About
Davis Forest School is a non-profit outdoor education and nature play organization where children take part in artistic creation, active games, hiking, quiet observation, nature play, uninterrupted nature play, exploration, adventure, and problem solving. The program offers adult and family programs, a Parent/Child program, afternoon and daytime drop-off programs, a Little Coyotes Forest Kinder program, a year-round Forest Kinder program, week-long summer day camps, and regular workshops for adults and families.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
Davis Forest School started as a once-a-week nature play program in the spring of 2018, paused during Covid, restarted in the spring of 2021, became a non-profit organization in the winter of 2022, expanded to include programs along the banks of the American River in Sacramento in 2023, and began running programs in Folsom/Orangevale and Lincoln/Rocklin in 2025. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to build community through equitable, land-based programming and to create and maintain a supportive space that allows others to explore and grow. Its stated goal is to promote and cultivate understanding of and empathy for the natural world, especially the local bioregion of Putah Creek and the lower Sacramento River watershed, through exploration, curiosity, free play, artistic creation, active games, hiking, and quiet observation, using gentle, age-appropriate teaching and mentoring methods.
Davis Forest School’s mission includes promoting environmental justice by acknowledging the Indigenous history of the land and forging connections with local Indigenous individuals and organizations. It raises money through grants and donations to offer reparations-based scholarships to Black and Indigenous families and need-based scholarships to economically disadvantaged families. The organization states that it is committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for all community members, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students, families, and staff members, and to providing accessible programming to local families while paying its employees.
The leadership team includes Founder Candice Wang; former leader of the program Rosemary Roberts; Board President Sonsie Hopper; Board Treasurer Scott Clements; Board Secretary Crystal Vagnier; and Board Members Sara Goulden and Diego Bocanegra. Staff credentials include experience in HR at a Montessori TK–8 school and yoga teacher training (Sonsie Hopper); a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accountancy and auditing experience in public and private accounting (Scott Clements); a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Children’s Literature and Drama and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a focus on Travel Non-Fiction (Crystal Vagnier); an environmental scientist with a Ph.D. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from UC Davis, an M.E.Sc. in Water Science, Policy, & Management, and a B.S. in Geology (Sara Goulden); and studies in Music and Wildlife Conservation at UC Davis (Diego Bocanegra).
Parent testimonials describe Davis Forest School as offering uninterrupted nature play, exploration, adventure, and problem solving, with mentors who use a gentle and affirming approach. Parents report that their children experience creative freedom, free exploration alongside suggested activities, and guidance from experienced and knowledgeable instructors, including for children who are new to drop-off programs.
Last updated March 12, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
Davis Forest School started as a once-a-week nature play program in the spring of 2018, paused during Covid, restarted in the spring of 2021, became a non-profit organization in the winter of 2022, expanded to include programs along the banks of the American River in Sacramento in 2023, and began running programs in Folsom/Orangevale and Lincoln/Rocklin in 2025. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to build community through equitable, land-based programming and to create and maintain a supportive space that allows others to explore and grow. Its stated goal is to promote and cultivate understanding of and empathy for the natural world, especially the local bioregion of Putah Creek and the lower Sacramento River watershed, through exploration, curiosity, free play, artistic creation, active games, hiking, and quiet observation, using gentle, age-appropriate teaching and mentoring methods.
Davis Forest School’s mission includes promoting environmental justice by acknowledging the Indigenous history of the land and forging connections with local Indigenous individuals and organizations. It raises money through grants and donations to offer reparations-based scholarships to Black and Indigenous families and need-based scholarships to economically disadvantaged families. The organization states that it is committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for all community members, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students, families, and staff members, and to providing accessible programming to local families while paying its employees.
The leadership team includes Founder Candice Wang; former leader of the program Rosemary Roberts; Board President Sonsie Hopper; Board Treasurer Scott Clements; Board Secretary Crystal Vagnier; and Board Members Sara Goulden and Diego Bocanegra. Staff credentials include experience in HR at a Montessori TK–8 school and yoga teacher training (Sonsie Hopper); a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accountancy and auditing experience in public and private accounting (Scott Clements); a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Children’s Literature and Drama and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a focus on Travel Non-Fiction (Crystal Vagnier); an environmental scientist with a Ph.D. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from UC Davis, an M.E.Sc. in Water Science, Policy, & Management, and a B.S. in Geology (Sara Goulden); and studies in Music and Wildlife Conservation at UC Davis (Diego Bocanegra).
Parent testimonials describe Davis Forest School as offering uninterrupted nature play, exploration, adventure, and problem solving, with mentors who use a gentle and affirming approach. Parents report that their children experience creative freedom, free exploration alongside suggested activities, and guidance from experienced and knowledgeable instructors, including for children who are new to drop-off programs.
Last updated March 12, 2026.
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