“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.

Mary Mahorney

Mary is a seasoned educator who has worked at independent schools in the Portland Metro Area for over 30 years. She loves nurturing kids’ inner artist, following their interests, and trekking with them through the forest. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University where she studied history, political science, and philosophy. When she’s not teaching, Mary is kayaking on rivers near and far or reading a good book with her cat, Pudge.