A mother of two, I am passionate about working with children and have a love for the outdoors.  I have taught in a number of early childhood settings including toddler, preschool, and school-aged programs. I have a passion for nature and I am excited to share that passion with others around me. I spend my time gardening with my two children and exploring the beautiful trails and beaches around our home.  I feel that it is so important to get outside whatever the weather and connect with the world around us.  

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Teacher TK is an educator with years of experience in forest school program in Ontario and BC. They grew up on acres of land in a rural area of Northern Ontario where their love for nature began. TK graduated with a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Niagara College where he developed a deep passion for the early years. Since graduating, he has also worked in resource, curriculum development and workshop facilitation. Some examples of their workshops are: Storytelling, Creative Art and Loose Parts in the Forest, Supporting Transgender and Gender Creative Kids in the Early Years, & Supporting Outdoor Play and Exploration in the Early Years. He is currently an MA candidate in in Early Childhood Studies.

I was born in Zambia and lived there for 10 years. I spent most of my childhood playing outside and particularly enjoyed climbing tress and making mud cakes. 

I then moved to England and grew an interest in working with children in my teenage years. I was often asked to babysit and I also helped out in the crèche at my church. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Psychology with Child Studies and worked in pre-schools and as a nanny for several years. 

I grew up in Whiterock BC and I have always felt at home on the beach and in the forest. I was raised in a close community, all my friends were my neighbours. We used to explore and play hide and seek- tag after school in the forest near our houses until it was dark, and our mothers called us home. I remember searching for crabs and fish on the beach with my brother and climbing the tallest trees with my friends.I have wanted to be a teacher my entire life. I got my education at Langara College in Vancouver. I studied early childhood education and infant/toddler care.

I was born in Japan. When I was a child I used to go to the countryside with my family and family friends every weekends. We plowed a field, grew many different types of vegetables there and explored the forest together. So I have loved to get in touch with nature since then. I graduated with a bachelor of Child Studies in Japan and worked in a kindergarten. I have a strong passion for working with children. Also part of what I love about my job is that I get to help each one to discover their own strengths and talents and nurture those traits through my educational approach. 

Gloria is a fun-loving nature enthusiast from Waterloo, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Waterloo and received her Early Childhood Education Diploma from Seneca College. She has over 15 years of experience working with children. She grew up camping and going to camp and has always loved playing outside. She is passionate about making the world a better place through her work with children, weaving age-appropriate elements of social and environmental justice into the creative lessons that she emparts. 

My academic background includes Masters of Science in Botany, as well as Bachelors in Education. While I was studying, I got to do many practicals in various botanical gardens and rich vegetation areas from that part, my love for exploring nature prompted. Later, worked as a Biology teacher for Grade 8-12 for 3 years in Khalsa College School, Amritsar. I moved to Surrey in 2018 and started volunteering in Khalsa School, Surrey. Later I got an opportunity to work as a TOC in Gobind Sarvar School.

Having spent most of my life here in B.C., my love for the outdoors started young; camping with family, exploring local mountains, going for swims in the sea. I have been in the world of education for the past 7 years, having worked with children as young as 3 right up into the teenage years. Part of my teaching career involved 2 years spent abroad in South Korea; I fell in love with the kindness of the people, the flavours of the food, and the fast pace of life in the big city of Seoul! I love to visit new places, especially with my father who is one of my favourite adventure buddies. 

One of my greatest passions is working with and learning alongside children and youth.

Hello, my name is teacher Soroush and I have been working with saplings since November 2020. I grew up in a complex on Lytton street off of Mount Seymour Parkway; so, I had an area to explore with other kids around my age, this was the start of my love for the outdoors. Some of my fondest middle school memories were from Outdoor School and the Big House. Having been in North Vancouver my whole life it’s not surprising I have a strong connection with nature

My name is Jasnoor Kaur Rolay. I have graduated from Capilano University, North Vancouver in April 2021 with a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education Program. I have been working with children as a practicum student as well as part-time educator since 2019 at different centres such as UBC Kittiwake and Saplings outdoor Program. Starting  summer 2021, I am very happy to take upon the opportunity as a full-time educator with Saplings Outdoor Program.

I grew up in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Living in Brazil I had a place full of natural areas and beautiful natural landscapes, home to a large percentage of plant and animal diversity. Academically, I graduated with a Biological Sciences Licentiates degree, and a Master's degree in Plant Biology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where I was able to fulfill and have a deep connection with my love for teaching, science, research, and nature. During my years in university I have had the chance to experience a deeper contact with children in the education process of science, but also overall subjects. 

I was born in the Scotland highlands where I spent my childhood building dens in the wood, climbing trees and hiking to find the last little bit of snow in spring. I moved to the North of England to do my undergraduate degree in Human geography at Newcastle University. Following my graduation I worked in a wide variety of positions including contributing to research papers on climate change for the Scottish government and becoming a graphic designer for a startup tech company. I am proud of my wide variety of experiences but I found that I missed the outdoors and feeling like I was doing something positive each day for other people.

I'm Taylor de Zilva, I'm an amateur Botanist (begun 6 years ago), mycologist (3.5 years ago), and Arachnologist (undefined, and unsure). Im curently in my 2nd year of Forest Sciences at UBC, additionally helping in the Aviles Spider Lab. I have taken on many different careers previously working at Vancouver Aquarium and the UBC Botanical Garden.

I grew up in a quiet corner of East Vancouver surrounded by nature that positively shaped my childhood. From an early age, I could be found down at the local beach flipping over rocks in search of small crabs and slashing through giant mud puddles. Nature became very influential in my career choices. I graduated from the University of Guelph in Earth Surface Sciences. Working as an Exploration Geologist, I made the eventual switch into Outdoor Education and spent several years working with both children and youth on various Environmental Stewardship projects and in Outdoor Recreational programs.

I was very fortunate and privileged to grow up in British Columbia and I have many fond memories of climbing trees, kayaking, camping, hiking, and swimming in the summers as well as sledding, skiing, and making snow shelters in the winters. As I got older I started to travel and have now been fortunate to have experienced what the outdoors have to offer in many different countries. My all-time favorite things to do in nature are hiking, kayaking, skiing, and camping.

I was born and raised in North Vancouver, BC and spent most of my childhood frolicking in the forests, playing in the streams, building forts with whatever natural materials my friends and I could find, and befriending animals in their natural habitat. The outdoors have always felt like more of a home to me than my bedroom ever has. I am currently in my last semester at UVic finishing up my Bachelors of Child and Youth Care before continuing on to pursue a Masters in Counselling. I have been working with children in various capacities since 2013, and I graduated with my Early Childhood Education diploma from Langara College in 2018. One of my biggest driving forces throughout several aspects of my life is the desire to help others; to help the people around me realize their full potential and to celebrate our differences.

My name is Aishwarya Agrawal & I grew up in the city of Mumbai in India. I moved to Vancouver in August, 2022 and I have been living in Kitsilano since. As a recent resident of Vancouver, BC, I am looking forward to being more spiritually and soulfully connected to nature. As an educator, I am eager to be around children & help them discover themselves and the heaven under their feet & over their head and in turn learn so much from them as well.

I have always been drawn to the awe inducing beauty of the wise nature & it brings out poetries from within for me.

Having grown up in Vancouver, I have always been drawn to nature. From a young age, I was involved with Girl Guides, where I developed a wonder for nature through camps and outdoor activities, and then went on to become a brownie leader. In high school, I spent a year in an outdoor education program, where I spent a few months of the school year learning outdoor skills and going camping. These experiences led me to study biology and environmental studies at the University of Victoria, where I recently graduated.

I moved to Canada from the UK  in 2019 and was drawn to the beautiful surroundings of BC. Through my eight years as a teacher in England, I have taught in a wide range of different primary schools including some time as a substitute teacher, which helped me learn to think on my feet and follow my instincts.

I have always drawn from the fundamentals of forest school teaching, taking every opportunity I could to take my class outside and connect to the world around us. I believe that children learn best through hands-on memorable experiences and when they feel happy and supported to take risks. As an educator, I always strive to bring calmness, creativity, and kindness to every child in my care.