People

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.

Geometry Arrow is a fast-paced arrow-jumping game that requires quick reflexes and maximum concentration. Tap to go, miss to lose – simple but extremely addictive!

Melon Sandbox is a hilarious and chaotic physics-based sandbox game that lets your imagination run wild. Think of it like a digital playground where you can experiment with all kinds of funny (and sometimes ridiculous) scenarios. You get to place characters, props, weapons, and objects into a blank world — and then do whatever you want with them. Want to build a giant rollercoaster and launch melons from it? Go ahead. Want to attach rockets to a character and watch them fly? Totally possible. The best part is that there are no rules and no missions — just pure, silly freedom.

Hello, My name is Natalie Simmons I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. I am a Sign Language Intepreter in Cleveland Metro School District. I've been signing for 10+ years but I've been an intepreter in the classroom for 4 years. I  Iove being outside. I love going hiking, listening to music. 

Preethi Mony is a specialist in the field of environmental education, program evaluation and grants and has a wide range of experience from developing resource matierials, conducting programs with children and adults, as well as evaluating programs and grant reporting.

Growing up in the busy metropolis of Mumbai, she quickly recognized the importance of the social aspects of conservation in protecting the natural world. She has worked with organizations in India and the US to help with environmental education program planning and resource development. She has over 20 years of experience working with zoos and museums to evaluate programs and exhibits and recommend strategies to improve the overall visitor experience. Over the last 2 years, she has worked at a local community college to support grant work (federal, state, and private) as well as to inform data driven decision making in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. She brings all of these experiences to her current role of EE Grant and Program Manager at NAAEE.

Preethi holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University. She earned her M.S. in interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida, and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the University of Mumbai, India.

I contribute to participatory R+D and continuous improvemement process focused on environmental stewardship, justice, and advocacy learning opportunities.

High School Science Teacher, Lakewood, Ohio.

I am a nature-based educator, advocating for the right of every child, from preschool through high school - and the grownups who guide them - to have meaningful experiences learning in, about, and with nature.