Elle Travis has a passion for teaching children about nature and protecting the environment.  After growing up in Charlotte and enjoying a long career in the Raleigh area, Elle moved to Hendersonville in 2012.  She was drawn to alternative healing modalities and became immersed in Plant Spirit Medicine and energy healing.  In 2020 something changed, and she embarked on what has become her second life’s work….  Connecting children with nature. 

Since then, she has written and published a nature-based children's book series with 4 seasonal books containing 13 unique stories that take you through a year in a garden and much more. Elle’s stories are narrated by a playful fairy, Light Feather.  Elle drew inspiration from indigenous elders and other knowledgeable individuals who shared ancient customs with her to create the 13 stories in her book series. 

The stories wanted to come to life, so Elle started a nonprofit, Caregivers of Mother Earth to help children connect with nature.

And that is just the beginning.  She has reached out to communities and children in western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.  In the summer of 2022, she planned and delivered programs to children at various  camp venues. The goal of the interactions was to educate very young children about what it means to be a good steward of the environment. This was done through nature walks, creating vision boards, and making fun projects like bird feeders to heighten their awareness of nature. Elle has also partnered with her local 4-H Club to deliver a program that will encompass daily themed activities for the week, including soil, plants/trees, animals, pollinators, and water. Children see how everything is connected and that when you give to nature, nature gives back to you. She has conducted story hours at local libraries.

On September 1, 2022, the Hendersonville City Commission voted to have Hendersonville become the cornerstone Caregivers of Mothe Earth city. She is now anxious to replicate the program in other cities and see it grow and touch more and more young minds.