In 2003, Saskia and David Vanderhoop started Sassafras Earth Education in Aquinnah as a one-week summer camp. Since then it has grown into a year-round program with camps every week during the summer and programs throughout the year for both youth and adults. The intention is to teach participants a variety of outdoor skills while encouraging them to reconnect with the natural world.

Sassafras Earth Education begins its fall programming this month. Outdoor home-schoolers program begins on Oct. 5 and meets every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This program is for childeren kindergarten age and up. Dress for outdoors and bring a snack, lunch and water bottle.

Girls in the Woods begins on Oct. 7 and will meet weekly every Thursday after school, from bus pickup until 6 p.m. This program is for girls ages 8 to 14 and includes outdoor time picking edibles, making fires, cooking, crafting, talking and singing.