Founder & Lead Forest School Guide

Brett knew he wanted to be a teacher since he was very young.  After receiving a teaching degree from Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina, Brett spent the next few years in the Peace Corps in South Africa. It was there, while living in a small village next to the Kruger National Park, that Brett fell in love with nature-based learning.  Brett returned to the States to teach in North Carolina, was a park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park, then made a home for himself in Colorado.  Brett earned his Master's degree in Early Childhood Administration, Leadership & Policy and in 2017 co-founded The Nursery School, a forest preschool in Denver. Now based in Golden, Brett is eager to bring this all-outdoor learning approach to more families. With this vision, Brett founded Colorado Nature School and is looking forward to connecting more young children with nature through authentic early learning experiences outdoors. Brett loves skiing, camping, canoeing, and doing anything outdoors with his wife, son, and their young and energetic English Lab. 

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Jessie developed a passion for the outdoors, whether she was camping with her family or horseback riding at her grandmother's.  Her love for nature continued to flourish into adulthood. For Jessie’s undergraduate degree in Education she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona where she began her journey in alternative education. For the past eight years she has worked as a Montessori School Teacher with preschoolers to 3rd graders, as a Waldorf Teachers assistant to a 5th grade class, and a preschool school teacher at a nature school in Nashua, New Hampshire. It has been a lifelong goal to land in Colorado and become a teacher outdoors. Teaching and being outside are when Jessie is her happiest self, so becoming a Colorado Nature School learning guide is a dream come true! When not teaching, you can find her doing yoga, mountain biking, stand up paddle boarding, snowboarding, or doing anything fun outside.

Mary grew up in the Midwest where she attended an environmental magnet school that kickstarted a lifelong love of the outdoors and an appreciation for alternative learning. She always knew she wanted to work with children but never saw herself being passionate about working in a traditional school setting. She immediately started nannying right out of high school and through college. After pursuing careers in both legal advocacy for children and birth work and deciding they weren’t for her, she found Colorado Nature School. She is excited to continue her education and grow in her career while working with children in nature everyday! Being new to Colorado, she is excited to explore all the rock climbing, hiking and camping options it has to offer in spare time with her partner and their dogs. 

 Olivia was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai’i and brings a lot of Aloha spirit to every learning environment and teaching opportunity! She chose to venture to the mainland to gain new experiences four years ago and has settled in Golden after obtaining a B.S. from Colorado State University where she studied Early Childhood Education with a strong background in Human Development & Family Studies. Olivia strives to provide students with individualized instruction, while ensuring that all children are given equal opportunities that ensure their growth across all domains, especially in social-emotional development and regulation. She has sought out Colorado Nature School because she is passionate about the forest school pedagogy and wants to be outside all day, every day with children! Olivia felt drawn to the philosophy and value of outdoor education, as well as the importance of being active, healthy, safe, and happy! Olivia enjoys spending time with loved ones and her husky puppy, Indigo, as well as anything and everything outside.