Inspired by nature’s healing potential, Elle studied nature-based therapy, trauma psychology, and gender at Quest University Canada while spending the summers working as an outdoor guide. Continuing her journey on the Big Island of Hawai’i, she spent nearly two years at a nature-based therapy program leading rites of passages for youth and young adults. Deeply moved by the transformative power of these spaces to connect youth to the heart and depth of who they are, Elle sought out her own rite of passage in the form of a vision fast through the School of Lost Borders (SOLB). This life-changing experience confirmed her dedication to bring more of this work into the world.
In an age of fast-paced technological, environmental, and social changes, Elle believes that the resurgence of intentional nature-based mentorship and initiatory experiences are a potent medicine for supporting healing in the world. She is passionate about helping individuals, particularly youth, reconnect with their innate sense of belonging while also fostering renewed forms of sustainable and life-affirming culture.
When not getting fired up about how intention is what changes the world, Elle can be found on epic rock climbing adventures, narrating her day-to-day activities through song, or savoring warm mugs of cacao. She also loves cold water river dips, learning about local edible plants, and doing martial arts in the forest.
Kerrick was raised in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas where he studied at the University of Texas. After some travel, he moved to the Rogue Valley of Oregon with a vision to farm and support youth. He completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Cultural Anthropology with Honors in 2004 at Southern Oregon University, and devoted over a decade supporting youth and their families navigate local and state social service programs. During this time, he and his partner cultivated a food forest at their home and founded Verdant Phoenix as an educational mini-farm in 2016.
Verdant Phoenix Farm became an expression of a way of life for Kerrick. He is interested in the relationships between humans, soil, microbes, plants/trees/shrubs, food, culture, time, and the web of life. As these elements inform his horticultural practice, Kerrick enjoys supporting landscapes, gardens, farms, and their people who are interested in belonging to the land.