Kathy, she/her, is of Ukrainian descent on her mother’s side and Ukrainian and English ancestry on her father’s side. As a young child, Kathy began a lifelong reverence for nature through her connections with her horses, dogs and family cow. She would disappear regularly into the rainforest, exploring adventures in nature by horseback in the Lower Mainland and Central Vancouver Island.

Kathy brings unbridled enthusiasm for learning about the natural world along with 30+ years of classroom experience. She is an enthusiastic educator that is dedicated to authentic and meaningful education. Her background encompasses teaching experience in the public school system from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with a focus on nature-based education. She has had experience developing, managing and coordinating outdoor classrooms and wild spaces with various age groups, encouraging learning through play. She mentors other educators to develop programs which follow children’s passion for play and the outdoors.

Kathy unschooled her own three adult children throughout their educational years. One of her favourite family memories was when they drove to Guatemala playing their marimbas as a family band in local restaurants. Her parenting experience taught her to believe in the importance of honouring every child’s inner wisdom and trusting their process of evolvement. As well as earning her B.A. in Education, she worked many years as a Certified Lactation Consultant. The thread that binds these experiences is a love of community, a desire to be of service, and the importance of the emotional health of children.

Kathy has a background in the performing arts, including theatre, comedy, singing, playing the guitar, hang and marimba. She enjoys foraging, gardening, plant alchemy, nature games and bushcraft. Kathy has facilitated at many ancestral skills gatherings.

She is trained in Art of Mentoring nature connection philosophy, Rites of Passage facilitation and is also a graduate and 6 year returning student of Thriving Roots’ Wild and Alive Program. She brings all her experience and knowledge and life-long passions together in her work, recognizing the power nature has in transforming people and societies to be healthier and more resilient.