Meet Sophie

I’ve always loved noticing little things. As a kid growing up on the East Coast, I spent hours caring for birds and bugs, creating treasures out of discarded objects, and letting my imagination run wild. I was a deep daydreamer—often lost in made-up worlds that were somehow always tied to nature, curiosity, and wonder.

That love for connection and creativity stayed with me. I studied Sociology at Lewis & Clark College and later earned my Master’s in Leadership for Sustainability Education at Portland State University. Along the way, I farm-hopped across Europe, studied in East Africa, helped rebuild a small fly-fishing lodge in remote Alaska (where I also worked as the sous chef and built a greenhouse), and found myself drawn again and again to community, learning, and the outdoors.

Eventually, I landed in Portland classrooms and school gardens—supporting students as a teacher, science educator, FoodCorps service member, and nature-play advocate. It was in those spaces that Busy Bees began to take root.

Busy Bees was born from a desire to create something small, joyful, and wonder-filled—where kids could get messy, feel confident, and connect with the world around them through play and creativity.

Today, I’m so excited to be building Busy Bees from the ground up: designing hands-on experiences rooted in nature, imagination, and connection. Whether we’re sipping garden tea or crafting clay mini-worlds, I believe kids deserve the time and space to slow down, explore, and feel a little magic.