People

Project GROWS is a nonprofit educational farm in Augusta County, Virginia with a mission to grow a healthy community by connecting all people to nutritious foods. Our farm stewards a healthy ecosystem that yields nutrient-dense food as well as providing beautiful, engaging natural spaces that promote self-discovery and joy. We provide experiential, hands-on education through summer camps, in-school activities, and mentorship programs. Our team also manages multiple farmers markets that improve food security and contribute to our local food economy. We envision a world with an equitable food system where everyone has the access and knowledge to choose, grow, and enjoy foods that support a healthy life.

Reclaiming the roots of education!

• We believe in the holistic benefits of nature-based learning for children.
• We endeavor to heighten awareness of the importance of understanding child development in learning environments.
• We seek to contribute to sweet communion through networks of support, inspiration, and collaboration.Our methods include: forming authentic relationships, offering LIVE online certification courses, facilitating on-site training, providing affordable consulting services, organizing regional retreats, and helping envision sustainable site development plans. 

FSTI training and certification is endorsed by the MSED in Outdoor Teacher Education at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee.

In 2021, Jean retired as Wauhatchie School Director to further her mission of training others to teach and establish Forest Schools around the globe through the Forest School Teacher Institute, which she founded in 2018. With in-person sessions and the online Zoom program, she has helped train over 1000 forest school teachers and directors from almost every state in the US, Canada, China, Thailand, Korea, Italy, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Dominica.

I am currently a graduate student at UNCW pursuing my MS in Environmental Science and MAT in Middle Grades Education. My background is in biology with a concentration in microbio and marine science, as well as in experiential education primarily through rock climbing and other adventure-ed programs.

My name is Raegan Edwards and I work for the Burke Soil and Water Conservation district. I have been working for a few months, and have already learned so much about what conservation districts do in North Carolina. I have been enjoying my work so far as well as learning new things everyday. 

I am a biologist at the Loon Preservation Committee and spearhead our education and outreach initiatives. Our mission is to restore and maintain a healthy population of loons throughout New Hampshire; to monitor the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and to promote a greater understanding of loons and the larger natural world.Educating the public about loons, their needs, and ways that lake users can reduce their impacts on loons is a critical part of our mission. Our educational initiatives include traditional powerpoint presentations, guided paddling trips, tabling events, and more.

Dorna Schroeter was coordinator of the Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES Center for Environmental Education for 38 years. The program served 40,000 students each year through a wide variety of programs.

Since retiring in 2018, Dorna has focused on using the power of stories to inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder for our natural world. Her first two stories, "The Story of Velcro and The Story of Eco-Machines, introduce young readers to the fascinating world of biomimicry. She released We Are One: A User’s Guide for Young Earthlings in January 2026. Her next book, Because of a Storm, will follow. Her books can be found at http://www.inspiredbynaturebooks.com and Amazon.

When she isn't writing stories, teaching biomimicry, mentoring youth, or gardening, she is biking locally and on multi-day trips around the country.