|
    | ||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
Our Staff |
Contact Us: |
|||||||||
| Registration Opens Soon! | |
| For more information call us at 805-649-9998. | |
| Click here to fill out a registration form in PDF format (print & mail to us no later than one week before program start date) |  |
| We require full payment upon program registration. | |
Having trouble downloading
the form?
Click here to install
the free Adobe Reader.
Heather King
Bringing children into natural places is my lifelong profession and joy. Ever since my own childhood was shaped by long walks in orange groves and playing in the Sespe Wilderness, I have chosen to learn and teach outside. Later, I earned a masters in Outdoor Education Administration, and a Teaching Credential, but most importantly I have spent 20 years teaching kids of all ages in natural settings at outdoor programs all over the country. I continue to learn by listening and being with children in the wild. I have two girls, Lily (8), and Delaney (5), and they are my best teachers yet! I am blessed to have my girls and learn how to really be in nature, and to bring that same love of nature to our program, because I can’t think of a better way to make the world a better place!
Contact Heather at heather@venturawild.com
Brittany Cullen
In A Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson wrote, "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." The quote resonates with me as I see how it applies to my personal experience. I value nature and enjoy being outdoors; it reminds me of what is truly important in my life and gives me purpose. I am currently working toward my bachelor's degree in Human Ecology at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine and am especially interested in exploring the field of psychology in connection with nature. There is a great need for encouraging children to play outside and learn about the environment in which they live. Growing up with this understanding of the environment, I see how my interaction with nature positively influenced my childhood and I trust that others can benefit from the experience as well.
Jeff Otterbein
Backpacking and hiking with students has been a major part of my working career even when my title was French Teacher or Athletic Director . At first I lead trips working with Ojai Valley School and in recent years with Oak Grove School. Hiking locally in the Sespe, taking students backpacking in Utah and also leading trips to India and England gave an endless variety to the exploration. Newly grandfather, I am planning to continue with my backpacking so I can share the wonderful gift of nature with her.
Heather Oneill
You can find my heart in two places; the wilds of nature and with children and when put together that's where the magic happens! I worked in the outdoor education field for fifteen years in Colorado taking kids snowboarding, mountain biking, horseback riding and rafting-those where some fun times! Then I received my MA from Naropa University in Environmental Leadership where I worked at a Waldorf school and lived on a Biodynamic farm teaching kids all about the life of a sustainable farm. Now I am enrolled in a Waldorf teacher training program and I am so excited for the adventures we have planned this summer with you at Ventura Wild!
Dave White
Dave White has a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He has been involved in numerous environmental groups in Ventura County for the past 20 years, including Keep the Sespe Wild and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture. Dave has also worked as the science teacher at Happy Valley School and is currently the garden coordinator for Food for Thought's Ojai Healthy Schools program. One of Dave's favorite things to do is to plant trees with kids.
Greg Bressani
Jessica Lindley
Last summer as a volunteer, I caught a glimpse of the amazing reciprocity children and adults can have in the presence of nature during Ventura Wild. This year I am so excited to be a member of the staff, where together we'll be able to see nature with a new found appreciation of our local environment. My favorite aspects of life include the expression of love, the enjoyment of nature, working with children, creating art and delicious food, and living by this quote; "Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your Mind." With this idea, I strive to enjoy every moment freely as a child does with wonder and grace. Recently, I've enjoyed exploring the Ventura area beaches, river mouths, hiking trails, and all the surrounding life. While I am a working artist in Ventura, I have been blessed with the experience of working as a nanny for children of all ages. It lifts my spirit to help children engage in the world around them.