It takes a variety of skills, and a whole lotta love to bring something like The Outdoor Learning School & Store to life, and keep it breathing well. These are the beings that pour their heart, knowledge, skill, and energy into making this the reality it is. I hope one day you’ll meet them, they are all awesome.
Before we get to the team, we’d like to recognize the Indigenous Land and Nations, and by doing so we acknowledge a longer history and our place(s) in that history. We wish to acknowledge these lands and waters and their significance for the peoples who lived and continue to live in these regions, whose practices and spiritualities were and are tied to Land and Water, and those whose lives continue to enrich, develop and steward in relationship to Land, Waters and other inhabitants today.
Outdoor Learning School Team
Jade Berrill
Director of Learning
From hosting workshops, trainings or gatherings to creating amazing podcasts, Jade wears many hats! She has a vivaciousness for life that ignites everyone around her. She uses this seemingly unending energy to enrich the lives of youth through environmental education, rock climbing, mountain biking and outdoor youth skills camps…weaving in cross-curricular magic as she goes.
Jade is a passionate educator and communicator of science. Building on a love for bringing people together as a mechanism for growth and forward thinking, this role encompasses organizing events to develop the best opportunities for professional development, networking and educational outreach – engaging students, teachers and decision makers alike.
Jade now spends most of her time training educators how to take their learning outside, growing the outdoor education community and providing support networks for teachers and educators.
Jenna Jasek
Director of Indigenous Learning
An Indigenous Advisor with us for many years, Jenna helped to launch The Outdoor Learning School & Store, and co-created the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning initiative. She is a certified teacher of 20 years, and was previously the VP of Indigenous Learning and Equity for Rocky Mountain School District.
Jenna is on a learning expedition which involves her culture, traditional teachings, languages and Knowledge of nature. She believes Indigenous perspectives connect effortlessly with outdoor, hands-on and place-based learning. Her goal is to provide learners of all ages opportunities to explore, learn and immerse themselves in the outdoors and outdoor education alongside Indigenous perspectives and Knowledge.
Jenna lives at the headwaters of the Columbia River which runs through and is the unceded territories of her ancestors, the Secwépemc and Ktunaxa people.
Duncan Whittick
Executive Director
At the heart of The Outdoor Learning Store Duncan makes everything go round; it’s no wonder he was the recipient of the National Environmental Education ‘Outstanding Individual in an Organization’ Award in 2018.
His years of experience working with incredible organizations like CBEEN, C2C, KBEE, EECOM, KCP, Cypress Hills Inter-provincial Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park, the National Trust for Scotland, and the Jane Goodall Institute have allowed him to accentuate his innate ability to bring people together in something he is passionate about: Environmental Education.
He enjoys connecting the dots between people and organizations, looking for pathways to positive systemic change, and finding ways we can all work better, together.
Mia King
Program Manager
Mia lives in Revelstoke, on the traditional lands of the Sinixt, the Ktunaxa, the Secwepemc, and the Syilx.
Once Mia realized she could combine her passion for nature (developed while growing up on a farm, through environmental studies, and a lot of hiking/biking/camping), with her enjoyment of teaching (realized when she moved to Japan for a couple of years to teach English as a second language), she has since been involved with environmental education in many different forms. Whether creating informational signs on aquatic species at risk or leading a group of school-aged students through the forest on an interpretive hike, Mia enjoys helping people learn and connect with their local environment.
Alyson McMullen
Indigenous Learning Facilitator
Alyson (she/her) is of Mushkego (Swampy Cree), Irish and French ancestry. She is an educator (RECE, OCT) whose work is centered around decolonizing education through land centered inquiry based practice.
Alyson is a graduate of the Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education Program at York University. She has worked as a passionate educator in the public school system, committed to transformative education goals that re-centre the needs, stories and perspectives of the underserved and underrepresented.
She also works with our amazing partners at Natural Curiosity, and has been helping to facilitate and guide learning through the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning course, as well as the Nêhiyawêwin (Cree) Language Course.
Myah Birell
Indigenous Language Facilitator
Myah Birrell (she/her) is of Algonquin of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation and Canadian ancestry. She is an educator (OCT) and a graduate of the Masters of Arts in Child Study and Education program through OISE at University of Toronto.
Myah has an undergraduate degree in Critical Gender Studies and is focused on creating classroom spaces that are anti-oppressive and justice focused. Myah is currently employed at Kapapamahchakwew – Wandering Spirit School in the TDSB teaching grade 6/7, as well as the current Program Coordinator at Natural Curiosity.
Myah is always thinking about ways that we can decolonize education through weaving Indigenous ways of knowing and being into all curriculum.
Outdoor Learning Store Team
Jennifer Swan
Outdoor Learning Store Manager
Jennifer has a BA in History from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Environmental Planning from Selkirk College. Living, recreating, working, and raising a family in rural British Columbia has led to a deep appreciation for the natural world, and whilst she was self-employed for most of her career, working at the Outdoor Learning Store allows her to combine her skills in business operations with her belief that environmental education is central to creating healthy, sustainable communities.
While Jennifer has lived, studied. and worked in other regions of Canada, as well as in Europe and the United States, the Columbia Valley always felt like home, and in November 2022, she relocated back to Invermere.
Kate Atkinson
Outdoor Learning Orders Manager
Kate Atkinson is originally from Riverview, New Brunswick. She earned her degree in Outdoor Rec. at NBCC, St Andrews, and chose the Rocky Mountains as her home with skis in one hand a paintbrush in the other. While Kate’s career has taken her from snowy mountain tops and dropping cliffs to a position with less altitude, Kate’s love of the mountains and daily adventures with her two kids have inspired her art and continued love of the Columbia Valley, while still keeping her on her toes! She loves bringing her outdoor recreation background, combined with her creativity, to the Outdoor Learning Store, helping to inspire and support learners and educators alike.
Katy Scotland
Resource Supporter
Katy grew up in small-town Ontario, and spent summers in the Rocky Mountains between her years at Nipissing University, where she earned a BA in History. When she graduated from University, she decided to spend one more year exploring the magic of the mountains, and then decided that this place was truly home! In addition to supporting the Outdoor Learning Store, recently she started working at the Invermere Public Library. She has found it incredible to find a job where she learns something new every day! In her free time, you can find her on the water in the summer, kayaking, or camping somewhere at one of the many stunning lakes in the area. In the winter, she likes to spend time snowshoeing or curled up with a great book by the fire!
Alysse Kennedy
Publishing Manager
Alysse graduated from OISE with her PhD on environmental & sustainability education and climate justice. As a guest on Turtle Island she’s enthusiastic about Indigenous approaches to storying learning and learning from the Land.
Over the last seven years she’s had incredible experiences teaching in K-6 and post-secondary education and researching and organizing programming specific to environmental and sustainability education and climate action.
A bookworm at heart, prior to pursuing her career in education Alysse completed her Graduate Certificate in Publishing (Centennial College). She is excited to combine her passions for education, environment and books in this new role as Publishing Manager.
Strategy & Support Team
Katie Wells
CFO
Over the past 15+ years, Katie has found a niche using her multidisciplinary entrepreneurial skillset with her P.Eng. and her specialties in business, finance and systems to help entrepreneurs and non-profits move their goals and dreams forward. Her firm, Turning Point Business Advisory Services Inc., is based out of Invermere where Katie has lived for the past 27 years. She enjoys family, being outside and tiny house living.
Ian Shanahan
Project Coordinator
Outdoor and environmental education aren’t just what Ian does; they’re who he is. A lifelong naturalist with a deep passion for wild spaces, Ian recently completed a 5-year stint as General Editor of Green Teacher magazine, and enjoyed 13 seasons with Ontario Parks. Ian’s primary areas of focus in environmental education are biodiversity, climate change, and pollinators. He completed his BAH at Queen’s University and then his BEd at the University of Toronto before becoming an Ontario Certified Teacher.
Sarah Bennett
Creative Genius/Brand Strategy Development
Owner of Origin Brand Sarah’s creative force brings to life the core purpose and vision of the Outdoor Learning Store. Not just a creator on paper or digitally, She is mother to two beautiful children.
She specializes in the design and project-management of integrated multi-component marketing projects. Sarah advocates a creative, collaborative and conscious approach to all strategic design (and life!) endeavours. She gracefully combines art and technology.
Shawn Wernig
Digital Wizard/Web Master
Having a vision of an Outdoor Learning Store is one thing; it’s quite another to make it a digital reality that functions well and smoothly, consistently. That’s where Shawn comes in.
Shawn now lives in Cranbrook with his gorgeous partner, crazily cute fur-babies, and hundreds (literally, hundreds, seriously there’s oodles of them) of plant friends…and a really nice atrium.
More about Shawn: eggplantstudios.ca
CBEEN – our backbone
Todd Hebert
Board Chair
Todd lives and works in Cranbrook and is the Executive Director of Columbia Outdoor School & Blue Lake Camp. He has been involved in environmental education for many years through his work at Blue Lake, as a facilitator for HCTF and a community educator. He is also spearheading the restoration of Joseph Creek and connecting community to the creek and its importance to the area.
Janet Kuijt
Board Vice-Chair
Janet is grateful for a path that has allowed her to be involved in running Kootenay Mountain Adventures – summer nature camps, Backcountry Pursuits – summer & winter backcountry trips and School District 5 K-9 outdoor educational programming on the traditional homelands of the Ktunaxa.
Being and learning in nature is a passion she is honoured to share by supporting the important connections between community, classrooms and the great outdoors. She is a Principal at a school in Fernie, BC.
Faye O'Neil
Indigenous Education Coordinator, Advisor, Educator and Board Member
Faye O’Neil was born on her homelands of ?ama?kis Ktunaxa at the beginning of the headwaters of the micqaqas akinmituk (Chickadee River/Columbia River) where she played in the water and on the land.
She is a community member of the ?aqam and resides in Cranbrook, BC. Faye is an Aboriginal Education Coordinator in School District #5 (Southeast Kootenay) and has been working in the public education sector for 21 years promoting and braiding Indigenous worldviews and perspectives into the classrooms.
Carrie Rickards
Board Treasurer
Carrie Rickards is proud to work and live within the shared territories of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc People, and the chosen home of the Columbia Valley Metis.
She is currently the General Manager of the Eva Joseph Learning and Cultural Society on the ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation, which includes, Little Badgers Early Learning, Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve, and the Indigenous Early Years Certificate Program.
She was instrumental in moving Little Badgers Early Learning Programs to a Nature Based program.
Great Gratitude for those who have come before us…
We want to offer our great gratitude for those who have come before us to lay the foundation for our future success.
A HUGE thanks goes out to those who have put a full trip around the sun, or more, into making this social enterprise a reality:
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Ava MacLean
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Stephanie Korolyk
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Jennifer Roberts
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Chris O’Shaughnessy
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Natt Forrest
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Lili Paradi
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Jen Baker
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Farheen Kadwa
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Dee Conklin
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Cheryl Lenardon
