Dr. Marianna Brussoni

Dr. Marianna Brussoni

Dr. Mariana Brussoni is Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, Investigator at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Director of the Outside Play Lab. Her award-winning research investigates children’s outdoor play and learning, focusing on parents’ and educators’ perceptions of risk, design of play-friendly environments, and changing systems to ensure children have the time, space and freedom to play and learn outside every day. Further details: https://www.outsideplay.org/

Dr. Louise de Lannoy

Dr. Louise de Lannoy

Dr. Louise de Lannoy completed her PhD at Queen’s University in clinical exercise physiology. Her interests in population health and knowledge translation led her to join the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Team at the CHEO Research Institute where she became involved in and helped grow Outdoor Play Canada into the not-for-profit organization it is today. Louise is passionate about environmental stewardship, finding daily joy and wonder outdoors, and thinking creatively and collaboratively about whole-of-community challenges. She can’t believe her luck in finding such a joyous, satisfying, and playful form of work that aligns almost magically with these passions. Outside of OPC, Louise enjoys exploring Ottawa by running, cycling and skiing through it and winding down at the end of the day on the couch with a glass of wine, her partner Jeff, and their geriatric puppy.

Kim McLaren

Kim McLaren

Kim was a high school principal and teacher for the Toronto District School Board. During her time in education, she was an ardent advocate for outdoor education programs and environmental education. She has continued to pursue this passion with the Outdoor Council of Canada as Ontario Director, her ongoing work with school boards, and through work in mental health, where she promotes getting outside as a valuable mental health resource. Kim is also the newly appointed Chair of the “Be the Change” film festival in support of the Blue Mountains Watershed Trust.

Glen Thielmann

Glen Thielmann

After a short bear-chased career/careen as an ecosystem geographer and a longer career as a high school Social Studies and Geography teacher in Prince George, BC, Glen has found his way into teacher education (lecturer) and environmental studies (PhD candidate) at UNBC. He is involved in diverse aspects of leadership in curriculum, instruction, and professional development at the local and provincial levels in the K-12 system, with the BCTF, with the Pacific Slope Educational Consortium, and within the community. Glen’s current focus is working with pre-service teachers and continuing with his research on place-responsive pedagogy in North Central BC. Glen also teaches learning theory and experiential program design in the Environmental Education and Communication program at Royal Roads University.

Len Pierre

Len Pierre

Len Pierre is Coast Salish from Katzie (kate-zee) First Nation. Len is an award winning entrepreneur, professor, consultant, TEDx Speaker, social activist, change agent, & traditional knowledge sharer. He specializes in the development of educational programs and services with decolonization and reconciliation as its core values. Len holds a Masters degree in Education from Simon Fraser University focusing on Indigenous curriculum and instructional design. His experience includes Indigenous education and program leadership from various organizations across colonial Canada. He comes to us with an open heart and open mind, and hopes to be received in the same way.

Bonnie Lepine Antoine

Bonnie Lepine Antoine

Bonnie Lépine Antoine embodies a rich cultural heritage and a commitment to Francophone minority education and Reconciliation. Having grown up in the Lekwungen territory of Victoria, British Columbia, she has Michif and Wendat roots, enabling her to draw on a diverse cultural background. A proud Franco-British Columbian, she is passionate about improving the education system across the country. With over 18 years of experience in the field of education, Bonnie has made a significant contribution to the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (Conseil scolaire #93), where she currently holds the position of Director of Reconciliation and Aboriginal Education. In this capacity, she champions the integration of Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge into educational settings, fostering understanding and respect among students and staff. As a true Michif and a member of the Huron-Wendat Nation in Québec, Bonnie’s linguistic abilities reflect her deep appreciation of her heritage. A polyglot, she is fluent in a few languages, enabling her to connect with diverse communities and share her cultural stories. Through education, Bonnie Lépine Antoine is a powerful advocate for Reconciliation and the revitalization of Indigenous cultures.

Jenna Jasek

Jenna Jasek

Jenna Jasek is from Kenp̀esq̓t (The Shuswap Band) in what is now called Invermere, British Columbia. She is a mom, a wife, an educator, a sister, a daughter, and a granddaughter. She helped launch The Outdoor Learning School & Store and co-created the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning initiative. She is a certified teacher with 20 years of experience and was previously the VP of Indigenous Learning at Equity for Rocky Mountain School District. Her current role at OLS is the Director of Learning. Jenna continues her learning expedition, which involves her culture, traditional teachings, learning the Secwepéctsín language, and Knowledge of nature and the local land. She believes Indigenous perspectives connect effortlessly with outdoor, hands-on, and place-based learning. Her goal is to provide learners of all ages with opportunities to explore, learn, and immerse themselves in the outdoors and outdoor education alongside Indigenous perspectives and knowledge.

Jenna lives at the headwaters of the Columbia River, which runs through the unceded territories of her ancestors, the Secwépemc and Ktunaxa people.

Diane Katzenmeyer-Delgado

Diane Katzenmeyer-Delgado

Diane is an experienced educator, mentor, instructional coach, curriculum writer and administrator who is dedicated to helping her students, teachers, and the communities in which she serves create inviting and engaging learning environments where reflective, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning can thrive. Diane has thirty-five years of experience working in education in multicultural and multilingual learning environments across K -12 and higher education in indigenous teacher preparation. Currently, Diane works at the NACA Inspired Schools Network as the Director of Curriculum where she works with communities and teacher designers to design original community led curriculum materials in ELA and Science with cross content connections to other core content areas.

Paul LeFrancois

Paul LeFrancois

Following a decade in education as a classroom teacher and coach, Paul joined the LANL Foundation in 2022 as a K12 Education Program Coordinator. In this role, he focuses on supporting the K12 Education Team’s many initiatives, with a particular interest in place based education and teacher development and a strong belief that all students have a right to a high quality public education. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Paul holds a Master’s Degree in K-8 Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from Dickinson College. He resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wonderful wife.

Rachel Tidd

Rachel Tidd

Rachel Tidd is passionate about using outdoor and place-based learning to enhance literacy and math instruction. She is the author of the book Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors and the Wild Math® and Wild Reading® Curricula series. Rachel is a former elementary special education teacher with an M.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, specializing in Educational Sustainability with a focus on literacy. Her research examines how English language arts can be integrated with sustainability literacy, including a recent study conducted in fourth-grade classrooms in Canada. You can find her at discoverwildlearning.com.

Megan Zeni

Megan Zeni

Megan has over 25 years’ experience as a professional K-7 classroom teacher and is a mum of 3 active teenagers. Megan is widely known for her expertise in school gardens and risky play at school, and is currently employed as a Teacher Consultant with the BC MOECC provincial outreach program for the early years (POPEY). Megan is particularly interested in how teachers enact pedagogies of place and play in outdoor learning environments. Her PhD research resulted in a FREE teacher capacity building tool for outdoor play and learning available at teacher.outsideplay.org. To learn more about her work, visit: https://meganzeni.com

Lauren MacLean

Lauren MacLean

Lauren is an educator, author, and consultant whose picture books Me and My Sit Spot, Finding Common Ground, and Risky Play Gone Away celebrate the joy of connecting with nature. Her guide, Sitting With Nature, helps educators bring outdoor learning to life. As the Teach Outdoors podcast host, Lauren shares practical tips and interviews inspiring educators.

In her district role as a Mentoring Support Teacher with a Numeracy Focus, Lauren worked alongside administrators to support systems change in numeracy, helping schools integrate play-based math and implement effective mathematical assessments. She guided staff in documenting student learning and tracking school-wide progress, ensuring numeracy instruction became more engaging and meaningful.Her passion for nature and education shines through in all her work, sparking curiosity and a love for the outdoors in children and adults alike.

Kristie Camp

Kristie Camp

Kristie Camp is a literacy specialist with a PhD in language and literacy from the University of South Carolina. Her research centers on adolescent literacy in the outdoor classroom. She taught secondary English language arts for 26 years in a large, rural public high school in Gaffney, South Carolina, where outdoor lessons were a consistent part of her pedagogy. She has published stories about her outdoor lessons in English Journal, among other academic journals, and continues to publish and present findings from her research, which focuses on outdoor learning as an integrated element of teaching within traditional learning environments with diverse student populations. Kristie has been a National Board Certified Teacher since 2004, and she has also served as an assessor for Advanced Placement exams, an instructor for dual enrollment programs for high school students, a school newspaper adviser, and a department chair. She often collaborates with and learns from her husband, Marc, who has taught elementary physical education for 36 years. She has two sons, Jordan, who teaches social studies and coaches football and baseball, and Joel, who is a college baseball player and is also training for a career in coaching.

David Hawker-Budlovsky

David Hawker-Budlovsky

David is a father of two and loves to be outside! Growing up to immigrant parents, spent time being active in the outdoors, spending time camping, skiing, and so much more! To this day this continues both at home and work. David has worked in the TDSB for 28 years, starting as an elementary teacher, Outdoor Education teacher, Vice Principal and Principal. Currently David is a Centrally Assigned Principal in Teaching and Learning with responsibilities which include Outdoor Education.

Janice Novakowski

Janice Novakowski

Janice Novakowski is a district teacher consultant for the Richmond School District in BC where she has taught preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades as well as being a teacher-librarian and learning resource teacher. Janice is an adjunct professor at UBC where she teaches teacher candidates and masters level mathematics education courses. Her masters and doctoral studies focused on the problem-solving and problem-posing practices of young children in different places, spaces, and contexts. Janice is part of the BC Numeracy Network and the Indigenous Mathematics Education Network through which she has been investigating culturally responsive pedagogies connecting to the land, community, and culture. She also facilitates the BC Reggio-Inspired Mathematics Project which involves teachers from across the province engaging in teacher research, particularly connecting mathematics to place and story.

April Pikkarainen

April Pikkarainen

April is a passionate nature-based educator and principal dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between learners, communities, and the natural world. A recent graduate of the Transformative Educational Leadership Program (TELP) at the University of British Columbia, she brings fresh insights and innovative strategies to the evolving landscape of education. With a strong focus on nurturing systems change, April champions a collaborative inquiry model, empowering educators and learners to co-create meaningful land-based learning experiences. Her leadership inspires a shared commitment to curiosity, sustainability, and collective growth within school communities.

Fiona Watkins

Fiona Watkins

Fiona has over 30 years of experience in the education field, working in both public and private schools across BC and Alberta as a PE specialist, primary classroom teacher, and administrator. Currently, she works with Canadian Rockies Public Schools as Learning Services Coordinator, and teaches as a Sessional Instructor at the University of Calgary, working with pre-service teachers. She is passionate about students being active and curious when learning and has found that students at all levels benefit from learning outside in an experiential way. Her doctoral work is focused on this area, carrying out case studies on experiential learning in outdoor classrooms with urban public school teacher participants. She believes that the role that school leaders play in making outdoor learning feasible for teachers and their students is key to the success of this opportunity.

Lynn Bristoll

Lynn Bristoll

Lynn Bristoll has worked for the Peel District School Board in Ontario for 35 years in a variety of capacities. These include teaching in the primary and junior divisions, teacher librarian, board consultant and elementary vice-principal and school principal. During her career, she was a member of numerous writing teams, developing supportive teaching documents, and worked for a stint for a publishing company. She retired several years ago as principal from a school advocating learning outdoors and piloting LSF’s “Sustainable Future Schools”. She continues to promote the value of these approaches as a means of integrating the numerous demands placed on educators through her work as a consultant for Learning for a Sustainable Future, as well as continuing to work as an administrator in an occasional capacity. Personally Lynn enjoys hiking, gardening, crafting, and looks forward to extending her travels across the globe.

Ryan Barfoot & Karin Westland

Ryan Barfoot & Karin Westland

Ryan Barfoot and Karin Westland bring decades of experience in outdoor and environmental education. With deep roots in British Columbia, they have successfully led transformative educational initiatives that connect students to their environment while addressing urgent global challenges. Their work with the qathet School District exemplifies how schools can lead the way in environmental stewardship and climate action.

Alicia Roberge

Alicia Roberge

Alicia Roberge is currently the Instructional Leader for Ecological Literacy in the TDSB’s Sustainability Office. Before this role, she held the role of Hybrid Teacher-Coach for Geography and Digital Literacy. Her work as a lead teacher, curriculum writer and instructor for York University and the TDSB has been grounded in facilitating community engagement and delivering workshops and professional development on place-based and experiential learning. She has also delivered professional development to educators and leaders in education, supporting curriculum development and delivery on environmental justice, climate education, and student activism at the junior, intermediate, and senior levels. Making visible what was previously invisible with ready data through her facilitation of information technologies has been at the forefront of her expertise as an educator and mentor.

Colin Halsall

Colin Halsall

Colin is currently an Elementary School principal in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. He spent 13 years as a secondary school Outdoor Education and Géographie teacher, guidance counsellor and department head of Learning Support.

Colin has worked in the Northwest Territories teaching swimming to youth and led trips to the West Coast Trail along with Mount Washington. He has facilitated scuba diving instruction to students and snowboarding, Skiing and bikepacking with youth. His focus always is centered around equitable access navigating financial and cultural inclusion and accessibility.

Nicole McKenzie

Nicole McKenzie

Nicole McKenzie is the principal of the Environmental School in Maple Ridge, where she has led for the past three years. With a Master’s degree in Nature-Based and Place-Conscious Learning, Nicole is passionate about creating a learning environment that connects students with the natural world. At the Environmental School, the values of community, place-based education, and sustainability are at the core of everything they do, ensuring students develop a deep understanding of ecology and their relationship with nature.

Nicole’s leadership is focused on fostering a school culture where students not only thrive academically but also grow as responsible stewards of the environment. She looks forward to sharing her experiences and collaborating with other educators to further the impact of nature-based and sustainable learning practices.

Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly

Mike has spent time as an outdoor teacher in the public school system who worked in partnership with Outward Bound Canada. During this time the focus was on leading grade 7 through 12 students to gain leadership and independence in the mountain regions Of Alberta. As a school Administrator Mike has worked in three different British Columbia high schools which all had outdoor learning that focused on exploring the ideas of service learning, pushing boundaries, and distributed leadership. Presently, Mike is a Director of Instruction for School District 5 and is located in Fernie BC. Mike is advancing outdoor and environmental learning through the lens of the Kootenay-Boundary Environmental Education Initiative (KBEE) a committee of the Kootenay-Boundary Chapter of the British Columbia School Superintendent Association (BCSSA).

Christine Alden

Christine Alden

Christine Alden, M.Ed., Ph.D., has dedicated over 30 years to education and early child development. Her diverse career includes teaching primary school and adult education, advocating for educator training and child and family support, supporting government policy at the Ontario Ministry of Education, fostering networks and collaborations, and advancing philanthropic initiatives. Currently, Christine serves as the Program Director for Early Child Development and Outdoor Play at the Lawson Foundation. She earned her Ph.D. in Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto in 2022. Her doctoral research focused on outdoor pedagogy in licensed early learning and child care programs across Ontario.

Dr. Sarah Brown

Dr. Sarah Brown

Dr. Sarah Brown is a settler of European descent who is grateful to live and work in Treaty 7 territory. She strives to embody kinship, respect, and reciprocity with the people and beings with whom she shares this land. Sarah is an Associate Professor at Mount Royal University and an instructor in the Adventure Leadership Program at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. Her research and scholarship explores the role of post-secondary field schools in cultivating environmental and cultural reconciliation. As an outdoor guide and scholar-practitioner Sarah is committed to cultivating wisdom and leadership through experiential, environmental, and community-centered education. Sarah is happiest when she is learning from the land alongside her students.