Outdoor Learning Leadership Conference 2026

I work outside inspiring students to learn more about the world around them. I love what I do and hope that comes thru in my classes. I hope to learn a lot about nature journaling to help students put words numbers and diagrams together to explain the nature they see around them and to build connections to make the world a better place.

Andrea is passionate about teaching and learning outdoors. She has been the Education Specialist with Alberta Forestry and Parks for over 20 years where she has been developing, delivering and evaluating outdoor learning experiences for students and professional development workshops for teachers. She is inspired and influenced by progressive teaching pedagogy, infusing learning on and from the land with the natural learning cycle in her programs and workshops. Andrea is also a classroom teacher and currently works part-time in an outdoor school in Canmore as their Nature Immersion Specialty T... Read more

David has worked in classrooms, in a blended home-school/community framework, as Curriculum Coordinator and volunteered as president of the BC Science Teachers’ Association. He co-authored the BC K-7 Science curriculum, contributed to assessment documents, created resources for BC Hydro, the Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, the Fraser River Discovery Center and Nelson Education. David co-developed the BC Children's Hospital Healthy Buddies program in BC, NWT, Alberta and Manitoba. He previously worked with the Okanagan School of Education (UBCO) and with the SFU Advanced Professional Studies... Read more

Stephanie Doyle, PhD, is a bilingual educator with over 20 years of experience. As Director of Education at Earth Rangers, a charity focused on transforming children’s and youth’s concerns about the environment into positive action, she oversees Earth Rangers Homeroom, a suite of resources for K-6 educators. She is also a board member EECOM and a member of the Nature Education Collective. Stephanie strongly believes in the importance of environmental education for youth, and society at whole, to thrive and is committed to supporting students in developing the knowledge, skills and confidence... Read more

Hi,
I am a big supporter of Place-based Learning and am working to promote more Place-based Learning opportunities for Yukon educators and learners.

Sylvie has been an  energetic K-9 educator for 34 years. She is the principal of a new school  where gardening, outdoor/environmental education, and Indigenous perspectives  drive learning. She spends a lot of time outdoors with more-than-humans, whether deep in a forest or while strolling down a city block. She completed her PhD doing ecoportraiture.

She continues to learn how Land, more-than-humans, and Indigenous perspectives can inform practice, especially  for non-Indigenous educators (like herself) who are striving to connect with place meaningfully. She loves macro-photography, and is prone to sudden stops and clicks!... Read more

Taansi, Boozhoo! I'm Lindy :) The land that knows me is in Treaty 3 Territory where I live with my beautiful family. I've enjoyed over twenty years in public education as a classroom teacher, forest school educator, and Indigenous Language Lead. More recently, my journey has brought me to my role as Principal of a K-12 land-based school and Interim Education Advisor with our tribal council. My research and practice centres on leading through land-based learning, and I also enjoy working with pre-service and in-service educators through Indigenous Studies and the Faculty of Education at the University... Read more

Haley Higdon is a guest on Turtle Island and is the Director for Natural Curiosity. She has her BEd and MA in Child Study and Education from the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study at UofT. She has spent the last three years working as the managing editor for the development and creation of Natural Curiosity 2nd Edition: The Importance of Indigenous Perspectives in Children’s Environmental Inquiry. Haley supports educators with incorporating environmental inquiry into their practice. She is also attempting to live a zero waste lifestyle and has her own Instagram Blog @50ShadesofGreenToronto... Read more

Teacher Resources (not curriculum related)

Nazia Hiscock is the Principal of Christina Gordon Public School. Originally from Toronto, ON, she has lived and worked in Fort McMurray since 2010 as a Junior High Humanities teacher and coach at École McTavish and Westview School, both part of the Fort McMurray Public School Division. In 2019, she began her extensive administrative background serving as the Vice Principal of Thickwood Heights School, Dr. K. A. Clark School and then, Walter & Gladys Hill Public School before taking on a principalship of Timberlea Public School .She completed her Bachelors of Environmental Studies & Bachelor of... Read more

Meredith Lemon graduated with her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Victoria. Her dissertation focused on identifying taken-for-granted, unsustainable, Western cultural teachings embedded in both the BC curriculum-as-plan as well as educators’ practice (herself included). She is a sessional instructor at Royal Roads University and in teacher education at the University of Victoria. Meredith also works with the Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) Nation education team and has over the last five years. Her research areas, including current postdoctoral studies, focus on curriculum studies... Read more

Cheryl Lenardon is proud to be superintendent of schools in Cariboo-Chilcotin School District across the spectacular unceded territories of the Secwepemc, Tsilhqot’in and Dakelh Nations. Although the Cariboo is her home now, Cheryl grew up in Northern Ontario and has lived in the Peace country and Kootenay regions of BC. With more than 30 years in K-12 education, 15 of those in district leadership, Cheryl’s greatest sense of accomplishment has been in growing outdoor and place-based learning as an integral part of the school experience of staff and students in two districts.

Alison Leslie began her teaching career at a small rural school in Surrey, B.C., where she discovered her passion for integrating the natural world into her students' daily curriculum. This initial experience ignited her interest in ecological education, leading her to pursue further studies. In 2019, Alison completed her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Ecological Education through the lens of Indigenous Perspectives. Alison has had the opportunity to be the Vice-Principal for an outdoor learning program in Surrey, B.C. before making the move and taking a Principal role in... Read more

Grant Linney is an actively retired outdoor and environmental educator. In a career spanning six decades, he has connected children of all ages (+ adults) to nature through hands-on experiential education in all four seasons. He has won numerous teaching and environmental awards at the municipal, provincial and national levels. Last January, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his advocacy for outdoor experiential education and against anthropogenic climate change. He is the newly-published author of "Outdoor Magic: The Power of Nature Connection" wherein he recounts... Read more

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... Read more

Rob Ridley has taught outdoor and environmental education since 1988 and for the last 13 years has been the Field Centres Coordinator for the Peel District School Board in Ontario. He coordinates environmental, outdoor and historical interpretation programming for 30,000 students each year from K-Gr 12 at five field centre locations and via in-school community based programs.
He is a founder and moderator of #EnviroEd chat on Twitter and has spoken on the use of technology as a tool for outdoor education for other Ontario School Boards.

The Howl Experience is a land-based education organization offering transformative outdoor programs for high school-aged youth throughout Canada. Founded by a collective of educators, community leaders, and youth, Howl emerged from a shared belief that education should be experiential, inclusive, and grounded in relationship—with land, culture, and community.
Howl supports young people to discover their voices, build meaningful careers, and contribute to their communities through experiential learning that respects individuality and culture. Programs are designed in close collaboration with l... Read more

Alicia Roberge is currently the Instructional Leader for Environmental Education and EcoSchools 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... Read more

Jacob Rodenburg is an award-winning educator, author, and leader in outdoor and environmental education with over 35 years of experience. A certified teacher with a Master’s in Education, he is passionate about connecting children with nature and inspiring lifelong stewardship. For nearly three decades, Jacob has served as Executive Director of Camp Kawartha, transforming it into a national model for sustainability and hands-on environmental learning. He also teaches Environmental Education at Trent University and is a frequent speaker and writer on nature connection. Jacob is the author or co-author... Read more

Laura Sims teaches in the faculty of education at the Université de Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg. Sims' research specializes in education-for-sustainability and learning in formal (i.e. faculties of education) and non-formal learning contexts (i.e. small scale farmers in Latin America). Previously, she taught high school and managed a Central American CIDA project.

Dr. Rachel Tidd is passionate about using outdoor and place-based learning to enrich literacy and math instruction. She is the author of the book Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors and the creator of the Wild Math® and Wild Reading® curricular resources. She is a former elementary and special education teacher and currently an assistant professor of early childhood (B-grade 2) and special education at SUNY Empire State University. She holds a doctorate in sustainability education with a focus on literacy from the University of Wisconsin. Her research examines how critical... Read more

Aleks Waliszewska (she/her) is an educator, parent and graduate student at the University of Victoria in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. Her MA thesis focused on more-than-human literacies in an elementary outdoor program exploring how children make meaning with the land. Her PhD research will focus on founding stories of nature-based and inquiry-based schools. She has learned with Gwich’in, Nuxalk, independent school, and public school communities. Aleks completed a collaborative project with Meredith funded by the inaugural Climate Education Fellowship Program in 2024, has served... Read more

Fiona has over 30 years of experience in the education field, as a PE specialist, primary classroom teacher, and administrator. She has worked in both public and private schools in both BC and Alberta throughout her career. Fiona currently is the district Learning Services Coordinator with Canadian Rockies Public Schools, and also teaches as a Sessional Instructor, working with pre-service teachers at the University of Calgary. Fiona is passionate about students being active and curious when learning and found that students at all levels benefit from learning outside in an experiential way. Her... Read more