A solid blend of experience and research make for Verboort's genuine story telling. From age 4, Theresa spent most of her childhood with her family of 8 on a small ranch located about 10 miles from the nearest town of Bandon, on the southern coast of Oregon.   They were not survivalists, but many of the skills used to live there were similar to what they would need if they were. No running water, no telephone, no electricity.  “I learned to cook on a wood stove, can and preserve food, pump water from a well.  We raised our own garden and animals.” Her mother washed clothes on a washboard for months, until a gas-powered washing machine was ensconced on the back porch.  She learned how to shoot, and butcher chickens. “I was a senior in high school when we finally got a real bathroom in the house!” 

Verboort worked her way through college via several stints in Forest Service fire lookouts. The solitary nature of fire watching gave her first-hand experience for living in isolation. In addition to personal experience, she did the research needed for The Communing Tree story. “I read a lot about survivalists living in Oregon, and risks of pot growers.  And I researched PTSD, which plagues many of our warriors,” Theresa explained. “I wondered what would happen if someone wanted to live out in those hidden places of the Kalmiopsis wilderness. My husband and I took guided tours into the mysterious area.  And I loved that name!” she adds. 

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