Rooted in Purpose with Matt Sadler

Some people find their life’s direction in adulthood. For Matt Sadler, it began on a kindergarten playground—with a plant. While other kids chased each other across the wood chips, Matt remembers being crouched beside a mallow plant, transfixed by its strange, extraterrestrial-looking seed pods, ignoring the taunts from his peers. The moment planted something in him: a sense that the natural world held mystery, magic, and meaning. It also marked him as different.

“I never quite felt like I belonged,” said Matt. He found himself constantly searching for a place where he fit. Nature became that place.

That early spark became the throughline of Matt’s life. By twelve he was mowing lawns, and by nineteen, he was running a landscape company with two dozen employees. Over the years he acquired and united several Colorado green-industry businesses under one banner: Rūtsu. The word is Japanses for “roots,” chosen to reflect his belief that roots, literal and metaphorical, hold everything together. He then partnered with SavATree in late 2025.

A turning point came when he became a father 11 years ago. “As soon as I had kids, everything shifted,” Matt says. “I wanted them to experience the same magic I found outdoors. How do we get out in nature, engage imaginations and learn something about soil science or trees? How do we get outside of our comfort zone to grow and feel fulfilled?”

His concern extends beyond his own family. He’s acutely aware of the growing crisis facing young people who spend too much time on devices and not enough time making connections in the real world. He believes nature is the antidote. That conviction has turned into a creative universe of tools designed to help kids build a real relationship with the outdoors.

Matt is the creator of the Nature Ninja comic series—eight illustrated books and a chapter book that blend art, science, imagination, and adventure. He’s developing two board games that take kids through 80 national parks around the world, releasing animals, identifying trees, and learning ecosystems through play. He’s also building outdoor adventure challenges—family-friendly, gamified experiences with scavenger hunts, puzzles, flags, and “easter eggs” on short hiking loops to make nature immersive for kids the way extreme outdoor challenges do for adults.

It’s no surprise that his vision aligns so naturally with SavATree. Our mission has always been to elevate the relationship between people and trees by caring for the environment. We encourage people to connect with the natural world in more meaningful ways. Matt embodies that mission in every facet of his life and we’re proud to welcome him and his team into the SavATree family.

He often says his work is about leaving a legacy—not just for his own kids, now 9 and 11, but for countless families seeking something real, grounded, and fulfilling. In a world of constant consumption, Matt Sadler is offering something different: a path back to wonder, resilience, and connection. A path back to the trees.

Rooted in Purpose: How Matt Sadler Is Inspiring the Next Generation to Rediscover Nature