People

I'm a passionate early childhood educator who believes in the power of nature to inspire curiosity, resilience, and joy. I weave outdoor exploration and sensory-rich experiences into our daily rhythm, whether we’re investigating puddles, building leaf shelters, or painting with natural materials. My teaching is rooted in play, wonder, and respect for the natural world, helping children feel grounded and engaged while building key developmental skills. Every moment in nature is a chance to grow—and I aim to make those moments magical.

Nayiri Haroutunian is Program Director at EarthGen, an environmental education nonprofit. She creates programs and develops curricula to help support students to take environmental action in their school communities. She has a MS in Natural Resources & Environment from Michigan.

I teach environmental science at Bluffton Unviersity and I manage the Bluffton University Nature Preserve.

I am a teacher with a strong belief in environmental education.  We take students camping at least twice each school year, and we have begun to travel to different national parks to allow our students opportunities to explore well beyond their backyards.

As Director of Education and Outdoor Equity at TreePeople, Southern California's oldest and largest environmental nonprofit organization, I oversee a number of programs of informal, place-based environmental education. Our service learning program, Generation Earth, has targeted secondary teachers and students throughout Los Angeles County for 25 years, providing water, waste, and forestry experiential projects. TreePeople’s Outdoor Equity programs support youth and their families to connect with local natural and wildland areas. Through field trips, participants share experiences of their community and explore ways to steward and sustain their neighborhood’s natural resources while they have fun through hands-on learning.

I opened a nature Playschool serving 3-5 year olds in 2021. We are in 24 acres and spend most of our 4 hour program outside. We use emergent curriculum and Conscious Discipline. I find working with children outdoors to be rewarding and I love continuing to learn alongside them. I believe that connecting with nature is the most powerful thing you can do to improve your life and protect the future of the Earth.