Melissa Hudasko

Founder / Program Director

When the world turned upside down in the Spring of 2020, Melissa found herself teaching remotely while caring for her four year-old daughter. They spent nearly every day in the woods near their home, and through that long, cold, beautiful spring, something awakened in her. Melissa felt called to slow down and return to her roots, to her love of the forest and being outdoors. She also knew she needed to create something different for her daughter, an educational setting where young children could share time and space together, learn and play together, and grow in the unbridled warmth of authentic human relationships. Having been deeply inspired by other Waldorf forest kindergarten educators, Melissa decided to form a small co op of local families with similar values, and Hemlock Hollow was born.

Prior to founding Hemlock Hollow, Melissa taught a range of Writing and English Literature classes at UMass Amherst and Westfield State University, and conducted research in pre-modern, oral formulaic poetry and storytelling. Her passion for teaching has translated easily into the forest classroom, where her background in the oral tradition has aided her in nurturing pre- and early literacy skills in young children through story, song, and verse.

Since the summer of 2020, Melissa has spent much of her spare time completing outdoor educator trainings and participating in professional development workshops through organizations such as The Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS), The Natural Start Alliance, and the Juniper Hill Center for Educator Renewal. She is also dedicated to deepening her understanding of the Anthroposophical roots of Waldorf Education through wide reading and participation in educator workshops, is networked with other Waldorf Educators from around the country, and plans to participate in a formal Waldorf Educator certification program.

Melissa’s favorite part of forest school is singing and storytelling. She can be heard beating her drum to gather children in the morning, and is always excited to share seasonal poems, songs, and puppet shows at story time. Melissa resides in beautiful Montague, MA with her two young daughters. She loves camping, kayaking, paddle boarding, and hiking, and feels a deep gratitude to the land on which she lives.

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Clara Bloom Sarr

Clara feels lucky to have had myriad experiences in outdoor ecological education, starting with her upbringing on a family farm.  It is on these stepping stones she learns most about Gaia, and about herself as learner and teacher. 

A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Clara developed a sweet spot for early childhood education while expecting her first child, 16 years ago. Working at Khalsa Childcare and Meadowsweet School inspired her to found her third baby, the Sapling School!

Clara had a breakthrough while studying education at the Institute for Social Ecology, learning about the popular education movement, when she learned about polar bears in captivity receiving anti-depressant drugs. These large, itinerant animals, capable of walking great distances across continents – with a need to, in their blood and bones – were prescribed a short term quick fix when deprived of their need for free roaming! As a mother, this awareness of a need for something different than a seated classroom fueled her fire to achieve something unique for her children and community. 

Clara piloted a vital multi aged program at her farm-based center for eleven years. She infuses her work with nature-wonder, freedom, and by nurturing the unique spirit of each child. It brings her joy to see nature connection form and a child develop a sense of places within an ecological web. 

Her style of nature inquiry has developed over time, during childhood playing by a brook and swinging under willows, in the woods studying bird language and tree identification with teacher Kathy Dean of Trotting Fox, and with Sri Namaste Moore through courses: Mother Wit, Mother Wisdom, and Raising to Rise. 

Her experience in the Negev Desert with Nesiya Institute during her teens was formative in her inspiration to share outdoor learning experiences. Clara is known for a gentle way of sharing insights and for staying lovingly present to witness, support growth. 

Clara’s studies include exploration of Waldorf techniques and temperaments at Sophia’s Hearth and Field Ethnobotany at the Sierra Institute. She often is found sharing her profound love of plants in artistic ways. Clara also earned a BA in Women and Sustainable Development from UMass Amherst.

Clara’s current inquiries are around embodiment and ways of synching our lifestyles with the elements in synergistic relationships. Training in Embodyoga and Ecstatic and therapeutic dance guide her presence and work with children. 

Clara nurtures her own spirit through continual attention to seasonal cycles. For the past two years she has refocused in work with smaller groups than usual, in family education events, and studying Jewish Ecological Wisdom. She is excited to participate in this vibrant earth centered community where we learn from each other and the land at Hemlock Hollow.