Coming this Summer 2026…
Founded in 2012, The Academy is the first teacher training institution in North America to specialize in human development and deep nature connection.
For participants attending Level 1 & 2 in 2026, a 50% discount will be applied to Level 2 tuition fee
Kathleen was raised a little wild by a Newfoundland fisherman, Kathleen spent her formative years wandering the boreal forests of northern Ontario — country where bear, moose, and wolf tracks cross the same paths children walk. She fished the lakes and creeks of New England with her father. When she entered OT school, something clicked: here was the science that explained what she had always felt in the woods. Kathleen is an occupational therapist, author, naturalist, and parent coach best known for pioneering the NatureLed™ Approach. For 30 years, she has worked at the intersection of neuroscience, occupational therapy, and environmental connection to help children and families heal developmental and behavioral struggles.
Lia was born in Riga, Latvia, Lia learned to forage and read the forest from her grandmothers before she could read a book. She carried that knowing across an ocean and never put it down. In 1998 she opened Wild Roots Forest School — the longest-running forest school in North America. Everything she teaches is earned from thirty years of showing up, in all weather, for thousands of children.
Erin was raised by her parents and grandparents; artists, naturalists, and activists in a wild valley at the base of the Sierra range. For 32 years she has been taking children and educators onto the land — from Reggio Emilia schools in Italy to wilderness programs in Santa Barbara to opening sister program, Wild Roots Forest School Eastern Sierra and co-founding a non-profit community arts center.
“I feel totally different when I’m outside, I have a truly awakened curiosity about nature. And I feel so much more confident as a parent… which has allowed me to enjoy my son more and release a lot of anxiety around parenting.
I started working at a forest school and really surprised myself at how confident and at ease I was as a new teacher— while I have a lot to learn experientially, the foundation I gained at the Academy has given me many tools to start that journey.
Lastly, I was surprised to discover that my experience at the Academy expanded far beyond learning to work with children outdoors—these deeply thoughtful trainings were really a meditation on care—how to care for ourselves and each other, how to care for the land, and how to care for the next generation.”
~ Teacher Training participant
