branchingrootsmn@gmail.com

612-987-7426

About Us
Bio

About Me

My Name is Jessie Carpenter and I am the founder of Branching Roots Hiking Club and Nature School. I am married to my incredibly patient husband and we have four beautiful children together.

We live on 4 acres in Nowthen, where we spend time planting gardens, tending our property, playing with a yard of chickens and constantly dreaming up more plans of what we can do next. In our free time we spend weeks at the cabin; fishing, swimming, rock hunting and just enjoying the slowness of life. We have the BEST little pop up camper that we love to use all summer and find new places to explore. I find peace in nature and I see that my children grow closer and truly take care of each other when we are hiking through the woods together.

We find pure joy in embracing all seasons – winter in particular brings so many challenges, but also so many wonderful and amazing adventures. Branching Roots was started on a whim and with a dream of bringing the love of nature to as many families as I could. I run both a nature hiking group that meets weekly to explore local parks together and just let children run wild and free in nature and I have a more structured nature school once a week where we spend our days learning about nature, wood working, baking on a fire, doing devotionals as a group and letting our children bond and grow together as a group. My hope is to continue to grow a network of mothers that want to raise their children in nature, to let them explore, learn their limits independently and trust their instincts.

History

Our History

When I first started homeschooling I knew that I wanted the majority of our time to be based in nature. For the first few years of our homeschool experience we spent our days on long walks, visiting local parks, hiking through waterfalls, rock hunting and just LIVING in nature. I started to notice that my kids found peace in nature. The amount of nature based and child led learning that happened was wonderful to watch.

During this time I also ran a weekly hiking group that met in local parks to hike and let our children run wild and free. We spent hours with these momma’s and their babies enjoying nature together. After spending a couple years with these families it was apparent there was a need for a more structured nature based learning environment.

In 2023 I started Branching Roots Nature School. We spend our days outside, we learn together as a group, we enjoy crafts and devotional time, some structured lessons and lots of time to explore and work together to accomplish goals. No matter the weather we meet weekly and enjoy a day of learning and exploring together.

Reviews

This group was the highlight of our homeschooling journey this last year! I am so thankful we found a community who also values letting children be children and providing an environment that fosters a love for the outdoors, curiosity, practical life skills, and community. My son couldn’t wait to go every week. It was so wonderful watching his imagination reignite when give the space and freedom to do so with other children. I am so thankful for this special year we have had.

Justine

Branching Roots has been incredibly life giving for our family. It’s a place where I can bring my kids to hear a great lesson, participate in fun activities and do what kids do best...play! They get use their imagination in ways kids in a traditional setting wouldn't. They interact with children of all different ages as well as with adults. They learn how to collaborate, work through things together in a safe environment with moms that are committed to helping our kids become the best humans they can be. The teachers are engaging and so invested. Their love for children and their mamas is unmatched. I highly recommend this community to everyone looking for a nature based style of learning and play.

Ashely

Branching Roots is an absolute blessing to our family. We are so grateful for the opportunity to connect with and celebrate life outdoors in community with other like minded "Wild + Free" families. Jessie is a welcoming, thoughtful, encouraging and super fun leader. All of the moms and kids are a joy to gather with each week. 

Our toddlers have a total blast romping with their "nature buddies" of all ages. It's great to meet for hiking club and explore different wilderness areas & play spaces together. We love the Nature School settings and programming, which offer a perfect blend of work, play, free time and structured activities. 

We are extremely thankful for the Branching Roots leadership, outdoor fellowship and to observe the seasons as part of a reverent and adventurous group

Twin Toddler Mom (Ramsey, MN)

The first day we walked into the barn at Branching Roots, it was exactly how I imagined a nature school for my children. The setting is peaceful and lovely. My three boys can take a long time to warm up to new friends, and over the past year, they’ve been able to make several friends. There is nothing better to me now than to see my kids run off into the woods with their friends excited to imagine and discover together. The outdoor setting allows space for plenty of wiggles and whispers, short attention spans, and working at one’s own pace-most of which can’t happen in a traditional classroom. I can honestly say my children thrived over the past year because of Branching Roots. The ability to connect on a deeper level with the moms has also been an essential piece for me. How many moms get to see their friends on a weekly basis for a whole day?! Making mom friends that also are choosing a slower, nature-enriched approach to life and also love Jesus has been such a gift.

Ana

CONTACT

Get In touch

Feel free to reach out if you have questions about our program.