We were lucky to catch up with Sarita Covington recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarita, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It’s not uncommon when you become a parent to become more aware of certain things that had been before taken for granted. For me, that was going to school inside a building. However, when my Danish husband told me how his first school was a forest school where his daily classroom was outside among trees and birds, my jaw dropped – in a good way. I was amazed and excited to hear that such a thing existed. Denmark has been using forest kindergartens and forest schools for decades, and over the years, they have grown so popular that today more than 10% of their schools across the country are forest schools. I began to wonder if anything like that existed in NYC because it seemed perfect for our daughter, a thriving toddler needing more social interactions. Almost eight years ago, there weren’t many options at the time, but I was desperate because I knew it was the perfect setting for our expressive daughter. In lieu of moving to Denmark, I knew I would have to be the one to establish the practice in my city. Of course, starting my own business in NYC was a daunting idea. Still, I felt I had unique talents and resources that made me an ideal person for the endeavor: 1. I had been a teaching artist for decades and was used to leading children in creative thinking approaches. 2. Because of my husband’s background, we had access to a country that was the global leader in the methodology. We started small and grew slowly, with many doubts along the way. However, from the first “introductory class” we held and just about every class after that, I felt exceedingly happy and fully affirmed by how much the children lit up as they ran freely across the grass and between tree trunks. It seemed like New York families longed for a space that offered their children the freedom and uniqueness of outdoor learning. That impact was clear and pushed me forward daily to build and improve my business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

The journey that has led me to establish Upper Manhattan Forest Kids is a bit winding, so I’ll share the cliff notes of my story. I was born and raised in Harlem, New York. I attended public school and received a BA from Fordham University and an MFA from Yale. I’ve been an arts educator for decades and became a mom in 2014. Two years later, I started Upper Manhattan Forest Kids, where we lead outdoor classes for children based on the Danish model of forest school. And a lot of folks ask what forest school is. Although it’s somewhat unusual in the United States, it’s a school that takes place almost exclusively outdoors. The forest or natural area acts as the classroom in all kinds of weather, rain, snow, sun, whatever. In New York, we have adapted the Danish model in many ways, and we use New York’s abundant public parks and green spaces as our forest classroom. We are proud to have been one of the early adopters of this approach in New York City and are happy to see more and more people warming up to the idea. Now, nearly eight years later, we have had hundreds of children come through our classes, and it gives us great joy that we were able to facilitate those important early relationships between young humans and the environment. We know that those experiences will be fond memories in the future.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

In the beginning, our fundamental business model was leading classes. Today, we have expanded from our simple outdoor class fee-for-service model to partnering with institutions. We have collaborated with schools to conduct unique courses for their students, and we’re currently partnering with the New York Public Library to provide a Mud Kitchen immersive sensory experiences for preschool-aged children. Our partnerships allow us to highlight and bring valuable opportunities for learning that are only accessed by going outdoors and engaging with the tangible elements of our natural environment. Coming soon, we will put out more digital and online offerings to expand our reach to folks not living in NYC.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I’ve had to unlearn is not to do everything alone. While I’ll always love to get my hands dirty and work hard to make brilliant ideas into a reality, it’s true what the adage says – “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I’ve had to push myself to build up the habit of asking for help and support when my vision expanded beyond my reach. I realized if the outcome I wanted would be for the benefit of many, it would have to include many hands. Sometimes that felt like giving up control, allowing others to contribute, and maybe even taking my ideas in an unexpected direction. While that wasn’t always comfortable, in the end, I knew as long as my vision was accomplished, it would be ok if the journey looked different than I alone had imagined.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.uppermanhattanforestkids.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uppermanhattanforestkids/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uppermanhattanforestkids
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/UMFK8/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@uppermanhattanforestkids4547