Maya Elson

Maya is a teacher, naturalist, grassroots organizer and lover of the wild. Maya lives her life seeking to heighten her awareness of the natural world and finding her place within her ecosystem. Maya has a background in field biology, and continues to connect with her ecosystem by teaching Ecology, edible and medicinal plants, mushroom identification, tracking, bird language, fishing, nature games, storytelling, making fire, shelter building, and sensory awareness. Having spent most of the last 13 years working with several outdoor schools, summer camps, and other environmental education programs, she’s seen seen first-hand the importance and power of initiation for young women. Maya started the Santa Cruz branch of the Wild Child Freeschool, and worked as Guide and Program Coordinator for 5 years. Maya’s other passions include grassroots Environmental Justice organizing, and Applied Mycology. She is the Executive Director CoRenewal, a nonprofit that seeks to clean up oil pollution with Fungi and Bacteria.