Harmony in Healing: Honeycomb Cottage MN & Singing Nettle Forest Stewards
Harmony in Healing: Honeycomb Cottage MN & Singing Nettle Forest Stewards
At Honeycomb Cottage MN, our mission is to nurture nervous system balance through the hum of the hive, grounded in ecological wisdom and regenerative wellness. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Singing Nettle Forest Stewards (SNFS)—a nonprofit forest education collective based in Oakdale, MN—that shares our deep love for nature, embodied learning, and community care.
Who Is Singing Nettle Forest Stewards?
Singing Nettle Forest Stewards is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering part‑time, forest‑based learning experiences for children, enriched with nature, music, and language immersion . Led by FSTI‑certified Director Christine Shoemaker, SNFS engages students aged 8–12 through hands‑on exploration—from foraging and insect study to song‑making and multilingual expression .
Their mission is clear: cultivate confident, nature‑literate forest stewards who care for themselves, each other, and the land. And much like our approach at Honeycomb Cottage, they believe true learning and healing grow from deep sensory connection—to the earth, to the body, and to the web of life.
Shared Ethos: From Forest to Hive
• Embodied Presence & Regulation
SNFS teaches children to slow down—to pause under oaks, to listen for bird call, to feel nettles, and to explore bogs. This deep immersion supports self‑regulation and groundedness.
At Honeycomb Cottage, we echo this through bee therapy, inviting all to lie above a live hive and attune to forest‑like rhythms—the hum, the vibration, the scent—which bring the nervous system into ease.
• Multisensory Nature Learning
From identifying pawpaw leaves to tracking animal sign, Singing Nettle’s forest school nurtures learning through all senses. Our apitherapy sessions do the same: we engage sight, sound, smell, touch, and even taste (with local honey) to foster holistic wellness.
• Ecological Education & Stewardship
SNFS plants seeds of ecological literacy, preparing children to care for the land. We echo that by showing adults that bees are more than pollinators—they are teachers, healers, and key members of our ecosystem.
Where Bees Meet Forest in Synergy
By collaborating, Singing Nettle Forest Stewards and Honeycomb Cottage MN offer a full spectrum of nature‑based healing:
For Kids: Forest immersion, bird language, bug identification, plant lore, multilingual lessons, and music in the wild—helping to build curiosity, resilience, and belonging.
For Adults: Silence, vibration, and sensory immersion with 150,000 bees—choosing to rest in the forest’s echo, regulated by nature’s rhythms.
Together, we model a lifelong path: from child’s wonder in the forest to adult’s remembered home in the hive.
Why This Partnership Matters
Deepening Engagement: Families see a seamless continuum of nature‑centric care—from their children’s exploration with SNFS to their own healing with Honeycomb Cottage.
Creating Awareness: Featuring SNFS on our Local Partners page strengthens search ranking for keywords like forest school, nature‑based learning MN, apitherapy Stillwater, forest therapy, Oakdale forest school, and nature connection Twin Cities. Our goal is to increase exposure to alternative education methods based in nature.
Community Resilience: By spotlighting local nonprofits and eco‑educators, we build a regional web of support that honors place‑based, regenerative approaches to health and learning.
Walk With Us Through the Seasons
Singing Nettle Forest Stewards is currently in operation—with offerings like bog exploration, guest appearances by beekeepers (including those connected to Honeycomb Cottage), foragers, geologists, and naturalists. As their kids learn in the wild, adults are welcome to slow down, rest over hives, and remember that we, too, are nature.
A Shared Invitation
If you value learning rooted in meaning and belonging, we invite you to explore both sides of this healing ecosystem:
Enroll your child at Singing Nettle Forest Stewards—find joy in forest‑based learning in Oakdale.
Schedule an apitherapy session at Honeycomb Cottage MN in Stillwater—feel the restorative hum of the hive
Together, we cultivate a safer, richer, more connected world—where every child and adult can know themselves as part of a living, breathing community: forest, land, hive, and heart interwoven.