Heart & Hands on the Land:
Summer Series
A 3-day program designed for young children to support the cultivation of emotional wellness and resilience through experiences of deep nature-connection.
Heart & Hands on the Land ***Enrollment Now Open***
Week 4: Aug 4-6, 2025
Monday-Wednesday 9a-2p
For children ages 3.5-6
Cost: $165
Meet the Guides
Nature-based therapist Shae Keane & nature-based educator Jenna Upton are excited to offer this new Fauna Forest Farm program for young children.
-
Co-Founder, The Earth School
Shae has a passion for facilitating transformative nature-connected experiences through relationship with plants, animals, wild landscape, and authentic community. She is particularly inspired by the meaningful impact animals have on children and loves partnering with them in the educational and therapeutic process.
For more than a decade, Shae has been following the thread of a vision of rewilding childhood. She believes that deep connection with the natural world in childhood is an important foundation to lifelong physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional wellness and thriving.
Shae holds a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and specializes in facilitating nature-connected therapeutic experiences. During her graduate program, she co-designed a Nature-Based Therapy graduate certificate at ETSU, along with colleague Dr. Bethany Novotny. When it comes to individuals' healing journey, she understands the earth to be the first healer. She continues to pursue a vision of making nature-based therapy and nature-based education accessible to all in East Tennessee.
-
Hi! I am Jenna Upton. I am a Florida native, and I hold a bachelors degree from the University of Central Florida in Elementary Education with a minor in ESL education (English as a Second Language).
I have taught in private schools, public schools, and, most recently, forest school. I have seen with my own eyes the difference in outdoor education's ability to foster an unwavering connection to nature.
As an only child, I spent all of my time playing outside under the Florida sun: in the mud, amongst palm trees, lakes, and beaches simply searching for any living thing that could become my pet for a while.
In my own life, holding on to a strong sense of oneness with Mother Nature has nurtured creativity, imagination, peace, and unconditional trust in the human experience.
I have followed Shae's dream for Fauna Forest Farm since the very beginning of fruition. The Earth School is a profound gift to our community's children, and I am honored to be a part of it.
In addition to being a life-long learner and educator, I am the mother of two fairy girls: Emmy and Rosalie. I own Mindful Birth Class Johnson City where I offer birth education classes and doula services and one-on-one prenatal yoga. I independently run Wild + Free Johnson City which is a weekly outdoors gathering for homeschooling mothers and their children.
As a homeschooling mother, I am inspired by both Charlotte Mason Method and Waldorf education models.
In my free time I enjoy reading thrillers, hiking, homesteading, herbalism and baking.
Heart & Hands
Designed by nature-based therapist Shae Keane, the Heart & Hands series will be offered seasonally and will focus on exploration of emotions, mindful movement, creative expression, ecotherapeutic storytelling, and nature-connected play.
