5532 Hanrehan Lake Blvd., Savage, MN 55378
Monday - Friday 6:30 am - 6:00 pm
About Us
Some of the best memories we have as children were created outside, running the hills, climbing the trees, or building forts in the woods. My wife and I bonded over a love for the outdoors and we vowed that we would share that love with our children. We believe that kids should have the opportunity to run, jump, play, climb, and explore. We created Wildflower Early Learning Center to offer the community an alternative to mainstream childcare. To encourage and inspire children to become stewards of the earth while providing a foundation that enables healthy development and academic success.
Whether it be tending the garden, exploring the life of a Woolly Bear caterpillar, or getting comfy in the classroom sharing stories and reading books, we look forward to creating memories with your family that will last a lifetime.

Sincerely,
Joshua and Carrie Linde
Owners - Wildflower Early Learning Center
I am excited for you to join us in our learning adventure at Wildflower ELC. I was raised in Wausau, WI and have been a proud resident of the south metro for 15 years. I graduated from Concordia University, St. Paul with a degree in psychology. Upon graduation, I found myself working in a children's mental health facility. This opportunity fostered my desire to help children at the early stages of development. I then found myself working with birth through age 5 and found my life's work. Some of my favorite activities with young children are story time, dramatic play, and sensory experiences. It's powerful to watch a child learn how the world works and how they play a role in society.
Along with the great work at Wildflower, my family keep me busy each day. My husband and I have 3 daughters, one of whom is a proud Alumni of Wildflower ELC. Some of our favorite activities include Valleyfair, various church functions, and exploring the many playgrounds and parks in the area.
I welcome you to Wildflower ELC. I hope you find it a place of love, nurturance, education, and growth for you and your child.
Jessica Lewis
- Director
Credentials
BA in Psychology,
30 credits towards
Masters in Family Ed.
Teacher: 15 yrs
Administration: 6 yrs
Samantha Seery - Teacher
Credentials:
Childcare Experience: 9 years
My name is Samantha Seery, aka Ms. Seery. I am so excited to be a part of the Wildflower Family! I was born and raised in Prior lake and continue to reside in this community with my fiancé, Tyler, and our golden retriever, Belle. I grew up going camping with my family and spent most of my childhood playing in the woods with my brothers behind our house. Nature has always played a huge role in my life so it’s so fun to be teaching young kids the passions that I grew up learning and still have today! I have 7 years of experience in the childcare industry, working with toddlers through pre-k aged children. I enjoy being a teacher to little minds for so many reasons. I love to see when a child conquers a task, the joy they get from learning new things, and the hugs and smiles each day. This career path is fulfilled each day by the joy and pride that exudes from the children I teach and I look forward to being a partner in their early years of development.
Hello, my name is Ms. Callie and I’m so happy to be part of the Wildflower team! I grew up with six brothers and two sisters, me being the oldest, meant a lot of babysitting! I have worked in childcare since 2013, when I was in high school, working with infants-preschool.
I am passionate about the play-based curriculum Wildflower provides and find joy in helping children learn how to communicate with teachers and with each other not only during learning themes and curriculum, but also outside structured environments while playing and problem solving. Being in nature and learning from real-life experiences is so eye opening and has changed my outlook on how children learn and all they are able to take in.
Callie Stone- Teacher
Credentials
Teaching Experience: 6 Years
Associates Degree
Maria Barnard - Teacher
Credentials
Childcare Experience: 4 Years
Associates degree in Elementary Education.
Associates degree in Political Science.
Currently pursuing license in Elementary Education.
My name is Miss Maria and I am excited to be a part of the Wildflower family! I grew up in Prior Lake and graduated from Prior Lake High School while also earning 50+ credits at Normandale Community College. I am currently pursuing my associates degree in Elementary Education and then will be working on my teaching license. Play-based learning, experimentation, and discovery are an important part of early education and I am grateful for the opportunity to share this program with Wildflower families.
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My favorite activities are cooking, going out on the lake, and spending time with my family.
My name is Julie Linde, but you can call me Miss Julie or even Grandma Julie. You’ll often find me with the kiddos watering the many wildflowers throughout the property or introducing the children to the beautiful world of farming in the Wildflower garden.
I have many years of experience in nursing and medical administration. I am also a talented seamstress having worked with a local designer on one-of-a-kind leather purses & vintage clothing.
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Favorite activities of mine include: spending time with our granddaughters, Layla & Harper, walking my dog Chally, sewing, and (surprise) gardening. Hopefully, everyone will get to enjoy the vegetables of my labor from the Wildflower garden.
Julie Linde
Gardner & Teacher
Credentials
Childcare Experience: 3 yrs
Nursing: 7 years
Olivia Stanton
Teacher's Aide
Credentials
Childcare Experience: 1 year
The root of everything done at Wildflower starts with love, kindness, respect, patience, creativity, awe, and an appreciation for the world! It’s because of their unique values that I wanted to work for Wildflower ELC. Teaching kids the value of caring for nature and living alongside it has a ripple effect on creating a greener future.
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I believe the most important factor in early childhood education is creating a safe space, whether physical or emotional, for children to make mistakes without judgment and with the support, guidance, and encouragement of teachers and fellow students to help them learn, try out ideas, discover, communicate, and grow socially and emotionally.
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I grew up in Manhattan, New York, learning to walk in The Natural History Museum, Central Park, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I fostered a love of learning, creativity, art, and nature at a very young age (and I'm still a big nerd). I did classical ballet training for over 10 years along with jazz, theater, hip hop, Horton, ballroom, Latin dancing, and more. To this day art, creativity, nature, learning, exploring, and growing are a huge part of my life. I love to spend my time reading, hiking, gardening, doing yoga and meditation, learning herbalism, philosophy, and ancient history, writing, painting, and exploring more of Minnesota!
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I've been caring for children for as long as I can remember. I have a younger sister who I took care of during my adolescence. I began volunteering at a Spanish immersion summer camp when I was 12 and at the age of 14, I officially became a camp counselor working with children ages two through 2nd grade. For four years, I enjoyed working with kids, spending time teaching outdoors, and leading activities. I absolutely adore working with kids, because I remember what being a kid is like and it’s fun to see kids playing outside and having fun the way I did!
I appreciate that Wildflower incorporates nature and the outdoors into their programming.
I’m currently pursuing my associates degree at Inver Hills Community College and plan to continue my education after earning my AA. I was a worship leader for my church for a lot of my teen years and love music and art. I’m fluent in English and Spanish, I love to cook, I’m from Peru and Honduras, and I love to learn about new cultures. I hope to continue to blossom and grow at Wildflower Early Learning Center.
