Christy Richard

April 2026 Issue

by Edwina Hoyle
Photography by
Cassidy Dunn Photography

 

Christy Richard grew up on Hilton Head Island and attended K-12 public schools there. That was back in the ‘80s when parents would send children outside to play. It was also before kids had cellphones glued to their hands and were too distracted to go outdoors. She said, “I loved the outdoors and meeting the characters of the Lowcountry. Being outside was the best time and gave me my love of nature. Kids need to connect to nature and spend more time outdoors.”

Christy’s uncle survived an alligator attack in Sea Pines back in 2004. He had a landscape business and wore a spray pack on his back as he approached a lagoon. Christy said, “A 12-foot gator named Bruno grabbed his leg and, fortunately, let go. My uncle had some pretty cool scars. I learned everything I could about these crazy dinosaurs for my own protection. My uncle was very proud he survived, and his license plate read ‘Gator Bait.’”

Christy and her younger brother were the norm for back then. They rode bikes, swam, climbed trees, fished, and checked out the alligators. “Mom would always say watch for snakes, like if a football went into a bush.” Christy was also a Girl Scout and active in her church youth group.

“My three children were always outside,” Christy recalled. “I’d give them big pots and spoons and let them be. They would put dirt and water in the pots and make mud, then sprinkle in some grass. These are precious memories.”

“The kids’ overall well-being is my passion,” she said. Christy started teaching in traditional schools in 2006, and by 2020 she was serving as principal at a private school. For two decades, Christy not only taught, but she also learned.

“The days in traditional schools are too long. The kids are indoors in air conditioning. They need to run and move. They have wiggles but are expected to sit”. Christy decided it was time to teach outside the box. So, she combined her love of working with children, her understanding of their developmental needs, and her desire to help children love learning to create a class with no walls.

Christy learned about Forest Schools – open-air schools based in nature, which originated in Scandinavia. She decided that this model fits her passion to give children what is best for them and doing what makes sense. So, she founded Angel Oak Nature Academy, a homeschool support program for 4 to 10-year-olds in Okatie. The school sits on several acres of land to explore, which includes a garden space, a chicken coop, and honeybee hives.

“Children are in their formative years,” Christy said. “In a class with no walls, anxiety levels are lower, social skills grow stronger, and kids find ways to communicate in order to problem-solve. They develop critical thinking skills looking for resources. They have time and space to think things through. They also learn to take risks, work hard to achieve, and are rewarded with confidence.

“Examples of these risks are playing with sword sticks, climbing trees, lighting fires in the winter. We have small classes with a 1-7 adult/child ratio. Students must be able to follow directions and to always be respectful and kind.” There are two programs: Nature Immersion and Trailblazers with math and literacy lessons.

Christy said, “I get to share my passion with the kids, and they go back and tell their parents what they’ve learned. It’s pretty cool for a four-year-old child to tell their parents about berries and Carolina jasmine flowers. They make a nice mess in a mud kitchen, gather wood for a fire, and learn that male pinecones make pollen. It’s unstructured play time. Kids need it for creativity and imagination. It also helps them to develop their motor skills and work through their emotions.”

“Toys lose their luster, but kids never get bored in nature. It’s cool to see nature through the eyes of a child.”

 

Up Close:

Christy’s three children: Elena, Samantha, and Rex are all active and supportive of Angel Oak Nature Academy. They all put in the “sweat” to get it open.

Between high school and college… Christy lived in Catamarca, Argentina, for a year as an exchange student through the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island. She lived with a family there, learned the language, and experienced immersion in a different culture. She said there are so many rich people here, that she was humbled and grateful to learn that these things aren’t so important. A constant adventurer, Christy spent summers during college on a ranch in Montana and studied abroad in Spain for a college semester—all life changing and enriching experiences for her.

All about Pluff Mud: “It’s for me. I love it, but I know others don’t.”

Another life changing experience… has been her oldest daughter, Elena, leaving the nest. “She was replaced by a Rottweiler,” Christy laughed. “Each of them will be replaced by a dog as they leave.”

Christy wants to make sure… her family knows Jesus. She believes it is of the greatest importance to be outdoors with minimal distractions and maximum sunshine to enjoy God’s beauty.

Christy cherishes… time spent with family, parents, and friends