KFNS Founder & B.Ed./OCT Educator (she/her)

Monica is “maman” to 3 wonderfully wild children (ages 8, 5 & 3 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 practitioner (Child & Nature Alliance of Canada / 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 in the Fall of 2019! 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.

FNS Program Lead, FNS Practitioner & RECE (she/her)

Leah is a mom of two very active children (9 and 12 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 and Forest and Nature School Practitioner 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 the KFNS family of forest and nature lovers! Leah has been with KFNS since Fall 2021.