Our Story
What happens when two burnt-out moms find their way back to nature, and realize that THIS is what their families need more than anything else? Root & Wild Nature Therapy; that’s what happens.
Learning to support ourselves and our families through sensory immersion in nature has changed our lives for the better in such profound ways. We have learned to co-regulate our nervous systems, but more than that we have found a deeper sense of meaning and connection with the world around us.
We can’t imagine devoting our time and energy to anything more valuable and rewarding than sharing these practices with others. In a time when the world so often feels too fast, too loud, and too cruel; this is our offering.
Get to Know Us
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Get to Know Us *
Courtney Hartl
Co-founder, ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide
I grew up losing time in the woods. Countless hours of my childhood were spent wandering, climbing, turning over rocks to see what might be hidden below. The forest was a friend to me in ways I didn’t understand at the time. Then, as is so often the case, I got busy. There was always too much to do; undoubtedly exacerbated by my as-yet undiagnosed ADHD and autism. I spent less and less time in the forest.
Eventually I crashed into a wall of burnout. I was running a coffee shop, helping to lead a nonprofit organization, and raising a neurodivergent daughter whose energy and imagination knew no bounds. I was chronically overstimulated, chronically ill, and chronically exhausted. So my husband and I sold our coffee shop, I quit my job in nonprofit, and we moved to the rural hills of Northwest Connecticut.
I began rekindling my relationship with the land; with the forest that raised me. I found peace in the stillness of the tall pines, in the steady flow of the river, in the dappled sunlight that breaks through a dense canopy. I found that my entire family was more alive and more ourselves when immersed in nature. Eventually, I realized that I want to find a way to share that magic with others.
This led me to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides & Programs where I trained to become certified as a Forest Therapy Guide. It is an incredible honor to hold space for people who want to explore and deepen their own connection to the land; who want to experience the magic of the forest in a new way.
Elizabeth (Biz) Bernard
Co-founder, Educator Extraordinaire
I’m Biz. I grew up in a small town surrounded by forests and waterfalls, and what seemed like endless trails that I never even got to explore. I’ve always felt connected to nature and animals but never understood how essential it was to my well-being until just a few years ago.
My first calling was education. I revelled in teaching children how to become learners. This grew into my fascination with how the brain and body systems develop, work together, and impact students’ ability to learn.
Becoming a mother is what finally brought me back to nature. As I navigated through this new season of life and a new diagnosis of ADHD and autism, nature became the gift that helped me and my family work through the never-ending changes and challenges that being human brings. Of course, this led to new learning and research about the natural world and its impact on the human nervous system.
Now I am ready to continue my path of educating others, but in a different way. I feel privileged to be able to bring the treasures of the natural world to more individuals and families through Root & Wild.
What’s Matters to Us
Our work is rooted in inclusivity, accessibility, and a deep respect for the diverse traditions that have nurtured healing practices and lived in relationship with the land across cultures and generations.
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We recognize that we live and work on the stolen land of the Wawyachtonoc (wah-wah-yack-toh-nock) Tribal Nation, members of the Mahican Confederacy who were driven from their land in 1830. They are the original stewards of the land along the Housatonic river since time immemorial and we honor their reciprocal relationship with this land and these waters. We pay our deepest respect to their elders- past, present and future.
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When we say all are welcome in the wild, we mean it. That includes YOU; regardless of race, religion, sexual identity, gender identity, neurotype, disability, size, or any other factor you may have been judged or excluded for.
That being said, we have a zero tolerance policy for hatred. This includes but is not limited to: racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and ableism.
If any of this sounds like a problem for you, our work is probably not going to be your cup of tea.
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If you want to experience the benefits of nature therapy with us, we are committed to making it happen. Period.
Making the more-than-human world accessible to all is a core value of our business. Wherever you live. Whatever your financial situation is. However significant your mobility limitations.
We are deeply committed to supporting neurodivergent individuals and families whose sensory preferences, communication differences, or emotional regulation challenges may have prevented them from accessing nature in a meaningful way. We would love nothing more than to work with you and find out how we can safely support your unique nature therapy journey.
Want to connect with us?
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