Erika, Owner and Lead Teacher :
Erika is a Utah born mountain lover; learning from serving and exploring the community and expansive environment. She graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelors in Health Promotion. She is elated to spend another year at Honeybee Nature School learning and leading the 2018-19 Honeybees!
Mary Grace, Kindergarten Director and Teacher:
Mary Grace is a native South Carolinian who graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education: Birth - Kindergarten and has a huge heart for teaching. When she is not in the classroom you can always find her running, listening to music, or enjoying a good cup of coffee. She is very excited to create, explore, and learn with her kindergarten class this year at Honeybee!
Hello! My name is Kira and I cannot express how excited I am to be a part of honeybee nature school! For most of my childhood I struggled in school not because I didn’t understand the material but because of the general way school was structured. It did not fit my personality or my learning style. I longed for something different as I grew and vowed as I reached adulthood that I would either contribute to the changing of the school system or provide my own future children with something different. I am so lucky to be doing both. My love for nature came to me in a time of struggle in my personal life. I noticed that spending time barefoot in the grass, sitting by a tree or listening to the calming sound of a running river brought me relief. The more time I spent in nature, the more in love with it I fell. Nature brings me back to my inner child and I’ve never felt more alive than I do walking barefoot through the Forest with all the beautiful children of Honeybee Nature School! School days are my favorite days and the excitement of our adventures brings me so much joy! I originally found Honeybee nature school when my own son was only 10 days old. I immediately knew that I had found the school I would be sending him to. When it came time to enroll Jude in Pre-school, I was given the opportunity to volunteer with HNS. I spent many months learning the inquiry based teaching style and raving to other people about how brilliant it was. I couldn’t believe how effective nature school was in helping preschoolers develop into self-aware and compassionate individuals with a natural desire to learn. I have always loved children and I genuinely want to contribute to their well being whether that means sitting with them and offering support during times of difficult emotions or encouraging them to discover their braveness as they face a personal fear. I have deep gratitude to be continuing my career as a nature school teacher! Thank you for the opportunity to guide your little ones as they explore the world around them and prepare themselves for education beyond preschool.
Savanah, Preschool Teacher: Bio coming soon…
The History of Honeybee Nature School
Julie deWolfe, Founder
Bachelor’s in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology
Certificate of Early Childhood Education
Forest Kindergarten Teacher Certified
200-level Yoga Teacher Certified
Permaculture Design Certified
I have felt at home in the wilderness for as long as I can remember. Being surrounded by nature and fresh air is something that I crave in my everyday life. I grew up in rural Maine where I spent most of my time outside, playing and exploring the great outdoors that was my backyard. Family vacations usually consisted of camping, backpacking, and canoe trips. I was fortunate to be home schooled through elementary school because it allowed me to learn outside of the classroom setting, to discover my own learning style, my unique interests, strengths and weaknesses at an early age. This style of learning really encouraged my curiosity, confidence, and love of learning. My goal in opening Honeybee Nature School was to create a learning environment that does the same for my students.
I always knew that my career would involve working with children in some way but I did not always see myself as a teacher. I studied Psychology and Neuroscience at St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a plan to become a Child Psychologist. I never felt sure of the path, so I decided to search for something more. I studied abroad in West Africa where I volunteered in a preschool and loved it, but at the time it didn’t occur to me that I might like to be a teacher. After graduation, I pursued a path in social work and went to Australia to work with youth at risk of homelessness. Upon my return home I worked in Maine as a Youth and Family counselor for a few years. I loved this job but somehow I still wasn’t satisfied.
This is when my best friend and I planned a life changing journey-Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. We hiked and slept in the East Coast wilderness for 6 months going by the names Honeybee and Chickadee. I have never experienced the positive influences of nature the way that I did throughout this journey. It inspired me to search for a way to provide the kids that I work with the opportunity to experience the wilderness the way that I had. But How?
I decided to pursue another interest of mine-Yoga. I traveled to India and immersed myself in a month long yoga training/practice. This was a life changing and eye opening experience for me. I grew into myself and the vision of Honeybee Nature School came to me during one of my morning meditation classes. It seems crazy but in that moment I knew what I was meant to do!
A few months later, I left India and jumped right into Teaching as a Pre-K Teacher in Boston. I immediately fell in love with this age group and went back to school for Early Childhood Education. I continued teaching 2nd and 3rd grade at an Arts Enrichment Program in Boston while pursuing my education in Permaculture Design, Sustainability, and Environmental Education. The time came to venture away from the city and into the mountains of Utah where wilderness is abundant and will foster a rich education experience for my students! I opened Honeybee Nature School in 2014 and it has been a wonderful adventure!