How to Start?

Past Taproot newsletters have focused on the natural joys of the season, stuff we’re looking forward to, and upcoming Taproot programs and events. Sometimes we’ve delved into the less joyful topics of our increasingly dire environmental issues. But after checking in on the morning’s latest unprecedented insanity, we actually feel something like nostalgia for the “old days,” when wildfire smoke in the air and toxic bacteria in our swimming holes were our big problems. Of course, those problems haven’t disappeared and they will continue to worsen as people’s attention is held captive by the dizzying onslaught of previously unimaginable changes. With talk of a realignment of global superpowers, everyone’s two real allies remain Nature and each other.

Thankfully, Nature offers her embrace as generously as ever, and Taproot continues our work of helping children and families connect with the earth and one another. We have been busy gearing up for the coming spring season of After-School Program and Sprouts, and a rich, full summer of camp. We enjoyed a family ice fishing excursion and posted some videos of us reading a few of our favorite books. We’re about to open registration for the 25/26 Taproot school year, including Foundations for middle and high-schoolers. This fun, hopeful work has sustained us through the past several bewildering weeks.

This year Taproot summer camp sold out in about 12 minutes. We’re incredibly grateful to all of you who signed your kids up–or tried to–and we’re so sorry if you didn’t get a spot! This shows that people’s desire for Nature is as powerful as ever too. We would love to offer more camp, but a limiting factor is the carrying capacity of the land. We need more places and space to take groups of Taproot Kids! Especially as many of our favorite spots are becoming degraded by pollution or carved up into streets and houses. Some of you still remember Taproot Farm, an idyllic place that our family owned and Taproot frequented for many years; we are starting to seriously consider another land purchase and are thinking creatively about how to do that. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, as your kids are doing their job of frolicking at Taproot in an atmosphere of Unconditional Positive Regard, learning to live in a harmonious community and nurturing their bond with Mother Earth, we know you’ll continue doing your work: paying attention, educating yourself, and using your voice–including to your friends and family and anyone you encounter. Always maintain UPR but let people know what you think! At the very least, be kind to each other and vote (today).

Much love and deep gratitude to all of you in the Taproot family. Ow wooo!

25/26 School-Year Taproot

The 2025/2026 School Year Taproot Programming includes:

• After School Program and All-Day Programs (ages 5-12)
• Sprouts Morning Program (ages 3-5)
• We’re delighted to bring back our Foundations Program for middle- and high-schoolers!

Registration opens on Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m. Visit the Taproot website to read more and register!

Historically, the school-year registration is not nearly as fast and furious as summer camp signup; however, certain days fill up more quickly than others (e.g. Sprouts and Thursday ASP) so it doesn’t hurt to sign up early.

Spring ’25 ASP and Sprouts

Spring After-School Program begins Monday, March 24–prime time for shed antlers and ephemeral wildflowers, catching bluegills, climbing trees, and reveling in the soft grass, warm sunshine, and mild breezes. Pretty soon, we’ll be hunting morel mushrooms, netting crayfish, building sand structures on the beach, and even swimming! We still have a few open ASP spots.

This spring, we’ll pick up children at the following schools:

Monday — Lincoln, Longfellow, Hoover, Lucas, Willowwind
Tuesday (FULL) –Lincoln, Mann, Lemme, Longfellow, Horn
Wednesday — Lincoln, Weber, Montessori, Longfellow, Wickham
Thursday (FULL) — Lincoln, Mann, Lemme, Hoover, Lucas, Willowwind
Friday — Lincoln, Longfellow, Regina

If your child’s school is not listed on the day that works for you, contact us! It may be possible to add. There is also an option for parents to deliver kids to Taproot after school.

Spring Sprouts also begins on March 24! Sprouts is a morning nature program for little kids ages 3-5 years. Sprouts gives young children fun, quality time in Nature with gentle, loving guidance. This spring, Sprouts is offered on Monday and Tuesday mornings.

Our Sprouts groups are all full for this spring, but we’re adding another day next fall and registration opens on Saturday!

Foundations

We are super excited to be offering our Foundations program for junior high and high school students again this year! Built on Taproot’s principles of Unconditional Positive Regard and a deep connection with Nature, Foundations is a 9-month program that explores self-understanding, health, communication, setting goals, community involvement, and finding purpose, among other important topics for this pivotal time in our young people’s lives. Our goal is to create a safe, curious community of peers and mentors who begin to develop a strong sense of self and goals, the tools to discover how to structure their days and choices in support of those goals, and ways to support each other and their broader communities through listening, leadership, and good works.

Starting in September we will meet 3 times a month for nature activities, games, and volunteering. Our activities are similar to what we do in ASP and Leadership Camp, but with advanced skills and more autonomy. There isn’t enough space to detail everything, but here are some highlights:

• Four campouts–two in the fall (Harvest Preserve, Whiterock Conservancy) and two in the spring (Backbone State Park, and a Wapsipinicon River “camp and float”)
• Direct volunteer opportunities with local community organizations
• Monthly, youth-led game days
• A monthly, individual “walk and talk” meeting with either Zac or Elesa

Please visit the Foundations page for more detailed information.

Design the Taproot T-Shirt!

Taproot Kids and Parents can submit their artwork for a chance to design this year’s Taproot t-shirt! Parent/Child collaborations are welcome!

We’ll hold a community vote at the Taproot Spring Party to choose which drawing will go on this year’s Taproot t-shirt. (You read that right–We’re bringing back the Spring Party! Details above!)

Please get your design to Zac by Friday, March 28

T-Shirt designs should:

• Be human hand-made: Drawn, painted, carved/printed, etc. (not made on a computer or with AI)
• Prominently feature the word “Taproot,” or the Taproot leaf logo, or both
• Depict a nature or kids-in-nature theme
• Relate to Iowa nature or something that Taproot Kids commonly do or see
• Be single-color, not multi-colored

Taproot Spring Party!

Come to the Taproot Spring Party!

• Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 4 pm (Rain date Sunday, May 4)
• Harvest Preserve, 1645 N. Scott Boulevard
• All Taproot families and friends are welcome

We will fish and kayak in the pond, hunt the woods for morel mushrooms and shed deer antlers, play Taproot games, and reconnect with each other. We’ll also vote for this summer’s Taproot T-Shirt design!

We’ll send more information in the week before the party.