Audrey Elszasz

Co-Founder/Outdoor Education Specialist

Audrey Elszasz is a Level 3 Forest School Practitioner with a 23-year background in early childhood education. She is the founder of Laurel School's Outdoor Pre-Primary (Northeast Ohio's first outdoor education program for 3-5-year-olds), Nature Adventures at Holden Arboretum, and Co-founder of Friends in the Forest: Learning social skills in the outdoor environment. In 2020, she co-founded The Natural Classroom with Renee Burr.

“Children who spend time outside are inclined to experiment and solve problems. They become compassionate carers of the land. The complex learning environment of the forest naturally develops confidence, resilience, and curiosity. Everything we do is couched in a spirit of adventure, sneaking and peeking, walking and stalking!."

Audrey co-authored one of the first studies to have quantitative data comparing an outdoor preschool with a traditional preschool. This study highlights the effectiveness of a high-quality outdoor pre-primary education program and brings important quantitative data to the literature. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1225659.pdf

Certifications

• Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist

• 2015 Graduate of Cedarsong Forest Kindergarten Residential Teacher Training Program, Vashon Island, WA

• Wilderness First Aid

• Project Adventure Facilitator

Honors and Awards

2018 Conservation Educator of the Year ~ Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Mary French Conway Endowment for Teaching Excellence ~ Laurel School

Audrey is a facilitator at Pine Lake Forest School.

Rebecca Wohlever

Outdoor Education Specialist

Born and raised in the woods of Ohio, Rebecca brings the experiences of her time in nature into her teaching and ecotherapy practices. As a naturalist at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, she led interpretive hikes and educational programs for children and adults. She served as a preschool assistant at Spring Garden Waldorf School before deciding to homeschool her three children, facilitating homeschool co-op classes and outdoor education for them and their peers. 
Certified as a Group Ecotherapy Guide through Lake Erie Institute’s Ecopsychology program in 2019, Rebecca feels called to create opportunities for children to connect more deeply with the earth.
“Living in rhythm with the natural world awakens the heart, mind, and the senses in ways that simply can’t be replicated in indoor or contrived environments. Children are natural masters of outdoor play, exploration, and experimentation. By providing gentle guidance and support, educators can hold a beautiful space for their intellects and spirits to flourish. The result is a reciprocal relationship that benefits the children and the planet.”
Rebecca also enjoys teaching yoga, nature photography, writing poetry, performing as a singer-songwriter, and spending time with her family and friends in the forest. 

Rebecca is a facilitator at Willey Creek Forest School and a co-director of the Early Years Forest School program!

Rachel Gilbert

Outdoor Education Specialist

With 6 years of classroom teaching experience, Rachel Gilbert brings a passion for outdoor learning mixed with a background in education and child development. Rachel has always felt a strong connection to nature, but it wasn't until she became a mother that she began to understand the importance of child-led, outdoor play for children and started to see the benefits in her own child. She is grateful for the opportunity to allow children to follow their curiosities and immerse themselves in nature through The Natural Classroom.

"Children are whole people. Digging in the dirt, swinging from trees, climbing hills, and discovering plant life allows them to truly be free to be themselves. When children are allowed the freedom to discover new things and the space to just be, they thrive."

Rachel also enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, running, and spending time with her husband, two sons, and golden retriever.

Rachel is a facilitator at the Willey Creek Morning and Saturday classes.

Colleen Paterson

Outdoor Education Apprentice

Colleen spent much of her childhood outdoors, enjoying creek walks, forest hikes, fort building, bike rides, sledding, and skiing with her family. After becoming a mother, she rediscovered a love for all seasons.
Colleen brings seven years of experience to the Natural Classroom, teaching and caring for preschoolers in assistant and leadership roles at her church. She has a gift and passion for connecting with children by developing and nurturing meaningful relationships. She is thrilled to be able to combine her love of the outdoors and gift with children into one purpose through the Natural Classroom. Colleen has a creative background and a degree in Interior Design and enjoys using those skills to develop our base camp. She also enjoys baking, cooking, music, spending time with family, backyard birdwatching, and many other creative outlets. Fun fact: Colleen is a volunteer Snow Spotter for the National Weather Service.

Colleen is a facilitator at Pine Lake Forest School.

Daria Mattis

Substitute Facilitator

Daria Mattis grew up in Northern Europe (Russia and Sweden), where outdoor play is integral to the local way of life. She became particularly enthusiastic about sharing her experiences with children after having a child of her own and relocating from a big city to the countryside. Shortly after moving to this area, she joined the local chapter of an outdoor-based family meetup group and expanded it to another location. Daria has two graduate degrees – in History and Social Sciences and taught foreign languages to students of all ages.

“After observing my child and the children of nature-immersed families, I’ve noticed how outdoor experiences benefit kids on so many levels: they tend to be more curious and observant, they engage in a more creative play, they have fewer conflicts with one another, they learn to be more independent and closer to nature. Lastly, they are simply happier and healthier after a day spent in the woods than a day spent in a traditional classroom.”

Daria has served as a Pre-Primary Facilitator and substitute.

Victoria Kasarjian

Substitute Facilitator

Victoria was raised in Lorain County, Ohio, and Las Vegas, Nevada. From woods and creeks to deserts and heat, her family always had a deep respect and appreciation for the rich life provided by the natural world, where they spent the majority of their free time. During her early 20s, she relocated to Salt Lake City with her partner Aaron where their admiration and adventures continued in the vast nature of Utah. Shortly after the birth of her child Gideon, they decided to relocate to Chardon, Ohio. One of the many reasons for this was for her kiddo (and her desert-raised partner) to experience the amazing natural and educational land of Ohio. Victoria has a passion for social justice, sustainability, and living a climate-focused lifestyle. She lives in Chardon, Ohio with her partner Aaron, toddler Gideon, and 2 dogs Ruger & Gimli.

Victoria is a substitute for all three sites!

Ashley Owen

Substitute Facilitator

Ashley Owen is a stay-at-home parent to two girls who thrived through their outdoor education at The Natural Classroom. Moved by the profound impact on her daughters, Ashley has joined our team to share her passion.

“My girls left forest school with a stronger sense of self, more grit, and an expanded confidence in their creative abilities. We adopted the rule: We don’t complain about the weather, we dress for it. And have since enjoyed many outdoor adventures. Forest school was a win for them, and I'm thrilled to embark on this journey with other children.”

Ashley is pursuing certification as a yoga instructor in May 2024 and envisions blending yoga and mindfulness with outdoor education for a harmonious learning environment.

Outdoor activities are integral to Ashley's life, from birdwatching and hiking to gardening and making maple syrup. She emphasizes the importance of embracing time with nature, believing it's crucial for growing healthy children and moreover, a sustainable future for all. Through The Natural Classroom, she hopes to inspire a deeper connection with nature for each child, fostering a collective commitment to preserving and cherishing our planet. 

Ashley is an intern at the Pine Lake site this spring and a substitute facilitator for all locations! 

Renee Burr

Co-Founder/Outdoor Education Specialist

Renee Burr is a licensed early childhood educator with eight years of classroom teaching experience. After leaving the classroom, she spent two years facilitating high-quality outdoor experiences for young children and their families. It is through this experience that she became passionate about the benefits of outdoor, play-based education in the early years. She decided to make it her mission to deliver such a model to families in the Chagrin Valley. 
“There is nothing more exciting than being immersed in nature with children. The unhurried pace of nature time is a breath of fresh air to the rush of everyday life. Children's innate curiosities are given time and space to flourish allowing for deep engagement and truly joyful learning."

Renee is a facilitator at Sun Valley Forest School.

Joy Wolman

Forest School Apprentice

Raised by the sunshine of rural living, Joy's love of nature began with counting toads in creeks with her older brother and checking underneath cinder blocks for roly-polys and worms. Now as a parent herself, she nurtures that same appreciation for nature in her two young daughters. Joy is currently studying for a master's degree in psychology and plans to blend her two largest passions of how the mind works and enjoying a journey through the woods to help grow children to be their best selves. She believes the value of a child being encouraged to splash in the muddiest of puddles and build the stickiest of tree forts lies beyond the fun of the moment. The curiosity that is explored develops the same life skills that lead to self-confident adults who find great life satisfaction.

Regardless of weather or temperature, you can find Joy outside. Whether she's wandering through the woods with a canteen of water and a backpack full of journaling supplies, or figuring out how to use chicken feed bags to have a new purpose in her backyard, she will happily carry on a conversation once you find her.

"It's a beautiful day for a hike."

You can find Joy at Saturday Forest School!

Jane O’Brien

Outdoor Education Specialist

As a child, Jane spent her weekends outdoors with her father, who taught her to identify wildflowers, trees, and birds. In the summer, he woke her at late hours to look through his telescope at the night sky. Jane recreated these experiences for her three children, who continue to explore the outdoors today.

Jane is a licensed special and elementary education teacher with 30 years of teaching experience. She has 16 years of experience as a nature camp leader and Education and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Hiram College Biological Field Station.

She is an Ohio Certified Environmental Educator and a Certified Volunteer Pollinator Specialist. She also served as a member of the Ohio Bee Survey Team and a volunteer for Project Wingspan. Jane is a member of the Environmental Education Council of Ohio, the North American Association of Environmental Educators, and the North American Paw Paw Grower's Association. She has received training in wildlife rehabilitation which she has utilized while working at the Field Station.

"It is vital to children's health and the future of the environment that we help children connect with nature. These connections are made through outdoor sensory experiences, personal attachments to living organisms, forest and aquatic play, and an understanding of humans as a part of nature. Teaching children about the unique and amazing characteristics of every aspect of nature is an exhilarating and fulfilling experience."

With two children living abroad, Jane enjoys traveling to various countries to see them.

Jane is part of the Willey Creek team!

Andrea Trimmer

Substitute Facilitator

Andrea Trimmer is a stay-at-home mom to two young daughters, with an engineering background and a passion for nature, informal STEM education, and tap dance. Andrea is a life-long nature lover and finally fulfilled her childhood dream of owning her own forest when she moved to the Bainbridge area in 2016. She enjoys hikes, creek walks, and gardening. She especially enjoys watching her girls discover bugs, critters, flowers, and a general love of the outdoors. Andrea has been drawn to education in many ways, including working at the Great Lakes Science Center and starting her own business teaching tap dance and tutoring STEM subjects. Andrea also has a passion for tap dance, with a focus on musicality, improvisation, and the percussive aspects of the art form. She is thrilled to join the Natural Classroom and combine her creativity, informal education experience, and her love of nature!

Andrea is a substitute facilitator!

Jennifer Carlson

Substitute Facilitator

I grew up exploring the woods in northeast Ohio, where my love of nature began. I spent my childhood covered in mud, swimming in lakes and creeks, and observing any animal I could find. Currently, I am a stay-at-home parent to my three young daughters and get to encourage their own love of the natural world.

I have a passion for protecting the natural wonders that exist in nature. I have a master’s degree in Soil Microbiology from the Ohio State University where I also studied Environmental Science. My graduate work led me to a research program in Senegal, on the western coast of Africa, where I lived for a year with my newlywed husband. I worked for seven years at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, where I was lucky enough to conduct fieldwork in the rivers, streams, and lakes around northeast Ohio. 

I am working toward my certification in the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program through the state of Ohio by volunteering at the Portage County Park District as well as the Hiram College Biological Field Station.

Jennifer is a substitute facilitator!

Pidge Griffin

Substitute Facilitator

Pidge is a homeschooling parent with 20 years of experience facilitating and teaching at several local groups and cooperatives. With a strong passion for the outdoors, working with The Natural Classroom has been a dream come true for her. She has a strong belief in child-led learning as well as a gentle approach to supporting and guiding children as they explore and learn about the natural world.

With a love of winter and winter sports, she is also an active member of The National Ski Patrol as well as a certified Outdoor Emergency Care Technician. In her free time, she enjoys being with family, gardening, cooking, hiking, living lightly on Earth, fostering dogs, and volunteering at a local food pantry.

“I grew up in NE Ohio and can thank my parents for introducing me to a love of nature. Learning at an early age to play outside, in all the weather, was one of the greatest gifts given to me. Hiking with my dad all through high school and beyond reinforced my love of nature. As a parent, one of my greatest joys has been to share my love of the outdoors with my children. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing children connect with our natural world.”

Pidge is an Early Years Forest School facilitator and a substitute for all sites!

Vesna Elbert

Outdoor Education Specialist

Vesna Elbert is an Early Childhood Educator who is passionate about play-based, child-led outdoor education. She has many years of experience with children, being a stay-at-home mom with her own three children and watching children in her home before going back to school to do what she loves! She is passionate about connecting children with the natural world and facilitating at forest school!

Her own recollections of playing in the woods as a child have fueled her desire to be a part of the forest school movement that is gaining popularity across the country. When Nature Adventures was started at Holden Arboretum Vesna jumped at the opportunity to be part of it, eventually becoming the lead facilitator for the group on Saturday mornings. She has been with the Natural Classroom since its start in 2020.  She is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist and a volunteer for the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga National Park. Vesna explores the outdoors with her husband, children, and her two-year-old grandson, who is a natural out in the forest!

”Snow, rain, or shine the children show up excited to start a new adventure! Coming from a traditional preschool classroom, it’s clear that a picture in a book is no substitute for being immersed in nature and experiencing the real thing. Being connected with the earth is a lifelong love!”  

Vesna is a facilitator at the Sun Valley Forest School.

Fun Fact: Vesna has been with The Natural Classroom since the beginning at Silver Creek Forest School.

Laurel Simkoff

Outdoor Education Specialist

Laurel Simkoff is an early childhood educator with experience working with young children in and out of classroom settings. Her family fostered a love and respect for the natural world and growing up she spent lots of time hiking, gardening, camping, and exploring nature. As a young adult, she enjoyed backpacking through parts of the Appalachian Trail and hopes to take her now 7-year-old daughter backpacking in the next few years. 

Since her first experience working with children, she has enjoyed observing children’s intuitive desires to engage in profound inquiry and exploration. She has been a passionate advocate for self-directed education ever since. “When we observe and guide children in a natural setting, and encourage freedom to explore and manipulate their environment, we are able to see their innate abilities to solve problems, care for each other, and engage in stewardship of the earth. Children are born with intrinsic motivation to learn, and some of the most dynamic learning takes place in a Forest School setting.”

Laurel is also a professionally trained modern dancer and loves music, art, writing, and serving on the board of the synagogue her family attends. 

Laurel is a co-director of the Early Years Forest School program and a facilitator at Morning Forest School at Willey Creek.

Heather Skye

Outdoor Education Apprentice

Heather Skye (she/her) is a mom of two, an artist, an editor for the Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio Journal, and a fine art instructor at The Fairmount Center for the Arts. She loves working with children, saying, “They always surprise me with their creativity and innovation; I learn so much from them.” Heather graduated in 2011 from Kent State University with a BFA in studio art. When she's not working or taking care of tiny humans, you can find her exploring, creating, hiking, or tending to her woodland permaculture gardens and orchard. 

Heather is part of the Willey Creek team!

Fun Fact: Audrey and Heather met at Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist training in 2016.

Jeanette Metcalf

Substitute Facilitator

Jeanette credits her father for fostering her love of being outdoors. As a child, she and her siblings were encouraged to walk down to the end of the street to the woods to collect bugs and berries. Jeanette's love of bugs and biology led to degrees in Entomology and Medical Technology. She remembers when her children were young, her daughter had a friend over who was rarely allowed to play outside. We bundled her up and took her out back sledding in a snowstorm, and she opened up in delight. Jeanette wants to give other children the opportunity to find the joy she has seen in nature, so they will grow up curious and appreciating our earth. She has two grown children and now has a granddaughter, with whom she looks forward to sharing the outdoors.

Jeanette is a reliable, flexible substitute!

Illy Massey

Substitute Facilitator

Illy moved back to Cleveland, Ohio in 2018 after living in Manhattan and Brooklyn for fourteen years. She completed her graduate studies and earned an MSEd in Early Childhood Education at Hunter College in New York City. Illy’s teaching career began as a Morah Chayelet (soldier teacher) in the I.D.F. in Israel where she taught Hebrew to children who immigrated from the former Soviet Union. Since then, she has been an Art Instructor, Hebrew Immersion Teacher, and Early Childhood Educator in various educational settings. Her experience includes working for private and non-profit organizations. She currently teaches Kindergarten and Pre-K students at the Mandel Jewish Day School. She looks forward to being part of The Natural Classroom and supporting young children as they thrive and grow.

Illy is a substitute Forest School facilitator.

Lindsey Rohl

Saturday Facilitator

Lindsey is a school psychologist turned stay-at-home mom to her four kids ages 5 and under. She grew up in Missouri exploring the outdoors. She moved to Cleveland for graduate school and never left!  

Lindsey has a master’s in education and a specialist degree in school psychology. She has 7 years of experience working with children in an educational setting. She's passionate about children's learning and the psychology of different learning styles. She enjoys helping children learn in unique ways and is excited to work in a natural environment that allows children's learning to blossom at their own pace and in ways they choose. 

Lindsey enjoys hiking, going on adventures, cooking, and being in nature with her family and dogs.

Lindsey is a Saturday Forest School facilitator!

Tabitha Mensch

Substitute Facilitator

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Tabitha spent her childhood playing in the Chagrin River, exploring the woods of Geauga County, and riding horses. An alumni of Hathaway Brown School, Tabitha achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Women's Studies from Denison University and a Master of Business Administration from John Carroll University. Postgraduate employment moved Tabitha and her family around the US where they were able to spend much time in the great outdoors of Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. While living in different regions, they spent their free time hiking, gardening, and immersing themselves in new environments.

After becoming a mother, Tabitha began looking for a community that embraced a simpler way of life and felt an immediate resonating interest in the emerging Forest School movement. She believes that the values it instills in the hearts and minds of children are tools that can be carried with them as they grow, serving as key components in the foundation of their developing future selves.

These experiences, along with her husband's outdoor-centric childhood, inspired the direction for how they wanted to raise their children. Tabitha is thrilled to have her son enrolled in The Natural Classroom and looks forward to the day that her daughter can join as well.

Tabitha has joined the Willey Creek team this spring to support the full-day kids in the morning!