Lydia Trumbo

Lydia Trumbo is the founder and nature guide at Tamburn Woods. She is a certified nature school teacher through Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS) and is CPR and Wilderness First Aid Certified. Lydia has an ever-growing appreciation for nature in all its forms, a long-time passion for physical fitness, and an evergreen longing for outdoor adventures.

She has been married to Joel Trumbo for 20 years and is the proud mother of 9 children. Together, Lydia and her husband homeschool their children.

Tamburn Woods is a magical collaboration of Lydia’s love for nature and appetite for outdoor play, and Joel’s creativity and experience.

Rebecca Raby

Rebecca Raby joined the staff at Tamburn Woods in 2024, excited for the opportunity to explore more deeply the connections between three of her greatest loves: music, nature and teaching.

After over a decade in violin performance and instruction, she was grateful for the chance to take a few years away from the professional world to focus on being a Mama to her three young children. Returning to teaching music with fresh eyes and through the lens of the pedagogical wisdom shared by the Forest School community has been so life-giving and is an ongoing source of delighted discovery. 

Rebecca, her husband Joshua and their children love playing and composing music together, reading and talking about history, literature and mythology into the wee hours of the morning in their little library, and spending as much of the day as possible in the mountain creeks near their home.

Joel Trumbo

Born and raised in Virginia with family roots going back generations, Joel is the lead storyteller and forest skills instructor. He brings years of teaching experience alongside extensive survival and wilderness skills from his background in the US Army Ranger Regiment.

Additionally, he is a book artist in the Celtic tradition, drawing inspiration from Celtic art and story and the deep connection to the natural world that infused the Celtic spirit.

Sarah McDonald is joining us this Spring at Tamburn Woods. Sarah graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelors Degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a Concentration in Conservation, in 2020. She has an extensive knowledge and love for plants and trees and the roles that they play in the ecosystem. She has worked at the Shenandoah National Park, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and the City of Winchester before pursuing homeschooling with her children.

A native to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, she has always felt drawn to the forest. She and her husband have four children and own a homestead in Maurertown where they tend to their garden and animals. This Spring she is excited to help share her love for nature and the magic of the flora and all things natural around us.

Sarah McDonald