Diana, the Founding Executive Director, is passionate about giving children the opportunity to experience childhood as it was before the advent of digital technology, where they interact with each other and nature face to face and hand to hand. There are many foundational life lessons that can only be learned outside with friends. Her goal is to connect children to each other and to nature and to give rise to young learners who recognize themselves as part of nature, rather than separate from it. 

Diana has degrees in Environmental Studies and in Education and taught in a school setting for over 25 years. She is continually learning and enjoying the land through nature study, especially tracking and birding, bushcraft and snowshoeing. She also loves spending time with family and is active in her local church community. 

Sharing nature with children has been an important part of her life for many years and she feels blessed to be able to share the wonders of the Georgian Bay Biosphere with your families.

Eric, the Executive Director, has been working at the forest school since 2020. He is a registered Early Childhood Educator and a certified Forest School Practitioner. His previous experience includes working in the school board as well as in outdoor education and summer camps for nearly a decade. He loves being out in the woods and exploring. He believes building a relationship with the land is an essential part of forest school and sees that the land-based, child-led play at PSFS allows for that to happen naturally. He also enjoys being a part of a group of staff and children who share laughs, overcome obstacles and learn about the various mysteries that nature presents. Those are just a couple of reasons why he loves being a part of PSFS. 

Heather is thrilled to be a part of the PSFS team. After retiring and moving back to her hometown, she rediscovered her passion for working with nature and children. Having raised four wonderful boys of her own and now enjoying the joys of being a grandparent to six energetic grandchildren, she has always cherished the outdoors as a classroom. She believes in the transformative power of nature based education. She enjoys nurturing young minds in the beautiful forest environment.

Kira, the Assistant Director, is passionate about connecting kids and the community with nature. With degrees in Environmental Science and Education, Kira continues to love learning and knows there’s always more to discover. Her experience includes working at camps leading outdoor education, teaching preschool in a Montessori classroom and spending time in nature with her own children. She loves spending time outside with family and friends hiking, camping, canoeing and cross country skiing. She is excited to discover the wonders of creation alongside children of all ages.

Mariah, Manager of Registrations and Finance, is an outdoor enthusiast and is very excited to be a part of the Parry Sound Forest School.  She grew up in Northern Ontario where she enjoyed many camping trips, days spent paddling on the water, campfires and any activity that brought her into the wilderness. She has a deep appreciation for how one's mental and physical wellbeing can be strengthened by time spent in nature.  It is with this outlook that she endeavours to support children in their exploration of the natural world and nourish their development; in becoming confident and resilient youth. Mariah can often be found hiking, gardening, reading a good book on her kayak or backpacking through new countries.  She has an honours degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Zoology and has studied Mycology (fungus) in the jungles of Guatemala. She is also a yoga instructor and strives to always be learning from life’s many experiences.  She is humbled to spend time outdoors with the children and to embrace the child-led philosophy during exploration of our local ecosystems and outdoor play.

Miranda has been with Parry Sound Forest School since January 2024 and has loved every moment! She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Trent University where she also took many courses in environmental studies, biology, and physical geography. After graduating, Miranda spent several years working in early childhood education, with a focus on inclusion facilitation. She is currently working on her Forest School practitioner certification. She also has a three-year-old daughter and 7 younger siblings whom she adores. She has always felt that working with children was meant for her. Miranda is excited to continue to learn as much as possible while working with the Forest School; she is grateful to connect with the community in such a meaningful way.

Rose, the Indigenous Cultural Intern, has been working as an Early Childhood Educator in schools and the outdoors in Parry Sound for 14 years.  She is always seeking to learn more about, share and embed her Métis Ojibwe roots, the history of Turtle Island, Indigenous stories, teachings and culture in her practice.

Rose was fortunate to travel on and grow up on the lands and waters of Georgian Bay.  She is a mom, musician and passionate forest school advocate.

Bio coming soon

Sara has been a registered Early Childhood Educator with the forest school since 2021, is a certified Forest School Practitioner, and is a lead educator for many of our programs year round.

Sara was born and raised in Parry Sound where she spent her childhood participating in local sports, clubs, and being immersed in nature. Even as a child, she enjoyed spending her time camping, hunting, fishing, and more with her family and friends and those passions are still with her. She found her passion for teaching children in the outdoors in her first year of high school when she started coaching cross country skiing at Georgian Nordic Outdoor Activity Centre. 

Since starting at the forest school, she has loved every minute of connecting with, and learning from, nature alongside the children, and she believes that the outdoors is where children thrive mentally and physically. She is excited to continue connecting with children and providing a safe space for them to learn to love nature just as she did growing up.

Susmy Raymond has a background in a Bachelor of Education in Special Education, and a Bachelor of Science (Zoology). She also holds certifications in First Aid and CPR. She’s passionate about working with children and supporting their growth through nature-based, hands-on learning.

She enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring new places, and creating simple crafts.

Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that children learn best through play, exploration, and meaningful connections with nature. Forest School gives them the freedom to be curious, build confidence, and develop essential life skills in a natural and nurturing environment.

She’s truly excited to be part of PSFS and looks forward to supporting children’s learning journeys while growing alongside this amazing community.

Blair Clements, our long-time volunteer, was a classroom teacher for twenty years. He continues to enjoy spending time in nature with children and is sure to bring a smile to faces young and old with his unique sense of humour!

Elena is currently in grade 11 at Parry Sound High School. She enjoys being on Georgian Bay, hiking, and rock climbing. She is looking forward to getting to know the kids better and spending more time outdoors.

Bio coming soon

Karine is passionate about being outdoors and being able to teach and learn outside. She has spent the past few years working as an outdoor educator leading backcountry trips with youth.  She feels privileged to be able to see the growth of youth through outdoor programs, as well as learn in nature's classroom. She has a degree in Health Sciences specializing in Nutrition from the University of Ottawa and has also worked as a Registered Dietitian for a number of years. In her spare time, she is usually cooking something delicious, on a long run, or exploring nearby nature. She looks forward to being able to learn and teach outside alongside the kids at forest school.

Bio coming soon

Travis has many years of experience working with children in multiple settings. He loves being outdoors and believes that everyone should be able to experience the benefits that come with learning outside of the normal classroom environment.