*All studies are digital unless otherwise noted.

Nice to Meet You!

I realized I never properly introduced myself and my sweet family. My name is Laura, and I love nature! Even more, I love exploring with my kids in nature. We moved to the country so our kids could grow up with plenty of room to do just that. We live on 20 acres of rolling hills, forest, and prairie in the Missouri Ozarks. A creek meanders through the back of the property, and a wetland (that wants to be a pond) sits up front. Deer and turkey wander through on a regular basis. Right now we’ve been keeping our eye on a doe and her twin fawns that visit in the evenings. It is peaceful and beautiful here, and I love it. It’s proven to be a great place to raise and to homeschool our kids.

We haven’t always lived here. My husband and I both grew up in Iowa. We both lived around the Des Moines area, and we both went to Iowa State University and majored in Animal Ecology. And my senior year, we both signed up for a class called the Natural History of Costa Rica, which is where our paths finally crossed. The rest is, well, history. We have been together ever since, married for almost 17 years. My husband is a photographer for a large outdoor company based in this area. Until recently I was a school teacher, before that a museum educator, and before that, a zoo educator. I loved writing curriculum, designing programs, and introducing kids to science and nature. Now, I am focusing that love on our three kiddos here at home.

We aren’t your typical family, and we get some interesting looks when we are about town. We have adopted all three of our kids, and they are a beautiful mix of cultures, personalities and all that makes this world great. We are a rarity around this part of the country, though, which doesn’t come without its hardships. But, we have solid family and friends to help us on our journey. Homeschooling has been a blessing to us.

Homeschooling has been a blessing to us. We have met some great moms and kids who are incredibly welcoming and who love nature as much as we do!

We have met some great moms and kids who are incredibly welcoming and who love nature as much as we do! They have been an awesome resource for us - from finding new natural areas to visit to starting our own co-op. And above all, their friendship is invaluable.

 

 

 

Our kids are 9, 6 and 6 months. Like most kids, they are natural explorers who enjoy adventuring and digging and climbing and yelling and running and being free (the jury is still out on the six month old, but my money is on another wild man!). Thus, Firefly Nature School was born. My education and career experiences have helped prepare me for this venture. But my own childhood and my children are the greatest inspiration for writing lessons and loving every minute of it. Watching them observe, learn and discover is what parenting and teaching is all about. We invite you to check out our lessons and come explore with us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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