Nature-based and education-inspired store for children opens in Concord

Like a little cottage that a city grew up around, Tanglewood Hollow sits tucked away off Storrs Street in a niche of its own, welcoming children of all ages to mingle with the sea monkeys, pluck fossils off the shelves and dissect owl pellets.

Rare gemstones litter the entryway and are surrounded by dinosaur books, survivalist tools and animal skeletons. In the back, the space opens up into a large classroom-style area with lounge chairs and a long makers table where owner Allyson Speake hosts youth and adult classes on nature, foraging, and all things outdoors.

“I feel very strongly that there is a nature deficit disorder happening with kids right now and in order to build the next stewards of our Earth, we need to allow children to have hands-on experiences with nature,” she said. “Many of the naturalists from history became naturalists because at the beginning of their life, they discovered wonder and we need to allow kids to experience that wonder.”

An aspiring naturalist herself, Speake was introduced to wildlife and nature in her grandparents’ back yard where her grandfather gardened for birds and butterflies on a piece of land named Tanglewood Hollow, the inspiration behind her business. After he passed away, she knew that she wanted to bring the magical feeling of exploring the nature of her childhood to other families.

The shop aligns with her vision to see children immerse themselves in nature and has inspired much of the homeschooled community in Concord to take their education outside; a method she uses with her own daughters, and one that has proven to increase problem solving skills, socialization and motor skills in children.

Prior to opening her business, which started online 10 years ago, Speake was a preschool teacher. But as her business began to grow online, she turned her focus to nature and helping families build a stronger connection with the natural world, where she found her true passion. As an artist, she supplies the store with her own stickers, at-home owl pellet dissection kits and amber polishing kits that naturalists often use to preserve fossils and plans to bring many more of her homemade kits and art to the store.

“Business has been fantastic and I think, too, I have a pretty good following on social media which has really helped and people have been enjoying coming in to see us,” Speake said of their opening March 11. “We have seen everything from toddlers to teenagers to adults in here because we have such a wide range of items.”

Throughout the week, Speake hosts workshops and classes in the back room for children and adults. Subject matter includes a range of things, like identifying bird raptors, pressing flowers, book signings and even homeschool meet-ups for children and adults to mingle within their community.

In the spring, Speake will take her passions outside of the store where she plans to invite families to partake in building and tending to a Monarch planter throughout the summer while landscaping the back of the store with plants that attract animals and other wildlife, a hobby she learned from her grandfather, she said. The goal, she continued, is to teach people that you don’t have to have a big yard to be able to plant things for pollinators and animals.

“The heart of this is to awake curiosity and wonder in children and give them those experiences,” Speake said.

To sign up for classes, visit www.tanglewoodhollow.com to learn more.