The Happy Place School is located near the mountains of Canoncito, Santa Fe and borders a 4,000 acre wilderness preserve. Daily we can find tracks of Coyote, Bobcat, Fox, Skunk, Racoon, Woodrat and more and see and hear dozens of different bird and insect species.  We play in the seasonal river just at the base of our road and watch as it slowly dries up and quickly comes back with the rains and snow melt.  The property was purchased with the sole vision of creating a community space for Nature Connection and Play! 

We boast 45 fruit bearing trees and bushes and multiple gardens for little hands to plant, harvest and explore and also connect children to the native wild plant species in these mountains. The Happy Place also offers children a small farm experience where they learn to handle and care for ducks, chickens, goats, dogs, rabbits and even a snake! Getting children up close and personal with animals helps foster sustainability, empathy, understanding, responsibility, trust, joy and it’s great for their immune systems! We are outside all day, in every weather, in all seasons and bring awareness and respect for all the elements that create our beautiful environment. 

The Happy Place also uses green energy, we run off solar power, rain catchment, solar-heated water and even our school bus is electric! We love this planet and want to preserve and protect it and model to children how simple and fun it can be to make loving choices for our Earth. In order to save something, we must know and love it and in the process, we come to know and love ourselves.  This is the true heart of Nature Connection.