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Our Story
In 2022, when our son was born, we planted his placenta—his tree of life—into the earth. It was an offering of gratitude to Papatūānuku, Mother Earth, and a symbol of connection to land, ancestry, and the future. Naturally, given Sean’s and my passion for Syntropic Agroforestry and Permaculture, that small patch of earth soon began to unfurl into a thriving forest, growing alongside him.
Our inspiration came from our Māori and Celtic traditions—like many Indigenous cultures around the world—that honour the placenta as sacred, returning her to the earth to mark a child’s first connection to land, life, and lineage.
While our journey began with this practice, we welcome all pathways, rituals, and traditions that connect children with nature. However you choose to mark the planting of their forest, we offer our support to parents, families, schools, and communities who wish to bring the magic of nourishing forests into the lives of children.
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Tree Born is here to help you create a meaningful forest that reflects your values and story—offering a space of nourishment, belonging, and connection for your child. A rich ecosystem that grows alongside them, deepening their connection to nature.
Each Tree Born forest begins as a 20m² hexagon-shaped glade, inspired by the patterns of bees and nature’s instinct for connection. At its heart stands a tree of your choosing, encircled by a winding path and surrounded by layers of fruit trees, herbs, native and support plants. These forest glades are living ecosystems that grow alongside children, offering nourishment, wonder, and belonging. They can stand alone as abundant sanctuaries, or be added to— like honeycomb— to include new family members, students, community groups.
Tree Born Team
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Frida Keegan
I’m a mother living with my family in a home nestled within a food forest in Northland, Aotearoa. I work as a Syntropic Agroforestry designer, educator, and practitioner with PermaDynamics, co-founded Sapp (the Syntropic Agroforstry & Permaculture Planner) and contribute as a writer to On The Land magazine.
I began Tree Born to bring food forests into children’s lives—supporting parents, families, schools, and communities to grow spaces of connection and nourishment. Rooted in a lifelong love of resilient growing systems, my work blends ecological design with a belief in early, reciprocal relationships with the land. I also create hand-built ceramics and illustrations that celebrate the quiet moments connecting us to nature and one another.
Sean is a father, builder, and land-based practitioner who lives among a thriving food forest in Northland. His work is deeply rooted in his connection to whānau and whenua, and to the ancestral lands of his Ngāpuhi hapū, where he helps manage and restore land as part of ongoing hapū-led stewardship. With a background in carpentry, personal training, and shiatsu, Sean brings a grounded understanding of movement, strength, and care—skills he applies to regenerative land work. At Tree Born, he facilitates forest installations, builds infrastructure, and supports plant propagation, while also holding space at home with our son as Frida works with families and communities online.
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Sean Malcolm
Together, we help create personalised food forests because we believe that deep,
reciprocal connection with nature is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our children.
