Building the Village
rooted in love, intention, and community
Tucked into the heart of an ancient forest, safe beneath the shade of sprawling oaks, a sacred space for SOL is beginning to take root.
On the land of Bosque Refugio, the children of SOL are invited to wander in wonder through winding trails, build forts from fallen branches, mix soup with muddy sticks, climb trees, chase fairies, tell stories, sing songs, and play. Families are welcome to stay—to gather, to connect, to build, and to breathe.
This Summer, the Children’s Garden of SOL is coming to life, and the Village is invited to join in its creation.
THE JOURNEY
WEEK 1 June 16-18
Greeting the Land
Ground + Belong
We begin by slowing down, listening to the forest, and becoming familiar with the rhythms of this enchanted place. Through scavenger hunts, mapping adventures, and land explorations, the children begin weaving themselves into the story of Bosque Refugio.
As we get to know the land, the space slowly begins to feel like home.
WEEK 2 June 23-25
Tending the Garden
Plant + Grow
Once grounded into the land, the children naturally begin tending the garden spaces with beauty and magic. Together we plant flowers, build fairy houses, create sensory pathways, and bring more life onto the land.
The forest begins to bloom with color, fragrance, movement, and life.
WEEK 3 June 30-July 2
Welcoming the Water
Play + Flow
As the summer heat settles in, water becomes both teacher and playground. Children explore flow, movement, mud, puddles, fountains, and splash zones while creating spaces for joyful sensory play and cooling connection.
Streams begin to wind through the village as a source of connection for all.
WEEK 4 July 14-16
Caring for Creatures
Love + Care
Now that the land feels alive with plants and water, the children begin learning about the creatures who call it home. Through chicken care, habitat building, and pollinator observation, they discover the important role every living being plays within an ecosystem.
The forest becomes not just a place to play, but a community to care for.
WEEK 5 July 21-23
Shaping the Space
Collaborate + Create
With imagination awakened, the children begin shaping the physical spaces of the village itself. Forts rise from fallen branches, hammocks sway beneath the trees, signs mark gathering places, and outdoor art transforms the landscape into something whimsical and deeply loved.
Every creation carries the essence of the children who helped build it.
WEEK 6 July 28-30
Celebrating our Creations
Share + Celebrate
As the village nears completion, we prepare to open the enchanted forest to friends & family. The children decorate the land, prepare handmade offerings, practice performances, and reflect on all that has been created throughout a meaningful and joyful summer together.
and so the journey comes full circle.
Enchanted Forest Festival
August 1
What began as open space has now become a living village filled with memories, beauty, friendship, and belonging.
On the final evening, families gather beneath the oak trees for a magical community celebration filled with music, storytelling, herbal drinks, homemade food, handmade goods, and child-led performances.
Together, we celebrate not only what was built on the land, but what was nurtured within the hearts of the children who helped bring the vision to life.
0-3yrs: Wanderers
Our youngest children experience the world through movement, sensation, rhythm, and connection. Through water play, mud kitchens, music, stories, sensory gardens, and simple helping tasks, they begin building a deep sense of belonging within the village. This stage is centered around warmth, attachment, exploration, and joyful connection to the natural world.
8-10yrs: Builders
Builders begin thinking more intentionally about how things work and how they can help shape the spaces around them. Through natural building projects, pathways, signage, garden spaces, mud kitchens, and collaborative creations, they strengthen problem-solving skills, creativity, and independence. This stage encourages teamwork, experimentation, and pride in contributing meaningful work to the village.
4-7yrs: Explorers
Explorers experience the world through curiosity, imagination, and creative play. Fairy gardens, puppet theater, forts, nature crafts, animal care, waterways, and storytelling invite them into a magical relationship with the land around them. Through open-ended exploration and meaningful contribution, they build confidence, wonder, and connection to the living world.
11-14yrs: Visionaries
Our oldest group steps into leadership, stewardship, and creative responsibility within the community. Visionaries help guide younger children, initiate projects, design spaces, and contribute to the evolving vision of the land through collaboration and innovation. They are encouraged to think critically, create boldly, and discover how their unique gifts can serve something larger than themselves.
Meet the Land
a glimpse into Bosque Refugio
Tuition + Enrollment
Weekly Enrollment
$90 / week
for those who may not be available all summer, but still want to be part of the magic
Full Journey
$480 total
for those available for the full 6-weeks and committed to bringing the vision to life
Due now: $100 Enrollment fee
Tuition will be due the Sunday before we begin.
Sibling Discount
25% off additional children
Step Up Scholarship
direct pay available
Meet Your Guides
Miss Leah
Leah is a passionate educator and devoted mother of three who believes that reconnecting children to nature is the solution to healing the world. After working within the public school system, she began envisioning a different kind of learning environment—one rooted in connection, creativity, community, and the natural rhythms of childhood.
Inspired by Forest Schools, Waldorf education, Montessori philosophy, and indigenous ways of learning, Leah founded SOL as a space where children and families could slow down, reconnect with the Earth, and experience learning as something alive and meaningful.
Over the past several years, she has cultivated nature-based programs, seasonal gatherings, outdoor classes, and immersive learning experiences centered around wonder, belonging, and stewardship of the land. Her work is guided by the belief that children thrive when they are trusted, inspired, and given the freedom to explore the world through their senses, curiosities, and heart.
Leah is deeply passionate about creating spaces where children feel connected to themselves, to each other, and to the living world around them. She is honored to walk alongside families on that journey.
SOL Founder + Educator
Miss Carol
After becoming a mother, Carol knew she wanted a different kind of educational experience for her son. Drawn by her love of nature and desire for community, she enrolled her son in a local forest school. It was there that she discovered a deep passion for this approach to learning and went on to earn her forest school teacher certification.
Over the past few years, Carol has gained valuable experience working in a variety of educational settings, including Forest School, Waldorf, and Montessori environments. She is now excited to return to the roots of what first inspired her and join SOL as a dedicated guide and educator.
Carol believes that children thrive most when they are connected to nature, and she is truly looking forward to being part of their journey!
SOL Educator
Meet Your Host
Ana Orvieto
Ana is a mother of three, a builder of sanctuaries, and a keeper of ancestral memory. For over twenty years she has created beautiful, functional spaces where people feel safe enough to do their most important work — from research institutions to healing centers. She brought all of that here, to this land, for this purpose.
Her path to Bosque Refugio was shaped by the experiences that change women quietly and without ceremony. Becoming a mother young set her on a search for more conscious ways to parent. When her grandmother passed, something shifted that could not be undone — a clarity about the maternal wounds that move through generations, unspoken, passed down alongside the love. She understood that healing those threads requires community, land, and a return to ancestral wisdom.
Bosque Refugio is where all of her lessons and loves converge — named in honor of her grandmother Celina Refugio, on land she chose deliberately, in a language she refuses to leave behind. It is the space she always knew needed to exist: a refuge where mothers put the weight down, children learn to tend the earth, and healing moves at the pace of a forest. She believes that when we support mothers, we shape the future.
Founder + Land Steward,
Frequently asked questions
For any additional questions, please submit our contact form here and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.