It is a Saturday morning, and I am driving through sheets of rain to Lower Peirce Reservoir Park.

By any standards, it is probably not a great day for heading outdoors, much less on a nature study.

But here I am anyway, ready to meet Madeline Lam, co-founder of Gentle Seeds, with my six-year-old in tow.

I am curious to see how she has turned her love for children and experience in counselling into a nature school of sorts.

It is a cold and wet day, but I am greeted with warm and friendly smiles by Madeline and her co-teacher Anabel when I arrive.

Thankfully, the skies clear a little and we are able to start exploring.

Encouraged to take in the surroundings with their senses, the children point to the swallows that are flitting about as we slosh through the muddy, rain-soaked grass to reach the granite rocks along the water’s edge. 

Even as an adult, I discover many new things. For instance, how interesting to learn that the mentaiko-looking bright pink clusters that dot the reservoir’s shoreline are actually the eggs of apple snails!

Ambling on the boardwalk, the kids pick up twigs and flowers along the way, stopping for a closer look at spiders, water gliders and other wildlife.

It turned out that the rain made it even more fun for the kids. Photo taken by the author.

After the outdoor adventure, we huddle up for snacks and storytelling time, with Madeline reading from Jan Brett’s Mossy.

Through the eyes of a beautiful turtle who was plucked from a garden and displayed in a museum, she introduces these attentive little ones to the topics of friendship and conservation.

Finally, the two-hour session ends off with nature journalling and sketching. 

To my amazement, despite having to brave the weather that day, my daughter is beaming from ear to ear at all the “memorabilia” she had collected as we leave the park. 

“I want to go on another nature walk, Mama!” she declared excitedly, showing me her drawings of a turtle and butterfly as well as her “nature pop-it”, a soft shell she had turned into a fidget toy.

How the seed was planted 

Catching up on another occasion with Madeline, 30 and her husband Joey, 33, I discovered that it is this appreciation for creation and joy for learning that they want each child to walk away with.

After all, it was a shared desire to nurture young lives that spurred the husband-and-wife team to launch Gentle Seeds.

Fresh from school, Madeline was a counsellor working mainly with youth at risk for four-and-a-half years before she left in July 2021.

Interestingly, one of the first things she did was this – babysitting.

Madeline signed up with the then-newly launched Aunty app to offer childcare services, while also using her spare time to explore an outdoor school and counselling for children.

Connecting with children has always come easily for Madeline since her younger days. Here, she and Joey are on an outing with her nieces.

“I was trained in counselling and psychology, so I’m always very keen in the developmental part of people,” said Madeline.

“I thought a lot about the holistic development of a child as I saw how the childhood years are quite formative in a person’s life. I also desire for every child to have a childhood where they can fondly look back on.

“I see the benefits of counselling, which aid in one’s recovery process, and how the outdoors helps one to focus on something outside of themselves. And, of course, babysitting alleviates parents’ stress.”

Who knew that in this one year, a series of God-led events would lead her to a new adventure? 

“In March or April 2022, during one of my quiet times, I read 2 Timothy 1:6, where Paul writes to Timothy to ask him to fan into flame what God had already given to him,” recalled Madeline.

“It brought to mind how in the past people have said that I am quite natural with children, and it’s a gift from God. But I was still cautious.”

As it turned out, God was not just speaking through her inner life – there was an external push too.

“In April, there was a mum who booked me for babysitting. She knew that I had experience bringing children for exploration outdoors, and she saw that I could handle children’s meltdowns and emotions.

“So she wanted me to run a group session for conflict resolution with her children and other children in an outdoor environment,” said Madeline.

Unsure of how she could do that as a freelancer, Madeline’s husband proposed the idea of starting a business. 

“Madeline is strong in counselling, and children have a natural affinity towards her,” observed Joey, who is a special needs social worker himself.

“Children who are shy to all adults will open up to her and come up to talk to her, so I told her to just start a business and marry together her counselling strengths, her interest in a child’s development and her affinity towards children.”

Having recently moved into their own flat this year, Joey and Madeline are also big on opening up their home to children, whether for playdates or babysitting (pictured). The couple do not have kids yet.

Up to that point, launching a start-up was not something that had been on Madeline’s mind.

But after seeing the needs on the ground and hearing what God and her husband had said, she decided to pray about it.

What happened a week later sealed the deal. Madeline was scrolling through social media when a post caught her attention.

“It was a post on how to choose books for children, and the mum was talking about Charlotte Mason,” she recollected.

Madeline went on to share how learning about the 19th century British educator inspired them, which includes her focus on four domains: knowing God the creator, knowing God’s creation in nature, knowing others and knowing self.

“Charlotte Mason’s framework helped to guide us, and it married what I had been thinking about altogether. She expounded a lot on bringing children out for nature walks and the idea of ‘living books’.

“These are books that enliven children’s minds and ideas. They are written by someone who is very passionate about the topic and in a story-like form.

So in June 2022, the couple registered Gentle Seeds as a business, with the aim of helping children experience the beauty of education through nature and literature. 

Being rooted, building upwards

But even after taking that leap of faith, Madeline confessed that she battled with self-doubt frequently.

Opening up about the struggle of not having a steady stream of income, Madeline said: “I really enjoy the work, but in the practical sense, I didn’t think it was giving me stability and security.”

Furthermore, the newlyweds had a new house on the way.

Urging his wife not to give up and to try it out for at least a year, Joey explained: “I didn’t want her to not exercise her gift or what God had created her to do.

“How many people get to say that they have found their calling and get to be doing that? That’s something so precious.”

But even then, Joey knew his words could only do so much.

“What I say is not enough – I’m not God. Thankfully, God showed up,” he quipped.

Madeline with one of her first few students who signed up with Gentle Seeds.

In July 2022, the month after their business started, a friend of Madeline’s reached out to make a booking.

“I told her to give me a love gift because, at that point in time, I couldn’t put a value to my service,” elaborated Madeline.

When the couple later discovered how much she had given them, they could not help but feel that it had all been so divine.

The amount was exactly what Joey and Madeline had been thinking of: $60 for a two-hour session. In fact, it was actually double – the mum had paid for both children.

While the figure might sound little to some, it meant a lot to Madeline, also because her friend is a missionary who raises her own financial support. 

“That really encouraged me because she saw the value and believed in what I was doing,” she said.

Shortly after, the second encouragement came in the form of another friend.

Relating how a mother from their new cell group had gathered others to sign up for a lesson together, Joey said: “There were five children who came for the drop-off session, while the mums went for their own coffee chat.” 

This parent-accompanied session last September turned out to be a huge morale booster for the couple.

The third encouragement soon followed, as Madeline started to see how God was sending more families their way.

“In September, a mum found us on on Instagram and said she was keen to book a parent-accompanied class. She mentioned she would bring her sister-in-law, etc, so maybe three adults and four to five children,” she said.

To her surprise, when Madeline finally met the group, she found out that they were also fellow believers from the same church that the couple had recently started attending – Gospel Light Christian Church.

“No one in Gospel Light knows that we have this business except our cell group. That was a very key moment. It felt like God knew we needed this.

Agreeing, Joey said: “The night before, Madeline was just telling me that she wanted to go back to full-time employment. But God was faithful, giving three divine encouragements for three consecutive months.”

Teaching in an outdoor classroom

Determined to press on, the couple decided to roll out a new approach that same month. Instead of running sessions on an ad hoc basis, they introduced term-based classes.

These are based on the academic calendar of local schools, with June and December holiday programmes in between. 

“Every term, there will be a theme. For example, we’re doing plants and fruits now, so all the books that we choose will be about plants and fruits,” said Madeline.

Parents drop their kids off for this weekly, two-hour enrichment lesson.

“We have a structure in mind, but we’re not holding it so tightly because we want children to explore, and we want to hear from them as well,” she added.

Every outdoor exploration has its surprises. For instance, these two children found an old compact disc in the river, cleaned it up and brought it home.

“In Singapore, we’re very compartmentalised in terms of education. Math is math, science is science, language is language,” remarked Joey.

“But when you’re in an outdoor environment, it’s altogether at once, according to the child’s pace and curiosity.

“And it’s life – you’re socialising, interacting, negotiating, sharing, observing. It’s so beautiful.”

Pointing out that nature is both a playground and a place of learning that God has provided at no cost, Joey painted this scenario.

“If the children want a bigger fruit than their friend, we challenge them to find it. They have to think, ‘Where does a fruit drop from?’ and then they have to try and find a tree. It really challenges our understanding of what play is and what toys are to children.

“That’s the beauty of nature – kids come for our class, pick up twigs and leaves, and they start making games out of them. And these are all free!”

During one of their sessions at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Teacher Anabel and the kids were busy rescuing insects that were drowning.

Sharing how they have seen the benefits of being outdoors, Joey observed: “Even within a two-hour session, you can see a kid grow. Their attention span gets stretched as they try their best to spot a bird that zips past and seek shelter in the tree. 

“In nature journaling, a child may also be tasked to draw a twig. But no twig is the same.

“So it actually forces the child to have observation skills and translate it to drawing. Drawn narration – when you can draw out what you want to tell – is very powerful.”

Unpacking the different pedagogies on outdoor learning, including those that focus on Mother Nature, the couple clarified that their Christian faith undergirds how they view creation.

“To me, when we go outdoors, it’s about learning of God’s creation. For example, when I observe the life cycle of a butterfly, I’m reminded that God has given us new life,” said Madeline.

If there are relevant teaching moments, they might also share from the Bible and point children to God.

“When we see ants, I might ask: ‘Do you know that the Bible says that ants are very hardworking creatures?'” she added.

Madeline’s heart is for children to come to know creation and, ultimately, the Creator.

Recognising that it is natural for children to be exposed to different ideas, including how the world was created, Joey said: “We believe that God created nature, and we are here to offer that.

“Maybe when the children are older, this is something that they might come back to explore for themselves again. If we don’t exist in this space, they will only have one theory.”

It’s God who gives growth

Now more than a year on, they share how they have seen God’s provision in so many ways.

“God just kept bringing, and according to our pace too,” said Joey, who oversees the business development, strategy and finance aspects of Gentle Seeds.

“In my heart, I had a number for how much we wanted to earn in our first six months. When I did the accounts, I was amazed that we actually got there.

“For the next six months, I raised the number again, and God answered.”

The business also received a boost to cashflow when they started working with a preschool.

“We have a heart to work with more preschools. We feel very strongly that children need to be more exposed to the outdoor environment and good books to develop more holistically,” emphasised Joey.

“Some children have not even seen or touched sand before.”

Describing the work they do in the preschool, Madeline said: “Because of safety reasons, we can’t bring children outdoors all the time. So we bring nature and literature indoors.

“We bring different seeds for them to see. If there are trees with those fruits near their school, we will ask for permission to bring the kids out. We also read storybooks to them. 

“Our objective is to introduce the children to a ‘feast’ of education, which is also a term we learnt from Charlotte Mason. 

“It’s about how education is a science of relationships. Even though we are focused on nature and literature, there are times when we will extend it to an art or science session.

“There isn’t always a product to be shown, but we know the process is actually very powerful for children.”

Good literature is very important for the children’s growing years, so the choice of books matters, says Madeline, adding that they vet all the books they choose.

As for goals, the couple is hoping to work with five preschools and run programmes at five parks by the end of next year.

While Gentle Seeds first began offering classes at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, it recently expanded into Singapore Botanic Gardens. Other locations being considered include Jurong Lake Gardens, Pasir Ris Park, East Coast Park and Punggol Park.

The couple would also like to deepen collaborations with like-minded businesses such as Toby’s Trove, which has a similar focus on books and children.

When asked what she has learnt from the journey of growing Gentle Seeds, Madeline concluded: “God is a very personal God.

“From when we launched in June 2022, there were certain instances in July, August and September that encouraged me to persevere for a little more. They were very timely, and I definitely see God’s hand in every moment.

“I have always asked God to make clear if this is His will. That’s why I feel like He answered my prayer, and in a way that I could receive it.”

So does she still think of going back to her old job as counsellor?

“Not much anymore,” she replied with a smile, sharing that being able to build the team has helped stabilise the business. 

“With more people coming onboard, you feel like people do see where Gentle Seeds is going and they all bring something to the table. So, no looking back!”

Joey and Madeline during a team lunch to appreciate their staff (front row) and friends (back row, second and third from left) who came in to support as freelancers when Gentle Seeds needed help.

“God kept providing a lot of gems,” added Joey, revealing how at the start of the year, a friend with social work and early childhood background had joined them to lead the sessions. 

“This month, we’re also onboarding another part-time staff who is from the social service sector and a mum herself,” he disclosed.

“We’re clearly not out of the woods yet, but all of this is really by faith.”

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