Nature Adventures for Preschoolers and other Young Explorers!

Now Enrolling: Fall 2024 Sessions!

What is the Program?

The Tree Urchins program gets young children out into nature, exploring the trails and open spaces of Marin County. We are currently enrolling for morning adventures, but afterschool trips for fall 2024 are under consideration!

The dynamic habitats we visit promote novel forms of learning, where seasonal ebbs and flows spark the innate curiosity of children. Natural sites promote the big body movement our kiddos need, and adventuring as a group makes for a joyful way to build resilience and trust.

Families can sign up on their own, or we also partner with schools directly to get groups of children out. Space is limited, so reach out soon in order to reserve a spot!

Where do we go? 

Depending on weather, tides, traffic and more we rotate our excursions between a number of sites:
Coastal sites: San Quentin Beach, China Camp, Blackie’s Pasture, and Rodeo Beach.

Open spaces: Ring Mountain, Baltimore Canyon, Cascade Canyon, Roy’s Redwoods, Alto Bowl, Sorich Park, Phoenix Lake, and Sky Ranch.


How does it work?

  • Enrollment is now open for Monday (4-6 years old), Tuesday (2s and 3s), and Thursday mornings (mixed age) for Fall 2024! Cost to join for the school year is $475/month for a child's single day enrollment (eg., every Tuesday morning of September), with discounts available on multi-month commitments.  We are now accepting Monday drop-ins ($125) as well! Pro-rated fees available for mid-month enrollees!
  • Corte Madera Town Park meeting point (or at your school if joining as a group), where we load up our Wander Wagon pre-secured with car seats to head out on the trails. 
  • Potty-trained children 2-6 years of age eligible to join in the fun! 
  • If you represent a preschool, and would like to reserve an exclusive morning for children enrolled in your program, please see our group enrollment page.
  • See FAQ for more detail. If you have further questions, please send inquiries to dylan@treeurchins.com

Who leads the program?

Seasoned outdoor educator Dylan Turner serves as the dedicated leader planning and heading up all excursions along with dynamic early childhood educator Cici Malin. 

Dylan has been a preschool teacher for nearly 15 years. He earned his stripes at the dynamic Pacific Primary School in San Francisco, and up until 2023 was running Marin Primary and Middle School's highly acclaimed Tree School program. 

Cici began her teaching career in NYC, and has most recently served as a curriculum specialist and mentor teacher at Aquatic Park preschool in Berkeley. She completed an M.A. in ECE at SF State.


Check out our teacher bio page for more details, or feel free to contact Dylan directly at dylan@treeurchins.com