Malin Christensson
When I was a kid, I went to the Swedish outdoor education school ‘Skogs Mulle’. My grandpa had a farm and there was still undeveloped land in the city where me and my friends could roam free.
Hoping to could help change the world, I got a Masters degree in Political Science. I worked many years with interdisciplinary, student-led sustainability education at the Centre for Environment and Development Studies at Uppsala University, Sweden. I also worked at the Swedish youth environmental and naturalist association.
Feeling stressed and worried about the state of the world, I turned to yoga and my own ecosystem. I became a Satyananda yoga teacher and I lived a few months at the Yasodhara Ashram in Kootenay Bay. When my kids started school, I started to teach yoga to their class and have led kids yoga in Nelson. Now I am volunteering with the Shambhala Meditation Centre and their children’s program. I have an updated first aid training and insurance.
The forest is my second home. I see so much healing happening outdoors, so much joy. I feel blessed to connect kids with nature and to get to play!
Irina Peters
Irina grew up hiking and foraging with her father in the Mountains of Tien Shan. After immigrating to Canada she worked as a recreation and forest technician. She especially enjoyed sharing her wanderings with children, and in her forties trained as an Early Childhood Educator. She began to work with children full time, and over the years gathered a large collection of stories and books to engage the kids in exploration of the natural world and world’s cultures. She is currently working as an Educational Assistant for the Kootenay Lake District, and still wanders and forages in the outdoors in her spare time.
Jenni Konken Stol
Jenni grew up on the BC coast, following her love of nature to a biology degree and field jobs studying all kids of animals from zooplankton to sturgeon, snowshoe hares, and beluga whales. She has also worked as a naturalist and environmental educator. Jenni holds a master’s degree in environment and management and completed the fish, wildlife and recreation program at BCIT.
Jenni is enjoying getting outside with her two kids to explore our amazing forests, mountains and waterways. She works with our Forest School and volunteers with BC NatureKids!
Shamus Orion Deer Birkel
Shamus is a permaculture and off-grid living enthusiast with 25 years of camp counselling experience, a love for Medicine Wheel teachings and a master’s degree in Conflict analysis and management.
When he isn’t with this family, in the garden or building something, he works as a Youth and Family worker at Salmo Secondary School.
Join our team
The Forest Path is accepting applications for joining our team, for part-time contracts for summer camps or for preschool in the fall. Contact us if you consider yourself fit with us!
Can I volunteer?
We have volunteers occasionally come to our programs. Thank you!
If you would like to be a volunteer for the Forest Path, send us an email telling about yourself and why you like to volunteer. We suggest you browse the rest of this website to familiarize yourself with our programs and approach. All volunteers need a valid Criminal Record Check.
We like volunteers who have:
– experience with kids aged between 3 to 12
– a connection to nature and willingness to share the joy of the outdoors to others
– ability to function independently yet a teamworker
– a current criminal record check.
Ideally but not necessary, you have:
– ECE or teacher certification or other relevant training
– current first aid training
– outdoor education training
– knowledge of Art of Mentoring/8 shields/Coyote Mentoring, primitive skills or aboriginal knowledge
– knowledge and experience of parenting/early education with perspectives like Waldorf, mindfulness, NVC, Gordon Neufeld, no drama discipline, arts, music and crafts, storytelling etc.