Farm and Forest School’s Fire Circle Track

Each lesson will focus on a mitzvah that Judaism teaches can help us achieve this goal. 

We will learn values such as Baal Tashchit (do not destroy), Tzar Baalei Chayim (prohibition of causing unnecessary suffering to animals), Pikkuach Nefesh (saving a life), and Kashrut (dietary laws), by performing acts of service, participating in discussions about ethics, and learning how to live in harmony with the land on which we live.  

Dates: March 23, April 27 and May 4, 2025. 

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Questions? Contact Stephanie Katsampis at farmandforest@adamah.org

Note: if sessions are cancelled for any reason, additional date(s) will be added to the end of the season.

2025 Pricing

• For participants who are enrolled in Farm and Forest School: $150
• For participants who are not enrolled in Farm and Forest School: $360
• For participants who are coming with their Sunday School program: $90

Please be in touch with Stephanie Katsampis if you need any financial assistance or need to set up a payment plan.

Experiential Learning

Farm & Forest School provides a unique and enriching environment for children to connect with nature and each other through exploration, play, and immersive, hands-on learning. This program emphasizes building character, fostering community, and promoting environmental stewardship while drawing from Jewish and Indigenous wisdom. Through our nature and community-based curriculum, children explore ecosystems, learn about organic & sustainable gardening practices, and develop essential earth skills, like shelter-building & wild edibles. Our educators value creating an environment that helps their students gain a sense of confidence, belonging, gratitude, and responsibility for themselves, the community, and the Earth. 

The Jewish and Indigenous wisdom we share is presented in a secular way that is inclusive and welcoming for youth of all backgrounds. Our program aims to build a bridge between nature connection, spiritual wisdom, and loving community for all.

Students gain a tremendous amount of knowledge through encountering and understanding dozens of plants, animals, ecological systems, and earth skills.

Drawing on Jewish and Indigenous educational wisdom, Farm & Forest School trains students in a plethora of practical skills and scientific knowledge while building essential character traits like compassion, alert awareness, gratitude, and deep listening.

Our students have so much fun they don’t even realize how much they’re learning!  Collaborative group challenges followed by artfully guided debrief activities build compassionate communication and leadership skills.  Farm projects encompass tending perennial and annual plants, animal care, mushroom cultivation, natural building, cooking, herbal medicine, and more. Inspiring or thought-provoking articles or short videos may be shared on a wide range of topics from local food systems to innovative compost solutions to global initiatives in eco-social entrepreneurship. Time for lunch and supervised free play are built into the schedule. 

Skills & Activities

Here are some examples of what we do during Farm & Forest School:

Testimonials

“Our kids have been enthusiastically involved in Farm and Forest School with Joe (for our older child) and Alexa (for our younger) for several years now and each season they grow more and more excited to participate.  They have learned the valuable skills of independence, appreciation of nature, and survival and love the interaction they have with the other children in their groups.  We love hearing and learning from their experience at the end of each class as they recount their day to us.  We greatly appreciate the Farm & Forest School team’s kindness, care, and generosity.”

“My kid has been doing Farm & Forest School for a year and a half, starting each class eager and ending full of stories and smelling of fresh air. I especially appreciate the strong experiential learning: yes, my kid can identify different owl calls and wild plants (for example), but she has also amassed a collection of really fun group games to share in other situations, and is learning to cultivate awareness and focus through challenges both routine and adventurous. We’re so lucky to have found the terrific team at Farm & Forest School.” 

“I currently have three children who attend Farm & Forest School. My oldest two girls have been attending since 2020 and my son became a regular in 2022. They each have learned so many things about nature and most importantly, themselves. They have developed a sense of self awareness and independence that I feel confident would not exist if it was not for Farm & Forest. Joe and Stephanie are wonderful leaders; both are patient and incredibly knowledgeable. While we live fairly close and I appreciate the convenience, I would absolutely spend a considerable amount of time in the car for this experience!”

Teachers and Educators

Joe Murray | Wilderness Educator

Joe has been teaching nature connection since 1997 and has made it his life’s work to learn from the indigenous peoples of the earth and share the old ways with as many people as possible. During that time, he has mentored thousands of kids and helped design the curriculum for several wilderness schools and is a founding member of the nonprofit Ancestral Knowledge.

Alexa White | Farmer Educator

Alexa is committed to growing a culture of care as an educator and land steward. Her background is in outdoor & STEAM education, program administration, and community health work. She is passionate about connecting people with the land and each other.

Stephanie Katsampis | Farm & Forest School Program Director and Educator

Before coming to Pearlstone, Steph spent years traveling, tending the Land & studying various traditions and ways of healing. As an educator, she finds joy in weaving Cultural Wisdom and Nature-based education together in a way that allows her students tap into a greater sense of wonder, confidence, play, and sacred purpose.

Amy Booth | Educator

Amy’s background is in neuroscience and virology; she spent many years studying the smallest life forms before moving up to larger organisms. Along with Farm and Forest school, she is currently an education professor and robotics coach. At Pearlstone, she finds joy in helping kids foster self-awareness and environmental consciousness

Avihay Aharoni | Educator and Pearlstone Shaliach

I am the Shaliach, a Jewish educator from Israel. I was born and raised in Jerusalem. I have traveled to many beautiful places in the world enjoying the connections between nature, Judaism, and Israel. I believe that connections can be made through songs, stories and music. I hope to connect you to the land of Israel by exploring our roots at Pearlstone.