COURTNEY HAEUSLER | Program Founder
Courtney is a passionate individual who over the past 10 years has made Fernie much more than just her home. She has discovered that spending time outside with children is her biggest passion. Discovering this "spark" has been the key to cultivating a life built on outdoor experiences and skills. Following her path has inevitably lead to the creation of Outdoor Connections.
Courtney holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan and has gained certifications in Wilderness First Aid, Occupational First Aid, and Swift Water Rescue. She is a trained Forest School practitioner gaining certification from the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Courtney has coordinated and volunteered at summer camps for children with special needs which has given her valuable experience working with diverse groups of children. She is dedicated to ensuring ALL children are able to become part of The Outdoor Connections family.
Whether working as a school teacher bringing patience and creativity to the classroom, or snapping pictures as a ski photographer, her experiences in the Elk Valley have shaped who she is today. Courtney genuinely believes that every child benefits from exploring and learning in natural environments. She would like to thank the Elk Valley Society for Community Living, Camp Easter Seal, Power to Be and Alive Outdoors for their inspiration and support.
Her diverse background, coupled with her passion for outdoor adventure, makes Courtney the perfect candidate to start an outdoor centered children's foundation!
VICTORIA READ | Executive Director / Facilitator
Originally from the small town of Palgrave, Ontario, Victoria spent most of her free time walking and biking the local trails, pretending to be a mermaid in the pool and begging her parents for a puppy. She is very grateful to her mom and dad for taking her outside and instilling a love of nature in her from a young age during family camping adventures and road trips across North America.
Victoria became a certified Forest and Nature School Practitioner through the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada in 2022. She graduated from the University of Guelph-Humber (Toronto, ON) with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Studies. During her time at university, she fell in love with the Forest School philosophy while participating in an internship at a Forest Kindergarten in Denmark. The freedom of outdoor play in Denmark inspired her passion for creating opportunities for children and families to connect with the natural environment around them. She has thoroughly enjoyed her time as a Forest School Facilitator and isn’t afraid to tell people that she’s found her dream job working at Outdoor Connections!
Vic is happiest when she is hanging out in nature, whether it’s hiking a mountain, sitting by a campfire or taking a dip in the lake, it’s where she finds rest. When she’s not spending time outside, you can find her drinking coffee, eating food with friends, singing a song, or planning her next adventure. She fell in love with the mountains during a summer season in Whistler and after two years of living abroad in Scotland, Vic and her husband decided to make the move to Fernie. They both love the community they have built here and the lifestyle that Fernie offers and see so much magic in this special mountain town.
ZOE LOWES | Forest School Facilitator
Zoe is an energetic firecracker with a big heart who is originally from the UK. She is a qualified teacher and is currently living her best life working for Outdoor Connections. She has been in Canada for over twenty years and in Fernie for the last two of them. Zoe moved with her family from the Vancouver area to Fernie to be surrounded by nature, with so many opportunities available, Fernie was the ideal location.
Zoe has two twelve-year-old boys, named Matthew and Samuel who keep her on her toes and incredibly busy. As a family, they can often be found biking and hiking the local trails around Fernie.
Her passion for the outdoors began with her move to Canada. With so many incredible destinations, Zoe spent her first few years travelling and exploring all that Canada has to offer and now shares that love with her children. She believes that all children need to have opportunities to explore and discover our world for themselves, to embrace the great outdoors and learn through self-discovery and imaginative play to develop their own sense of wonder.
NEVÉ RICHARDS | Forest School Facilitator
Born and raised in Fernie, Nevé feels deeply grateful to call this place home and respectfully acknowledges that she lives, works, and plays within Qukinʔamakʔis, the unceded traditional territory of Ya´qit ʔa·knuqⱡi’it. Thanks to her parents, who instilled a love of the outdoors from a young age, she grew up exploring the mountains, rivers, and forests surrounding the Elk Valley. These early experiences shaped her deep connection to nature and continue to inspire her today. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Nevé finds joy in skiing, hiking, camping, and canoeing, and believes the outdoors is one of the best places to build confidence, curiosity, and connection.
Nevé holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics with a minor in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, as well as further education in Mental Health and Addictions from Selkirk College. Her background includes working in outdoor settings through parks and the AmbassadorWILD program, as well as experience as an on-call teacher, dance instructor, and soccer coach. She brings a strong foundation in nature safety and stewardship to her work, holding certifications in Occupational First Aid Level 3, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, WildSafeBC Level 2, and is an AdventureSmartBC Ambassador.
She is passionate about supporting children as they develop confidence and skills in outdoor spaces while learning to care for and respect nature. Guided by values of curiosity, kindness, and inclusion, Nevé is excited to help foster meaningful, child-led experiences that encourage environmental stewardship and inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts. When she’s not outside exploring, Nevé can be found in the pottery studio, exploring her love for art and creativity.
SAVANNA CHERRY | Forest School Facilitator
Savanna grew up in Ontario, where some of her favorite memories are going on portaging trips with her dad. He inspired her love for the outdoors, and she hopes to pass that same sense of adventure and connection to nature on to the children she works with. Today, Savanna continues to enjoy hiking, swimming, singing, and playing guitar, always finding joy and belonging in time spent outside.
Her work with children began as a swim instructor at the YMCA, where she discovered the joy of helping kids gain confidence in the water. During her undergraduate degree, Savanna led Music in Medicine, visiting McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton to use music as a therapy-based approach to healing. These experiences deepened her passion for supporting children through creativity, play, and connection.
Savanna is currently completing her Master’s in Environmental Science, where she researches peatlands and alpine environments. She also holds Wilderness First Aid and is excited to share her knowledge of nature safety with children—from learning how to be prepared outdoors to practicing fun, practical skills like tying knots and working together.
She feels grateful to be part of the Fernie community that values curiosity, play, and connection to the natural world, and she looks forward to inspiring the next generation of adventurers.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tori Maciejewski | President
Tori grew up spending her time between Calgary, AB as a competitive athlete in short track speed skating, and her family’s cabin on Moyie Lake, barefoot outside from dawn to dusk. Her drive and work ethic as an athlete was always balanced out with the slow, nature-based pace she found from the freedom of spending every long weekend and summer at the same piece of land on Moyie Lake for 30+ years.
Following in her Mother’s footsteps, Tori graduated from the University of Victoria with her BEd before settling in Okotoks, AB teaching in the primary grades. Her passion for nature-based learning using a Reggio approach guided not only her practice but also her classroom and outdoor classroom as the third teacher for learning. Her passion for Forest School lead Tori to sign up for the Forest School Practitioner’s Course while pregnant with her daughter, who then got to tag along after she was born as the youngest participant at two months old! Tori’s work was noticed by the school board, and she was asked to take a year away from the classroom to work as an Instructional Coach supporting teachers as they begin their own journey into nature and project-based learning.
In 2020, Tori, her husband and two children made the move to Fernie on the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa people, where they are blessed to spend each day outside playing. Tori took on the role of Director in 2021 as her daughter entered her first year of Forest School. She’s passionate about helping to facilitate a Not-For-Profit that provides children with an opportunity to slow down, play, explore, develop, and share in the joys of spending time in the same space of nature time after time.
BRITTANY RATAY | Director
Brittany grew up in Saskatchewan and Alberta and has lived in Japan, Yellowknife and Australia before settling in Fernie with her husband Bram and 3 children. Her children have been in the Outdoor Connections Forest school in 2017 and she has seen first-hand what an amazing program this is. She joined as a director of the board to help ensure that this program continues to be sustainable and continue to offer programming in the Elk Valley.