep connection with the natural world and collaborative, creative, healing community. Julie believes that children are naturally built to learn and that nature-based education is the ideal setting in which to nurture the deepening and expansion of their knowledge, skills, and capacities for connection, wonder, and joy.
Why outside?
Some of our deepest memories can be tied to the nature we experienced as children. Whether it be a family trip to snowy mountains or finding a single daisy blooming between slabs of concrete, nature has a gravitational pull that leaves a lasting footprint. For us, redwoods are where we feel at home. The smell of damp earth, the vastness of the trees stretching above, the cover of a well-built fort are all parts of childhood that we believe every child should have the right to experience.
Weather
Part of the beauty of nature is to experience it in all its forms. At Oakland Saplings, we will explore the forest in the sunshine, splashing through puddles, and from under the coziness of our self made shelters during heavy rains. During extreme weather our locations are subject to change or closure. Please read more in our FAQ.
