Our Wild Learning (OWL) was founded in 2025 by early childhood educator, Lauren Lyman, with a vision to nurture young children through meaningful connection with the natural world. Rooted in the forest school principles of child-led exploration and outdoor sensorial learning, OWL embraces the philosophy that nature is a powerful and essential teacher. Through Lauren’s years of observation while working with young children from newborn to 6 years old—as well as her training and research—it became clear that time spent in nature offers profound cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits for children.

OWL aims to provide a space where children can grow, learn, and thrive through hands-on experiences, imaginative play, and connection with the natural world. Lauren has 11 years of experience working with children as a Montessori primary guide, nanny for 7 St. Pete families, and is also a private swim instructor through her mobile swim lessons business, as well as a certified Forest School teacher and director through the Forest School Teacher Institute (FSTI). She loves all things playing outdoors: from scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, canoeing, boogie boarding, or just sitting quietly by a creek or under an oak tree - nature is her happy place!