Our outdoor learning space is a haven in the heart of Downtown Brooksville. The space was designed by Amanda Jo Boener, a Certified Permaculture Designer and outdoor educator, with connection and wonder for all ages woven into every element of the land. Thoughtfully created, the space invites curiosity, exploration, and hands-on discovery within the diverse learning classroom.
Location Google Listing: HERE
241 Pryor Street
Brooksville, FL 34601
We are located just two blocks from the Public Library, Public Park, & the heart of downtown. Many families enjoy visiting nearby coffee shops, restaurants or local retailers while their children are in class. Drop-off parking is available along Pryor Street. Tours by appointment only.
We have over 150 different species of Native & FL-Friendly plants & fungi!
Gardens & Living Systems
Pollinator & Bird Gardens
Native Florida plants attract bees, butterflies, and birds, giving students the opportunity to observe pollination and wildlife up close.
Herb Spiral
A hands-on herbal learning space where students plant, harvest, smell, taste, and work with herbs used for food and medicine.
Forest Garden & Forest Orchard
Swales that capture rainwater and support edible, medicinal, and pollinator plants.
3 Composting stations Community Compost; out front, with easy access for community members to give back to the soil here by bringing kitchen scraps.
We also utilize keyhole composting, vermicomposting, and a turning/barrel compost- providing multiple locations for student lunch scraps to be added and returned to the land.
Rainwater Collection Systems that capture rain to water the gardens and demonstrate real-world sustainability, with mosquito fish to help control mosquito populations.
Honeybee Classroom We have been beekeepers for over 7 years, utilizing our a Langstroth Hive handmade Warre Hive. It is hand-painted with the 3 different honeybee types on the front, perfect for teaching. Our goal is diversity, restoration, & education -with the honey & wax used for herbal projects we make with the students at the Florida Wild School.
Play & Exploration
Throughout the property, students have space to climb, build, dig, and explore.
The Wild Wood A tucked-away wooded area where students build forts, make trails, and explore freely among the trees.
Treehouse & Climbing Area Built by John, the treehouse offers a place to climb, imagine, and look out over the gardens.
Zipline & Natural Play Features Climbing and movement elements that support confidence, coordination, and adventurous play.
The Muddy Place A mud kitchen, water pump, troughs, loose parts, and working outdoor sink invite sensory play, experimentation, joyful tinkering and imaginative play. Complete with an outdoor shower for rinse off.
Animals & Wildlife
Students regularly observe and care for living systems throughout the space. We also have quail, wildlife ponds abounding with life, a worm farm and a class pet ball python.
The land also attracts a wide variety of wildlife including butterflies, moths, bees, birds, owls, hawks, bats, frogs, lizards, and many other native species.
Gathering Spaces
Our gathering areas include an open-air pavilion and a spacious screened porch art center, offering shade and shelter while keeping us connected to the sights and sounds of the gardens.
In cooler months, we often gather around the fire pit as another central place for storytelling, reflection, cooking, and shared projects.
We also have a Woodshop, with tool storage, board for instruction, and a large work bench bench with student clamps.
We are a designated Eco-School, in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation.
Free Little Library
Our registered Free Little Library sits at the entrance. Book lovers are always welcome to take a book or leave one. If you come to donate books and ours is full- thank you! It gets a lot of use and we will happily store them inside until there is space. Please, feel free to leave them on the porch.
Growing With the Land
For the last 1 1/2 years, we’ve been hard at work, executing our design plan in phases- with about two thirds of the land already converted from grass, to regenerative teaching spaces. The layout continues to evolve season by season as new gardens, wildlife habitats, and learning spaces are added.
We are set to expand into additional land nextdoor in the Summer of 2026. Futures will include expanded garden areas, additional wildlife habitat and stream, a natural swimming pond, a larger woodshop space, a restroom with composting toilet, greenhouse, a farm stand, and other hands-on learning environments. Possibly, a tiny eco-friendly living quarters.
Students are often part of the process here- helping plant, build, and care. Learning by doing, with guided instruction along the way- resting in community.