Kristi Hiller, Director & Educator
Kristi spent most of her life living in Huntsville, AL, until she and her husband bought an old log cabin in a Tennessee hollow where they began their journey into homesteading, got married, and had their two daughters. She and her family moved to South Carolina in 2024, where they have started a new homestead with their two daughters, chickens, and Yotee dog.
For many years now, Kristi has felt compelled to offer a different type of education to her children: one that keeps their innate love of learning alive and has them immersed in the natural world, following their own interests and nurturing their whole selves. Outside of co-op, Kristi loves to grow and preserve her own food; hike, camp, and do anything outdoors; practice yoga; read historical fiction and all the parenting books; deepen her understanding of holistic health; and see live music. Before Kristi became a stay-at-home mom, she operated a multi-state family business across 15+ states with 70+ storefronts.
Kristi's aim for LML is to be a community where children and caregivers alike can learn together, play together, realize their fullest potential together, and THRIVE.
Lex Rich, Lead Educator
Born in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee and raised in a military family, Lex developed a deep love for travel and adventure from an early age. After studying as a birthkeeper in 2019, she began supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journeys, which opened her eyes to the need for an educational model that prioritizes nurturing relationships and whole-child learning.
For three years prior, Lex taught at nature-based schools in Yellowstone National Park and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she focused on connecting children to the natural world, themselves, and others. She has since been the Lead Educator at Little Mountain Learners, bringing her passion for outdoor education and an individualized, whole-child approach to our community.
When she’s not teaching, Lex loves spending time with her partner, Sydney, and their pets, Luna & Lucy, as well exploring the great outdoors through hiking, camping, climbing, and caving.
Sarah Darden, Educator
Originally from Northern Virgina, Sarah has lived in South Carolina for nearly a decade. She currently lives on her family farm with her husband, Kenneth, and three children. Sarah’s gateway into all things crunchy began with a midwife supported home birth of her first child in 2016. As their family grew, she and Kenneth were determined to provide an education that was child led and steeped in nature, practical skills, and curiousity.
Prior to farming and homeschooling, Sarah worked as a retail manager in both small and large box stores in Virginia and South Carolina. Now when she isn’t homeschooling or managing communications for Wilde Rose Farm, you will most likely find her reading, organizing a play date, or adventuring with her family.
As a homeschool parent Sarah loves to build community, establishing monthly meet ups for homeschoolers through the Columbia area. While homeschooling is growing in popularity nationwide it can still feel isolating for many families. Through the co-op and meet up groups, Sarah hopes to continue to build a community of homeschoolers for her children and herself.