Meet Tamara Wineland | Director and Catalyst

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamara Wineland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Initially it can feel overwhelming when you have an idea and want to implement it. I felt like I had to have a superpower in order to operate my own business. It wasn’t until I started connecting with other entrepreneurs and listening to their stories that I realized we’re all average people willing to put in a lot of work to make something happen. We’re not special, just determined. I saw a need in my community and for my own family and decided to meet it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I run a forest and nature school that integrates children with special needs. What makes our program unique is we have two occupational therapists and a speech and language pathologist in the outdoor environment, informing our teaching practice and incorporating therapeutic activities spontaneously through the cues of the individual child. Children aren’t separated from their peers to receive therapies, their goals are met through their chosen activities and interactions with their peers. Additionally, children without identified needs mentor one another and benefit greatly from their interactions as well, demonstrating greater empathy and awareness.

Not only do we serve children with special educational needs, we also partner with many community organizations to provide opportunities outside of our base environment to communicate, experience, and participate with a variety of people and purposes.

Running an inclusive program is incredibly difficult due to the associated costs of therapists and we rely on donors and grants to provide the services that ensure a valuable experience. Often, there are complex medical needs as well which can add to the requirements of maintaining our license. I’ve learned more than I could ever imagine about a child’s physical and cognitive development through my team of therapists and I am a better facilitator because of their input. Being able to integrate activities outside of the free play model that is forest school is invaluable to ensuring the whole development of our treeschoolers, and this would not be possible without our community and partnerships we’ve made over the years.

Our motto is “Born Adventurous; and we’d like to keep it that way.” All children are born with an instinct to move in developmentally appropriate ways, explore their senses, and learn through experiences and inquiries unique to them. We’re just providing the environment and elements to help them do that while building strong relationships and purpose. We’re bringing childhood back.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Colorado has a reputation for being outdoorsy, but I love that it has an activity or community for everyone. The Paint Mines is one of my favorite weekday winter hikes because it’s exposed and the sun keeps things warm and traversable while tubing the Platte River in the summer is the perfect device-free hangout. After a hike or float down the river, we like to refuel at Crave Real Burgers in Castle Rock or Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar in Colorado Springs. Exploring the Broadmoor Hotel and hiking Seven Falls is a great full day excursion, especially when you cap it off with S’mores around a firepit under the stars.

I think the most interesting people in Colorado are the ones that run our local farms, of whom we partner with often. It’s fun to see their creative ideas to serve their community and thwart the the unpredictable Colorado weather. We have therapeutic farms, family fun farms, teaching farms, and co-op farms that offer food, unique products, seasonal activities and year round experiences. My favorite people run Albergue Garcia Farms, a community centered, hobby farm with a Walipini that houses fig trees, citrus fruits, grapes, and more. It’s wild seeing those thrive at 7,000 feet. Not to mention they embrace the spirit of Colorado that I grew up with: loving and serving others.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am surrounded by a community of encouragers who continue to ask “Why” and “What’s Next.” Working towards those answers is what has led to successful programming because we are continually challenged to meet the needs of our stakeholders. I wouldn’t have even thought of growing and building if it weren’t for those questions. However, being a mom gave me a greater purpose than I ever thought possible, and it was through the eyes of my kids that I began seeing education in a whole new light.

Website: www.adventuremefs.com and www.trek-outdoors.org

Instagram: @adventuremefs @trekoutdoors_org