Our Story

L.O.C.A.L. Adventures was started by Richmond native, Preston Slaughter in 2021, and is a culmination of all of her life passions. With a background in education and over eight years of teaching experience in various roles, Preston recognized a gap in our education system. With anxiety and depression rates among teens on the rise, our future generation is in search now, more than ever, for tools to help cope with stress and regulate their emotions. Post COVID-19, youth and adults alike have been turning to alternative methods of healing and therapeutic outlets for creative or nature-based learning.

In 2016, when Preston moved back to the United States after two years teaching English in Thailand and traveling around Asia, she experienced her first bout of mental health troubles. It wasn’t until she discovered the therapeutic benefits of yoga, meditation and nature that she was able to balance her nervous system and tap into her joy body. Since then, she has made a career out of her passions, educating kids on the benefits of the exact same practices she finds herself coming to time and time again.

When she is not teaching, Preston also enjoys photography, hosts backcountry retreats, and spends a good portion of her free time in our beloved James River Park System, mountain biking, trail running, paddling rapids and meditating.

L.O.C.A.L. Adventures also has a rotation of passionate teachers who teach our programs in schools and summer camps.