About Us

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.  ~John Muir, 1913, in L.M. Wolfe, ed., John Muir, John of the Mountains:  The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, 1938

A wide eyed three year old stands, dwarfed, in front of a cross cut section of a Coastal Redwood tree displayed in the Museum of Natural History in NYC… “I want to see the forest where this tree grew up.”

40 years later, that child now walks with three wide eyed children of her own through that very magical forest where that tree did in fact, grow up.  We were privileged to be hiking amongst her brothers and sisters, some 2000 years old and over 300 feet tall. 

Since that day at the museum I have been in awe of those Giant trees. I am reminded and astounded by the absolute perfectness of Mother Nature.  I feel lucky to be a part of it all and obliged to say thank you.   

At Enchanted Earth we believe that using materials supplied by Mother Nature helps children actively choose to honor and understand the great circle of life of which they are a part.  Nothing living is ever killed and nothing is ever wasted in our classes. 

Leigh Tripathi has been working with children and the Earth since 1985, when she began work as an arts & crafts counselor at a camp for inner city kids.  These kids in particular had few opportunities to connect to their Earth, so she used natural and found materials to help facilitate these 5 to 12 year olds exposure to opportunities where they might explore, create, wonder and dream.

From there she used nature as the classroom and art as a medium for teaching kids who had needs different than the average kid.

In addition to facilitating Earth Art experiences, Leigh has taught ESL, remedial reading and special education to elementary age children, as well as cooking for 2-5 year olds.

She has been involved in Wilderness search and rescue and wilderness first aid.

Leigh has facilitated the exposure of many, many groups of children, differently abled and typical to technical rock climbing, camping, hiking, canoeing and white water rafting.   

Each child I meet is like a flower; wholly beautiful alone yet radiant in a meadow of others.

Whenever I have the opportunity to bring children into nature I know that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

How nourishing to our souls to have mud on our hands and grass between our toes!  It grounds us in the Earth!  It wakes us up, yet allows us to sleep.

I feel privileged to be part of your child’s exposure to and understanding of the Natural world that we live in. 

It is my goal that each child who I work with leaves the experience with a greater sense of respect for themselves and the Earth, and that through art and nature they come to realize how important they are in the great circle of life.  That they can dream any dream and make any one of them come true.  And of course, it is our goal to create beautiful art!!   

I love what I do and I believe that it is critical for children to play in mud, splash in puddles, climb trees, build Fairie Houses and campfires and soulfully choreograph their own dance with nature.  For this reason Enchanted Earth Art is, and will always be, available to all children.  If you or your child are interested in anything that we offer, please contact us.  If there is some special need, share it with us; whether it is a physical limitation or a financial one; if your child wants to be here, they should be here! 

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars."  ~Martin Luther