I believe that we are all born with a unique gift, or personal “medicine” to offer the world. We feel our most vibrant and joyful when fulfilling this purpose. Our culture is oblivious to these gifts, and in fact actively shuts them down. So we forget… I believe this forgetting…
Jenae grew up in Payahuunadu, the land of flowing waters, homelands of Nuumu and Newe people on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Many of their most treasured memories come from a childhood spent playing in creeks, climbing rocks, and looking for lizards. Jenae has spent many years…
Sarah Elise (they&she) just loves getting outside and getting their hands dirty! She earned an MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley University, and has worked as an environmental educator in numerous contexts for well over a decade. Living the majority of their life in New England, Sarah Elise…
Susan has worked as both a community organizer and environmental educator for the past 30 years. Susan is proud to have introduced thousands of youth to the joys of nature and coordinating environmental education programs, from serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica to working as a naturalist…
Aunye Scott- Anderson (Dragonfly) is a multidimensional creatrix from Los Angeles who has been utilizing her intuitive gifts to inspire childlike wonder in young and old. She weaves whimsical patterns using copper, brass, and crystals to create high-powered healing talismans and artistic healing tools inspired by ancestral stories channeled through…
Sabrina was born and raised in the East Bay and many of her favorite childhood memories include exploring parks and open spaces in this region. She is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and has years of experience providing child and adolescent therapy, primarily through her work as a school…
Chiara is a mama bear, songstress, and student of Celtic ancestral ways. She believes in the power of witnessing youth, affirming their mythopoetic identity and honoring the unique gifts they bring to the world. She grew up in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, a fifth generation settler on Lisjan Ohlone…
Michelle Sauceda (she/her) comes to Gaia Passages with 25 years of experience rooted in mentoring youth and adults in their connection to nature in the greater Bay Area. Michelle has been blessed to spend years being mentored by a number of Indigenous elders, including her family who have been loving…
Angie Fike was born and raised in unceded Chochenyo Ohlone Territory (or Berkeley, CA) and is grateful to have had access to the magical realms of East Bay Parks to explore during her youth. She is committed to work that increases such accessibility to outdoor spaces for all, believing in…
Angela is a teacher, mentor, guide and lover of being alive. Angela brings the gifts of wildness, love, humor, and deep witnessing to others’ unique unfolding. She has an innate ability to create inclusiveness, play, and authenticity in any setting. Her extensive work with youth and adults in diverse environments…
Andrea is a teaching artist originally from New York City, but has found the landscapes of California to feel most like home. She has been working with children for over 17 years, is passionate about play and the outdoors; and loves to inspire confidence, joy, and creativity in her students. She has taught dance/movement,…
Kahayag was born and raised in the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines, and she is now based within Chochenyo Ohlone territories. As a child she would run wild in the jungles with her friends and rip open fresh mangoes with her teeth. Nowadays she still runs wild, though the jungles…