Our Educators
Camano Forest School employs talented and experienced educators who work in tandem with parents to provide a safe, dynamic and educational environment.
Teacher Emma
Emma (she/her) got her formal start with environmental and outdoor education in 2019 as a Volunteer Specialist with EarthCorps. While serving in this year-long AmeriCorps role, she facilitated weekly service-based outdoor education experiences for school groups ranging from second grade through high school. Inspired by these volunteer events, Emma went on to work with Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center where she taught summer camp and led environmental education lessons on soil, wetlands, and forest habitats. Following Mercer Slough, Emma and her partner started a small vegetable farm on Camano Island. They hope to one day host a youth-centered gathering and creative space where kids can explore their dreams, cook and eat together, and engage in organizing and mentorship.
Emma hails from occupied Lenape land (Philadelphia) where she worked with kids in some capacity since she was a teen, whether babysitting or as a camp counselor. She self-designed her Bachelor's degree at the New School in Education, Gender, and Environment to explore the deep connection that runs between the three.
In her free time Emma can be found in the garden caring for baby plants, splashing in the Sound, riding her bike, or spending quality time with friends and family.
Emma brings two years of forest school experience with her from her time as a lead teacher at Springwood Forest School. She is currently enrolled in the Antioch University New England, Master of Education program for Nature Based Early Childhood Education.
Teacher Olivia
Olivia brings a diverse range of experiences to Camano Forest School, all deeply rooted in nature, community, and stewardship. From cattle ranches in Montana to mushroom cultivation in Tennessee, to managing a farm-to-table business, Olivia is always eager to learn in and from the outdoors—and to share that curiosity with her students.
Olivia’s passion for outdoor education began as a lead outdoor adventure counselor at Camp Wicosuta, a girls’ summer camp in New Hampshire, and continued while managing the Kids Club at Rancho de los Caballeros in Arizona, where she designed nature crafts, explorations, and outdoor programs for mixed-age groups. She also contributed to the farming and farm school program at the renowned Apricot Lane Farms, featured in The Biggest Little Farm.
After teaching at Springwood Forest School on Camano, she is thrilled to join Camano Forest School to continue fostering a new generation of land stewards.
In addition to her work experience, Olivia brings a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations/Politics and a passion for music, language, and local food systems.
At heart, Olivia feels at home in the outdoors and is drawn to nature-based education. Through immersion in nature and a deep respect for the land, she strives to build relationships with students rooted in curiosity, respect, and compassion. When she’s not teaching, you’ll likely find her dancing around her tiny house, hiking local trails, or cooking her way through The New York Times Cooking catalogue.
Teacher Bhakti
Bhakti embarked on her educational journey as a Kindergarten Assistant teacher, at the very elementary school she once attended working with the kindergarten teacher she had when she was a student. She has since served as an aftercare leader, as a helper aiding neurodivergent preschool students in a typical classroom setting and as the yoga teacher at The Living Wisdom School in Lynnwood until the birth of her son Ezra in 2017. Most recently she served as a teacher's assistant and yoga teacher at Springwood Forest School. Bhakti’s bond with young children has always been profound, particularly in teaching yoga to kids, to help foster inner calmness and peace.
Outside our forest classroom Bhakti is a part of the Ananda meditation community where she received her yoga and meditation teacher training. She has also completed training as an end of life doula and volunteered in pediatric palliative care and hospice. She enjoys helping at the Camano Farm Ashram, especially making flower bouquets to sell at the local farmers markets. Additionally Bhakti enjoys Ayurvedic cooking and baking, photography, writing poetry, taking ice skating lessons with her 8 year old son Ezra, and studying and practicing somatic movement and healing.
Bhakti is grateful for the opportunity to share, spend time with, and nurture the children at Camano Forest School.
Teacher Hillary
Hillary grew up in Ohio, where her love of the outdoors was nurtured through Girl Scouts and work at a local nature center. She studied Environmental Earth Science, Environmental Science, and Botany at Miami University, including an Outdoor Leadership study abroad program in New Zealand that helped shape her path into outdoor education. After graduation, she worked as an Outdoor Instructor for the university before joining Outward Bound as a Wilderness Instructor.
Through Outward Bound, Hillary traveled extensively across the eastern United States, guiding students through the mountains and rivers of western North Carolina, the coastal environments of the Outer Banks, and the Everglades and 10,000 Islands of South Florida. Over more than 1,000 days in the field, she served as both instructor and course director, leading backcountry courses in backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, sea kayaking, ropes courses, and service learning. Working with learners of all ages in nonprofit outdoor education, she found deep meaning in helping students build confidence, resilience, and connection through immersive outdoor experiences.
In 2024, Hillary completed a long-held personal goal of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. That journey brought her to Washington State, where she chose to stay while helping care for her young niece. She soon joined the Camano Forest School teaching team and has loved settling into the rhythms of island life—exploring local landscapes, nurturing curiosity, and sharing meaningful time outdoors with children.
Grounded in both extensive wilderness leadership and a gentle, relational approach to teaching, Hillary brings a deep respect for nature and a steady presence to forest school. When she’s not teaching, she can be found spending time with her niece (sharing a love of vegetables and outdoor play), hiking, gardening, learning about food preservation and canning, making art, and enjoying time with family.