Monica Miller
Founder/Owner & Lead FNS Educator (she/her)
Monica is “maman” to 3 wonderfully wild children (ages 7, 4 & 2 years), an avid hiker & camper (albeit there seems little time for that these days), an aspiring animal tracker, and a qualified elementary school teacher (Ontario College of Teachers) & (soon-to-be) Forest and Nature School educator (Forest School Canada).
She grew up on a horse farm in southern Ontario and spent endless hours outdoors – hiking, camping, playing, exploring, building, tending to the animals, reading in trees, and more. Nature is very much a part of who she is and how she lives her life. She recognizes the value of time spent in nature and sees the benefits in herself, her children, and her students.
Passionate about education & the outdoors, she decided she was going to start a Forest & Nature School as soon as she learned that they existed. After having her second child, she left her position teaching French with a local school board and made KFNS a reality! Monica also previously ran an outdoor family blog, Maman on the Trail, and she started the local branch of an outdoor parent community, Hike it Baby (Kingston, ON) – so you may know her from there.
Monica is bilingual, English & French, and can support learning in either language.
Lindsey Pilon
RECE & FNS Facilitator (she/her)
Lindsey has been working in the field of Early Childhood Care for 15+ years and loves to facilitate dynamic learning environments which support the holistic wellness of children and families.
As an educator and mother she recognizes how outdoor experiential learning supports the development of foundational academic skills, and is passionate about making inclusive land-based education an industry standard. A mixed-ancestry Haudenosaunee woman, (Oneida, turtle clan), Lindsey is passionate about modelling attitudes of consent and reciprocity when engaging with the natural world.
Lindsey gets excited about universal design, grass-roots social activism, and community-building. She would write a book of poetry if she weren’t so easily distracted by the joys of skating, biking, and long walks. She is thrilled to be a part of KFNS!
Leah Kiil
RECE & FNS Facilitator (she/her)
Leah is a mom of two very active children (8 and 11 years old) and lives with her family on the gorgeous Gananoque River, surrounded by field, forest, and marsh, all amazing ecosystems full of life. She is a veggie and fruit gardener, hiker, runner, canoe tripper, crafter, and birder. She is also an experienced Registered Early Childhood Educator that loves learning, teaching, mess-making, and discovering with children, especially in the outdoors.
She grew up in Toronto with a family of nature lovers, spending time in parks, ravines, beaches, and streams – anything the big city could provide, until she escaped permanently to the country! Summers have always been a time for camping and discovering the beauty of new and interesting natural places. Connecting ourselves and our children to our natural environment has always been a passion and she is so excited to be part of a new family of forest and nature lovers!
