Our Team

Co-founder/Director/Lead Instructor

I am an educator and mentor in earth-based skills and ancestral ways. My family has been in the land that we now call Canada for five generations and I am grateful to be a settler, held in the arms of rivers, mountains, oceans, and deserts. I am a lover of wild places and my life is nourished by sharing in community, food, song, and story. 

As an ongoing student of Martin Prechtel’s, I am fascinated with the beauty and complexity of myth and it’s existence in the unfolding of our daily lives. I have had the honour of studying with the Animas Valley Institute, The Haven Institute, The Tracker School, and with my mentors Annie Bloom, Jade Sherer, and Florence Dedame. I have learned a tremendous amount about the natural world and human culture while being a Senior Instructor and Director at nature schools across Western Canada. The kids, families, and adults that I have worked with have touched my heart and each one leaves a lasting imprint that enriches the tapestry of my life. 

I am currently passionate about wildlife tracking and following the signs of animals across the land. To know that my feet are treading on ground where wolves, mountain lions, grizzly bears, and many more have tread, fills my whole being with awe. I believe in the wild animal and wild soul that lives in all of us. It is a life practice to follow the trail of that being in such a manner that one day, we might be so lucky as to catch a glimpse of their magnificent form. 

Check out Stephanie's Programs

Co-founder/Director/Lead Instructor

I am a first generation settler in Canada, grateful to reside on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations. My ancestry is Irish/Scottish, and English/Burmese. I left the UK aged 23 drawn to the Amazon by a mysterious yearning for something that was not offered me by my culture. I spent several years living and working in remote field settings and have had the good fortune to make strong friendships in communities of the Achuar and Kichwa nations of Ecuador. I have been closely involved with communities from Pastaza province, recovering sacred sites from colonized land and restoring them to their original purpose as spiritual sanctuaries under the protectorship of their Indigenous stewards. I have facilitated visits for Amazon teachers to North America, and for Northern visitors to Amazon lands. 

I have lived in Canada since 2016 working for outdoor schools in BC, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, and have had the privilege of working closely with the Dene peoples whose rich culture and territory have been humbling teachers for me. I have studied with Wilderness Awareness School and the Animas Valley Institute and have learned to find deep nourishment in the animate landscape, in the unfolding mystery of my soul’s journey, and in the special honour of meeting and guiding others, young and old.

I am a student of myth and ancestral ways of being, with special intrigue in storytelling, traditional music, basketry, hide tanning and leatherwork. At any given time I can be found collecting wild plants, following the calls of birds, or tracking other mysteries through the land, and through my life. I write  poetry, perform traditional Gaelic stories and songs in my band Siarimis, and lead a Latin band called El Combo Cumbialandia.

-----------------

"My son had the opportunity of having Kes as his teacher while out on the land in Chief Drygeese Territory. Kes had shown to me that he was very knowledgeable on the land, had respect for traditional teachings and helped the children engage in a fun and educational way. He offered support and guidance to anyone who needed it. I would highly recommend any land-based/nature programs as a form of education as the growth that comes from it is more then what you will ever receive in a western style facility. Mahsi cho." 

~Jasmine Dale, Yellowknife, NT

Lead Instructor, Comox Valley Wayfinders

I am grateful to be a visitor on the traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, who today refer
to themselves as Sahtloot, Sasitla, Ieeksun and Puntledge people. I live in the Comox Valley and am tremendously honoured to be part of Fianna Wilderness School. From a place of gratitude and humbleness, I have spent the past several years learning from those who have called this place home since time immemorial - specifically the Anishinaabe and Mohawk people in what is now known as Ontario, and most recently from the Ktunaxa, the Syilx, and the Sinixt peoples in the Kootenays.

I have spent the past several years working in various outdoor schools in both BC and
Ontario as an a mentor, educator and outdoor guide - bringing people of all ages into the
natural world to share what has so generously been shared with me. I have studied with
the PINE project, Dominion Herbal College, and most recently received my BA in
Indigenous Environmental Studies and Science. I am currently working towards becoming a BC
certified teacher.

I love to be in wild places and spaces and to lean into the mystery of all that is by diving
into my own Celtic and Mediterranean ancestry and traditional ways of being. I feel most
nourished being in the mountains, where I feel held by the trees, the waters, and the
stones. I am a lover of plants and herbal medicine and always will be a curious student
of the ways to work with them. Lately I have been fascinated working with natural fibres
and am enchanted by the creations manifested when the relationship between animals,
plants, and my hands come together. I can often be found tending to my garden,
spinning wool, climbing mountains, and with my nose deep in the pages of a book with a
a nice cup of tea.

Lead Instructor, Gabriola Tadpoles

I grew up on the traditional territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone/Costanoan peoples, what is colonially known as the San Francisco Bay Area. I left California after high school to study at UBC on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory where I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation in 2011. I went back to UBC in 2018 to get my diploma in Early Childhood Education and Development and I am now a certified ECE.  

Currently, I am a settler on Gabriola Island, the Hul'q'umin'um' speaking Snuneymuxw First Nation's land, where my partner and I steward a small farm. I am forever a student and am grateful for the many mentors who have indulged my incessant curiosity along the way. If I don't have a book in my hands I love to knit, take photos, and cook elaborate vegan meals. 

Instructor, Comox Valley
As Edgewalker, Artist and Guide for Deep Nature Connection, I believe in the wisdom of Mother Earth, guidance of experiential learning, and spirit of co-creation.  I trust curiosity to widen my comfort zones and deepen my journey.

What a blessing it is to now live, learn and play on the unceded traditional territory of the Pentlatch, E’iksan (eye-ick-sun) Sasitla (sa-seet-la) Sathloot (sath-loot) and K'omoks peoples, traditional keepers of this land.  I am grateful to feel belonging as a settler who is eager to participate in the stewardship of living Land, Water and Sky.  

I approach life with my clown nose and abundant heart.  I find deep restoration in sitting in silence and songwriting in wild open spaces.  I delight in following the fruitfully-whispering “come find me” fungus, and finding more questions than answers.  As I explore the natural world, I notice how my relationship to self deepens, and how to access my gifts within the invisible classroom.

I have found rich mentorship within a plethora of life-changing communities; from ashram, eco-village, overnight arts camp, and outdoor adventure lodge, what a privilege it is to explore and live as part of the village. In 2018, my curiosity fuelled me cross-country to participate in the 100-day Canadian Outdoor Leadership Training program with Strathcona Park Lodge.  Here I met Soil and Sea as I trained and mentored open-air youth programs; these years grounded my “RootZ” and affirmed my adopted nature name.   

Since then, I am connected with Ingrid and Jean-Claude of the Wisdom of the Earth Wilderness School’s mentoring journey (NCMJ) and many vibrant wild-childs through Partners in Education and Wild Craft Play as Behavioural Specialist, and Hand in Hand Nature Education as Nature Educator and Founder of stewardship homeschooler hive: the Curious Bees. 

I am alive with an enriching 20 years of creating and reshaping responsive, learner-led programs where connection is active in present-moment possibility.  What an ongoing gift to embody countless kinaesthetic learning experiences and stories.  Infinite thanks to my many little mentors of authenticity!

May I always be exploring Nature's mysteries with my wild child heart.

Instructor, Comox Valley

I grew up as a settler on the traditional territories of the Cree, Lakota, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, and the homeland of the Métis, spending much of my youth in the City of Regina, SK.  Luckily I lived near a prairie creek bed that I would often sneak away to against my parents' wishes, called forth by the mysteries of long grasses and cattails, water bugs and robins, mud and mosquitos.

I spent my 20s traveling, and upon returning  to my homeland I started a 7 month live-in internship at O.U.R Ecovillage in Cowichan where I learned all things permaculture, natural building, animal husbandry and community living. I also taught groups of students that came through how to garden and preserve food.  I signed on to stay for a second year and ended up managing the 9 acre garden. During this time I started to become fascinated with wild plants and my heart yearned for something deeper. I decided to follow my intuition and began self study considering how I could exist in this world without worldly pleasures like a pressure canner, or a fridge. This question became an obsession.

Eventually I ended up at Fianna! And I'm so happy something so beautiful is unfolding in my life. I feel an immense amount of joy walking this path with kids and the lands that holds us, learning together, overcoming challenges together, and having way too much fun! 

Lead Instructor, Powell River

I am deeply grateful for the Indigenous Peoples who have cultivated profound earth wisdom and exemplified harmonious living throughout history. Living on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples, particularly the Tla’amin Nation territory, fills me with honour.  While my recent human ancestry traces back to Britain and Belgium, my family immigrated to Canada when I was born, and I was raised in northeastern Canada. 

My journey led me to study plants and animals across seasons, culminating in a Conservation Biology B.Sc. and Alberta Professional Biologist Certification. Over 12 years, I worked as a Terrestrial Ecologist in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories. Seeking change, I pursued an M.Sc. in Human Ecology, which transformed my approach to education, emphasizing head, heart, and hand. This shift inspired my venture into ecology education with the social enterprise ‘The Earth is Hiring’. For five years I served as an outdoor and forest school educator, crafting seasonal ecology workshops for schools like Red-tailed Hawk Forest School and Discovery Forest. 

Since moving to Texada, I completed a Permaculture Design Course and homeschool my children, integrating forest school and permaculture principles with the BC Partners in Education sd47 curriculum. Volunteering as a facilitator for Texada Naturekids events and pursuing Forest School Practitioner Certification with the Child & Nature Alliance of Canada enriches my journey. Nature remains my most profound teacher, guiding me towards deeper connections and stewardship. I am honoured to serve the Earth and the Wayfinders of Powell River in fostering these vital relationships.

Instructor, Powell River

For as long as I can remember I've held a curiosity for our natural environment. Having grown up on a small acreage surrounded by endless wild lands, I would often find myself exploring the wetlands, stands of poplars and local wildlife. The environment I grew up in inspired me to be the environmental professional I am today.

In 2007 I enrolled into the Coastal Ecology program at Northwest Community College in Prince Rupert, Northwest coast of British Columbia.  As I progressed through the program my interest in the natural world grew exponentially and I found myself wanting to learn as much as I could about coastal wildlife. After graduating from the program in 2009 I worked as a field biologist for a year and a fish & wildlife technician/biologist for nearly four years. In 2012 I shifted career paths and I enrolled into the Ecotourism & Outdoor Leadership bachelor’s degree at Mount Royal University.

My passion in life remains to be my beautiful wife and daughter (and fishing of course). With every passing year I’m able to teach my daughter why our natural world is so important and what we should do to keep it healthy.

Fishing is my weakness; I began fishing when I was old enough to hold a fishing rod. Other interests include hunting (sustainably, not for sport), hiking, camping, mountain biking, and archery. My skills in the outdoors are exceptional and I often like to reinforce outdoor survival techniques by practicing the skills necessary to survive in the wild. 

Instructor, Comox Valley

Kip (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, white settler of Ukrainian and British ancestry. They were born and raised on the Treaty Lands and Territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples in so-called Ontario. 

They grew up immersed in summer camp from the early age of 5 years old, and stayed in that magical place of being and belonging for 17 years, working their way through the ranks of camperhood and staffing from Assistant Counsellor, to Head of Theatre and beyond to Operations Manager. Their experience at camp solidified a joy of sharing song in group, being their goofiest, most outrageous self, and hearing myth told around a central fire. It was in this place that their loving relationship with the natural elements was born.

Kip holds an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies with a certificate in Sexual and Gender Diversity. During their studies, their passion for intersectional analysis and birthing justices outside of oppressive systems was ignited. They believe the harms of oppression are often a result of the disconnection from our fundamental needs in this modern industrial culture. Kip sees that we have been uprooted from the relational awarenesses required for wellness: our thresholds of belonging with ourselves, with others and with land. This deeply informs their work with nature-based education, and their pull to Fianna as an organization, as they continue to nurture a deeper socio-political awareness in themselves, their community and their students (little mentors).

Since beginning their work as a forest mentor 5 years ago, they have worked with Thriving Roots Wilderness School, EPIC Learning Centre, Victoria Nature School and Big Kids with all ages from as young as 3, to 50+! Within these programs, Kip has discovered the potency of wellness when healing in community, and is deeply committed to helping (inner) children feel held in their wholeness as they grow into connected, thoughtful and insightful humans.