Islands, nature and motherhood
Published 1:30 am Sunday, May 10, 2026
Since moving to the island in 2003, photographer and fine artist Danielle Dean has become enveloped in the island community. Now with a 4-year-old daughter, Josaphine, Dean and her partner, Thom, are working hard to ensure she understands as much as possible about her wild island home.
“I feel very fortunate to raise a child here on the island,” Dean said, adding that she is incredibly grateful for her support network. “Between my parents, partner and friends, the outpouring of blankets, special books, things that were knitted and gifted. It was overwhelming,” Dean told the Journal, highlighting how caring the island community is. She also touched on the invaluable resources for families available, including the library, Joyce L Soble Family Resource Center and Island Rec., just to name a few. She herself utilized the baby/toddler programs at the library, and the family resource center before Josie started preschool. “They were all wonderful and connected us with other parents and children during that tender time. There are many other programs that are opening up now that she is older, such as at Alchemy Art Center and San Juan Islands Museum of Art,” Dean said.
At 4 years old, Josephine has been attending Sweetgrass. The school is a Waldorf-inspired outdoor nature-based early childhood program. Waldorf education, according to the Waldorf website, holds as its primary intention the ideal of bringing forth — in every child — his or her unique potential in a way that serves the further development of humanity. Sweetgrass explains on its website that “The fabric of our program is woven together through intentional and inspired Waldorf-based education not only for children, but parents and families too. Encouraging curiosity, wonder, and resiliency, Sweetgrass provides nurturing and inspiring spaces for children to learn, play, and explore.” For those interested in learning more, visit https://www.sweetgrasspreschool.org/. With its focus on outdoor activities, Sweetgrass allows students to connect with the seasons, land and sea. “It’s a big part of our day, having this sweet little nature-based program,” Dean said. The school’s program fits perfectly with Dean and Thom’s values. Having a strong community and being kind to others are part of their parenting plan; however, they also hope to instill in their daughter a sense of place, of her environment. The family visits Young Hill frequently to help orient her to where the islands are in the world. The hills’ 360-degree view helps them teach her about the nearby waterways and mountains. There is also a field they visit every February when the snowdrops bloom to give her a sense of the seasons. “You can uniquely ground a child in where we are because we are so connected to nature around us,” Dean said.
The digital age, access to technology and information that may not be age-appropriate are challenges for today’s families. “I feel like I’m at the very beginning stages of facing those challenges,” Dean said. “Because of her age, we can edit and set limits on TV time pretty easily. Although I am constantly overwhelmed by how much media is available at all times, my decisions are not always perfect. I try to prioritize fully developed storytelling and eliminate short-form media. A big challenge is how to curate what comes into her young mind.”
For expectant moms, Dean says, “Find a doctor or midwife you like and trust and listen to them.” Find a couple of books by physicians by trusted doctors, as well. “I’ve found it best to narrow the information I took in while pregnant. Do your best to trust the process, because it’s amazing you can control, and have an idea how you want things to go. There is going to be a natural flow.”
When asked if there was anything her own mother taught her that she would like to incorporate into her parenting, to pass down to Josie, Dean responded, “Mom gave me joy and playfulness in being a mother. She is not afraid to play and enter into a child’s world with stories and play. It’s fun to watch her be a grandmother in that way.”
