Our Team
Colin Harris, Executive Director
he/him
I reside on the lands of Treaty 7 territory and I acknowledge the past, present and future generations of Stoney Nakoda, Blackfoot and Tsuut'ina Nations who help me steward this land.
Colin Harris has been immersed in the field of outdoor education for over a decade. He has been Director of Outdoor Education at YMCA Wanakita in Haliburton, Ontario. He has instructed canoe trips for Outward Bound Canada and has worked with First Nations students in the Western Arctic Leadership Program in NWT. He has taught physical education in Toronto and recently completed a Master’s of Environmental Education and Communication through Royal Roads University. He is the founder and Executive Director of Take Me Outside and initiated the organization by running across Canada, going into 80 schools across the country and engaging 20,000 students in the conversation of their time spent in front of screens compared to their time spent outside, being active and connecting to nature. Colin lives in Banff, Alberta where he enjoys trail running, writing and continuing to find ways to engage Canadian students in exploring this country's incredible backyard.
Julie Read, Program Manager
she/her/elle
Julie is very thankful to live on Dish With One Spoon and Between the Lakes Treaty 3 land, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, land which has been stewarded by the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg. She is committed to Truth and Reconciliation, learning Indigenous history, honouring Indigenous Knowledge, and building reciprocal relationships.
Julie is an outdoor educator, elementary school teacher, Forest and Nature School practitioner and enthusiastic naturalist with over 15 years of leadership experience within non-profit organizations. She loves helping people of all ages connect to nature and is deeply passionate about social justice, removing barriers and increasing equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in outdoor learning. She grew up in a house in a forest near London, Ontario. Her naturalist parents took her birding in Point Pelee, home of the Caldwell First Nation, every spring since she was a baby, so technically she started birding before she could even walk. Julie created the Fanshawe Nature School while working as the Community Education Supervisor for the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and has previously worked as Community Programs Coordinator at the High Park Nature Centre in Toronto and as Program Manager at The Guelph Outdoor School. Julie lives in Guelph, Ontario with her partner Claire and cat Penny and loves camping, cooking, wild swimming, reading, crafting and music.
Rachel Cumpsty, Education Outreach Coordinator
she/her/elle
I reside on Treaty 1 Territory and am committed to honouring the agreements made in the treaty process. I acknowledge that I work, learn, and play on the original lands of the Anishinaabek, Ininewak, and Dakota, and the national homeland of the Red River Métis. Manitoba is also the traditional land of the Anishiniwak and Dene.
As the original stewards of this land, I think it is important that we study and learn about the ways Indigenous people cared for and continue to care for these lands. I am passionate about land-based and outdoor education as a way to promote student well-being and reconciliation.
Rachel's earliest memories are of her being outdoors. Her childhood was filled with family camping trips and exploring nature. This early love of the outdoors has contributed to Rachel's passion for working with others to promote outdoor and land-based education. Rachel is an educator in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Treaty 1 Territory, and passionate about working with youth to connect them to the outdoors. She is a high school educator with a background in Indigenous Studies, which has a large presence in her work as she strives to use Indigenous ways of knowing and land-based approaches to promote student well-being and reconciliation. She has previously worked for outdoor education programs such as landED Manitoba and been on teacher-led learning teams to support educators incorporating outdoor learning and Indigenous education into their classrooms. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys rock climbing, canoe trips, yoga, and spending time with her husband, and their dogs Sage and Fernie.
Cassandra Connell, Social Media & Communications
she/her
Cass works within the Lake Simcoe watershed, which has been inhabited by Indigenous Peoples since creation; recognizing the Williams Treaties First Nations, including the Chippewas of Georgina Island, Rama, Beausoleil, the Mississaugas of Alderville, Curve Lake, Hiawatha, the Credit and Scugog Island, as well as the Huron Wendat and the Metis Nation of Ontario, Region 7.
Cassandra is an Outdoor Educator, a certified Forest School Practitioner, wife, and mom of three kids. She works primarily at an outdoor education centre providing nature-based experiences for early learners, and students from kindergarten to grade 12. She has worked extensively with the local school boards to champion outdoor learning, teacher professional development to support outdoor and environmental education, and community partners in working to create more opportunities to take learners of all ages outside. She lives in Ontario, and when she isn't working enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with her family.
Board of Directors
Christie Thomson, Chair
she/her
I live in the present-day Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta. My home is in the traditional territories of the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina, and the Iyarhe Nakoda nations. It is also part of the Métis Homeland. I take personal responsibility to understand our shared history and my personal role in reconciliation.
First and foremost Christie likes to laugh, learn and play outside with kids. She loves campfires, good stories, and believes that connecting with nature is fundamental for good health. Christie's career in outdoor/environmental education started when she worked as an Ontario camp counsellor roughly 15 years ago. Since then, she’s developed and delivered educational programs for Banff National Park, the Prairie Learning Centre, Friends of Jasper, and Massawippi Water Protection Association. Christie is a qualified teacher and recently explored how we can teach and learn for meaningful/spiritual relations with nature in her Master’s thesis.
Degju Suwal, Treasurer
he/him
I acknowledge that I live, work, and play on the traditional territories of the Iyârhe Nakoda Nations (Bearspaw, Wesley, Chiniki), the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina – part of the Dene people, the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc, Mountain Cree and Métis.
Degju is originally from Kathmandu and emigrated from Nepal in 1994. He has since lived in US and currently lives in Canada. Degju attended Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta and has worked in various accounting roles for over 15 years. He is presently the CFO at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff. He has worked or volunteered in numerous non-profit organizations and boards and is currently Treasurer of CORE International and Take Me Outside. Degju’s love for the mountains and outdoors started at an early age in Nepal and his passion for outdoor activities have grown even further living in Canmore, surrounded by the magnificent and inspiring Canadian Rockies. He currently spends his free time in Canmore enjoying the mountain life hiking, mountain biking, and skiing.
Sarah Ketcheson, Secretary
she/her
I would like to acknowledge the traditional territories and oral practices of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. I also acknowledge the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda First Nations, the Métis Nation, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Sarah is an elementary educator currently teaching in Calgary, Alberta. She has taught kindergarten through Grade 6, threading outdoor learning throughout each grade iteration. She holds a Masters of Education, with a focus on interdisciplinary studies and how teacher beliefs shape pedagogy, along with a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science, Ecology major. Before entering into the classroom, she spent summers working at summer camps and outdoor education centres, playing and learning from the land.
Natalie Harder
she/her
I acknowledge the traditional and ancestral land of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Huron-wendat (Wyandot) and Mississaugas of the New Credit territory in which I reside.
Natalie is a nature enthusiast that has worked in outdoor education for the past 12 years. A certified teacher, Natalie started her career as a Teacher running hands-on gardening and food sustainability programs at the Toronto Botanical Garden. From there she went on to work as Executive Director at the High Park Nature Centre where she led the OURSpace (Outdoor Urban Restoration Space) project which created a garden in High Park where the public could explore and learn about the native plants of the rare and endangered Black Oak Savannah. She is now a Senior Manager at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and oversees a variety of Community Learning and Education programs across York and Durham regions. Natalie has a young son and is passionate about supporting teachers as they search for ways to get kids outside as part of their learning! In her spare time Natalie and her family camp, mountain bike and explore their neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario.
Kate Porter
she/her
Kate Porter is a teacher and vice principal in Southeastern British Columbia on the homeland of the Ktunaxa ɁamakɁis people. She has a Master's degree in Education (Administration and Leadership), a Bachelor of Education (K-12 Physical Education and Science), and a Bachelor of Science (Kinesiology). She has also instructed and supervised with the local teacher education program. As a former guide, international trip leader, and camp director, outdoor education has been immersed in her career, education, and teaching style. Although she formerly taught elaborate secondary outdoor education programs, in recent years she has been teaching at the elementary and middle years levels: going outdoors has remained a common practice in every subject and grade she teaches. When she isn't teaching, Kate can usually be found on the water paddle boarding, canoeing, swimming, scuba diving, or kayaking. When she is extra ambitious, she loves to bike, hike, and camp with her family!
Elisabeth Saxton
she/her
I want to acknowledge the lands of the Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot) Nation where I currently reside. I want to honour their traditional Siksiká language and recognize without the commitment the Blackfoot has to these lands, I would not have the outdoor beauty to explore and create memories with my family where I can practice mindfulness and find peace. Nitsíniiyi’taki
Elisabeth holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and is the National Director of Mental Health Services for CBI Health Group. She champions ways to build resilience and provide mental health services for individuals across the lifespan. She has worked extensively with individuals with injuries and pain and saw firsthand the power of being in nature as a way to increase physical and psychological function. She is passionate about TMO supporting mental health and building resilience of today’s students through outdoor exploration, where they can challenge themselves both mentally and physically. She lives in Calgary, but travels any chance she gets. She is married and has a three-year-old son, Magnus as well as a fur baby Viggo. Both boys are water babies, just like Mom.
Sheamus Donnery
he/him
I am grateful to reside in the treaty and tradtional territory of the the Michi Saagig Anishinaabeg.
Sheamus has worked as an educator for almost 20 years. After earning his Bachelor of Education with a specialization in Outdoor, Ecological, and Experiential education from Lakehead University, Sheamus spent years teaching and leading wilderness based expeditions, primarily with Outward Bound Canada. These experiences highlighted the power and potential of experiential learning in the natural world. Sheamus has spent the last 11 years as a high school teacher in the public education system in Ontario. Sheamus maintains a strong focus on interpersonal relationships, experiential learning, and providing opportunities to take learning outside of the classroom. His daily experience highlights the prevalence of technology in the lives of young people and the critical importance of providing opportunities for them to connect with the natural world. Sheamus enjoys sharing his passion for all things outdoors with his students, and most of all, with his two young daughters.
Nick Townley
he/him
I acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded and traditional territories of the sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nations.
Nick lives, works, and adventures on the shores of the Salish Sea. He teaches with the Vancouver School Board’s TREK Outdoor Education Program. He is a board member of EEPSA, C2C, OCC, and TMO. He worked on the coordinator team for seven summers with the Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership. For thirteen spring and fall seasons, he taught in the outdoor classroom of Howe Sound with Sea to Sky Outdoor School, where he was a Program Director and well known for his bioregional comedy routines. He has spent a total of six months as the Ecoguardian on Race Rocks Ecological Reserve.
Charlotte de Souza
she/her
I acknowledge and celebrate that I reside on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Huron-wendat and Mississaugas of the New Credit.
Charlotte is a settler on Turtle Island, immigrating from Trinidad and Tobago in 2008 to attend University. She has had the privilege of living and working in Ontario, Alberta and Nunavut and currently resides in Toronto. Charlotte is a certified teacher and registered early childhood educator who is passionate about socially just approaches and practices in outdoor learning spaces. She has spent many years working in both public and private sectors with children (18 months- 12 years) and families of varying backgrounds and cultures. Charlotte is currently the Supervisor of a not-for-profit child care centre and joined the TMO team in 2022. Outside of her work as an educator, Charlotte enjoys spending most of her free time in the trees with her dog. She also loves hiking, camping, biking, birding, and spending time with friends and family.
Patrick Maher
he/him
I respectfully acknowledge the treaty and traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. I reside in Nogojiwanong, the “place at the end of rapids”, or Peterborough, Ontario. My work and play often takes me to the traditional territories of other First Nations, Métis Homelands and Inuit Nunangat, and I am grateful to live and learn from these lands as well.
Pat’s engagement with the outdoors has been a lifelong commitment. He grew up in England, Indonesia, California and Denmark. Roaming natural spaces with his family or on his own. Every summer he would return to Nova Scotia as a camper at Big Cove YMCA Camp. He graduated with a BA and HBOR from Lakehead University and then worked for the Canadian Outward Bound Wilderness School in Northern Ontario. From there Pat completed a PhD at Lincoln University (New Zealand) with a focus on Antarctica. Once drawn back to Canada he was involved in a number of extended canoe expeditions along rivers across the Canadian Arctic and Alaska.
Pat is now a Professor of Physical and Health Education at Nipissing University, and as a researcher and post-secondary educator his work takes him to Labrador, Yukon, Iceland, Norway, Australia, and many places in between. He has also returned to the Antarctic as an educator for Students on Ice. These days, Pat’s outdoor fun is highlighted by local family adventures (mom, dad and 2 boys); bike rides of city trails, shorter ski runs, a day-trip canoeing, or even just an afternoon on the sidelines of a soccer field.
Take Me Outside Advisors
Alyson McMullen, Indigenous Learning Advisor
Alyson (she/her) is of Mushkego (Swampy Cree), Irish and French ancestry. She is an educator (RECE, OCT) whose work is centered around decolonizing education through land centered inquiry based practice.
Alyson is a graduate of the Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education Program at York University. She has worked as a passionate educator in the public school system, committed to transformative education goals that re-centre the needs, stories and perspectives of the underserved and underrepresented.
Dr. Ellorie McKnight, Environment and Climate Change Advisor
Ellorie McKnight (PhD) (she/her) is a climate change researcher and educator. She currently works as an Outreach Climatologist (Yukon University) providing climate change education support to educators and students across the Yukon in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary contexts. Ellorie holds a degree in Environmental Studies and Biology from the University of Ottawa as well as a PhD in Ecology (Limnology and Climate Change) from the University of Alberta, and has teaching experience in outdoor, experiential and environmental learning. In her practice, Ellorie emphasizes reflection, awareness, and solutions using a systems-thinking approach grounded in circular and sustainable worldviews.
Dr. Aaron Orkin, Health and Wellbeing Advisor
Dr. Aaron Orkin is physician and researcher in emergency medicine and public health at the University of Toronto. His clinical practice and research focuses on strategies to build healthier, more equitable communities through first aid programs and other efforts to engage the general public in health service delivery. He has a passion for salutogenics — approaches that create and enrich community health and wellbeing rather than merely responding to disease. Aaron has over 15 years of experience in wilderness and outdoor medicine, and supporting communities, organizations, and people of all ages and abilities to live, learn, and play in outdoor and wilderness settings. Aaron is a husband and a father of three, and when he isn't working he can be found paddling, hiking, or tinkering with something at the family cabin.
