As for the grove, find some Grove PC's to speak to. Players that have access and what not. Those are the folks to get in good with
The shifter form you've been working towards? Keep it up! You're doing the absolute right thing by asking DM's to watch but also, ask PC's for help as well. These things take time for a few reasons, the biggest probably being that it's definitely busytime when there's only one or two DM's on.
Looks like you're doing the right things!