forest homeschooling

I don't have much time tonight, so I am just copying one of my favorite articles on homeschooling. Forest homeschooling works! Even though the story has a happy end, it's somewhat ironic how things turned out. The father and the daughter were leading a simple and healthy life, the kind that many of us dream of. And than along comes the police, deems their living conditions 'unacceptable', and decides that they should be a part of the system. And it is all written up in a way that the family has to thankful not to be put in a homeless shelter / foster care!

Another thing to think about is that, if you ever wanted to just drop out for some time and go live in a woods -- guess what? you really can't! All land is taken, either private or government property, and trespassing is against the law.

oh well

Forest family had an elaborate camp among trees

PORTLAND, ORE. - A man and his 12-year-old daughter spent the lastfour years living in a remote hillside in Portland's Forest Park,police said. The pair was discovered in a dense, wooded area by an Australian cross-country runner and his wife.They reported seeing an older man with white bushy hair and a beard,and a young girl at what appeared to be a "well-established transientcamp." They called police on April 28.That afternoon, North Precinct Sgt. Michael Barkley sent fourofficers on all-terrain vehicles to find the pair but they didn'tfind them."We had very little to go on, " Barkley said. "There's no way youcould not do everything you could because it was a report of a childliving up there."The next morning, the runner escorted police to the site.After an hour-and-a-half hike, police found an elaborate camp duginto a steep hillside.Under a tarp-covered, wood-framed shelter, they found sleeping bags,a partially burnt log, a Bible, a stack of old World BookEncyclopedias, rakes and other tools.A rope swing, a tilled vegetable garden and a small creek werenearby.A police dog found the pair huddling behind a tree about 50 yardsfrom the camp.The man and girl told police they had lived in the park for fouryears. The pair appeared clean, well-fed and healthy, Barkley said,and the girl was well-spoken beyond her years.The man, who identified himself as Frank, told police he was a 53-year-old Marine Corps veteran and college graduate who served inVietnam.He came to Oregon with his daughter, Ruth, from Tacoma with no joband virtually no money. Frank told police that the girl's mother wasinstitutionalized in New Hampshire, and the two now lived on a $400-a-month disability check.Rather than live on the streets and expose Ruth to alcohol and drugs,Frank said, they hiked deep into Forest Park and built a lean-to.The pair went into the city twice a week to stop by the bank, attendchurch, buy groceries and clothes from Goodwill. Frank, a devoutChristian, said he taught his daughter using the old encyclopedias.They grew vegetables and used the nearby creek to keep clean. Theystored perishable foods in a small pool of water at the creek's edge.The man and girl told police that the runner was the first person tofind their camp in four years.Their biggest worry was being split up, Barkley said."Please, don't take me from my daddy," the girl told the 26-yearpolice veteran as they sat on a log talking for at least 30 minutes.Barkley, who has a 6-year-old daughter, said he was struck by therelationship between father and daughter."What was so clear was that their living conditions wereunacceptable, but their relationship was a real deep love and caringfor each other," Barkley said.Officer Joe Campbell, who helped find the pair, said separating thepair would have broken their hearts. "Their whole lives seemed torevolve around each other," said Campbell.A pediatrician found the girl free of any illness, any signs ofphysical or sexual abuse - and no cavities. A criminal backgroundcheck came up empty, according to police reports.Even though the child and father lived for such a long timedisconnected from society, the girl had been home schooled and was ingood physical shape.In fact, the girl received a very good education from her fatherwhile living among the trees. Officials said the girl, who would benormally in 7th grade, is at a 12th grade equivalency."When we interviewed this little girl, she was very impressive. Shereally was very responsible, and she really looked as though she wasway advanced in her years," said Portland Police Cmdr. Scott Andersonsaid.KATU Television has been given permission from 'The Forest Family's'father to set up a college fund for 12-year-old 'Ruthie.'To make donations for the girl, who for the last four years havelived in the forest and was educated by her father, to 'Ruthie'sCollege Fund' at any Bank Of America Branch.Police say the father was ecstatic when KATU offered to set up acollege fund for his daughter.The father has done a wonderful job of educating the girl, sayspolice. She reportedly performs at a 12th grade level.Police persuaded them to leave the camp, promising help them findfood and shelter.The pair spent two nights at a homeless shelter. Barkley found theman a job and a place for the two to live on a friend's horse farm inYamhill County.Now, Barkley said, the pair are living in a mobile home and adjustingto life with heat, electricity and electric water.The man mows lawns and is learning to drive a tractor, and the pairride bicycles to a nearby church on Sundays."The amazing part of this was the fact that Sergeant Barkley reallyevaluated what was best for these people," North Precinct Cmdr. ScottAnderson said. "Sometimes police would be a little quicker to hand things off to state workers. But instead ... he saw this through to the end."