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.
MEGAN LAPSTRA | Forest School Facilitator
Megan (known to most as Meg) is a new addition to the Fernie community this Fall. She has been working with children and youth for over 10 years. Starting as a swimming instructor at the age of 16, she has always tailored her purpose toward teaching young people tangible skills that will help them throughout their lives. Her guiding career began at summer camp in 2012 when she worked as a canoe trip counselor. Since then, she received a bachelor's degree specializing in outdoor adventure leadership and has taken on the role of a cave guide, white water canoe and kid camp instructor as well as a hiking guide for a wilderness therapy operation.
On her days off, you are most likely to run into Meg somewhere in the woods or on a river. She has a deep love to explore; specifically in the realm of hiking, skiing, white water paddling or fishing.
Starting her masters degree in counselling psychology this fall, Meg hopes to be able to continue to share her love for nature as she progresses toward a career as a child, youth and family counsellor. She is very excited to join our team and learn from her peers, the students, families and community here in Fernie.
KATIE HOBBS | Forest School Facilitator
Katie recently moved to Fernie from Fremantle, Western Australia and has quickly fallen in love with this beautiful place. She realised that she needed to live and work in the mountains when she travelled to BC, Canada in 2010 after completing her undergraduate degrees (Bsc in Conservation & Wildlife Biology and BA in Australian Indigenous Studies). Katie loved the freedom she found being in the mountains, with people who were always looking for fun and adventure.
While working at the Tim Hortons Children's Ranch in Kananaskis, AB in 2014, Katie realised the power of the outdoors on children’s self-esteem, confidence and relationship building. Being out in nature, learning by doing and witnessing the campers use their bodies in ways they didn’t know they could, through activities such as rock-climbing, white-water rafting and horseback riding, it was clear that 10 days spent at camp changed them forever. It was at this point Katie decided to go back home to Australia to train as an elementary teacher.
Teaching in the mainstream system was very challenging and when Katie first learnt about Forest Schools, she knew this was a way of educating that fit much more with her personality and her understanding of how education works. Katie was brought up by the ocean, spending hours on the sand, collecting shells and exploring what was just under the surface of the waves. The time spent in the ocean, building appreciation for all the different aspects of it, led to a huge respect and responsibility to look after it. Katie has worked and volunteered on several different environmental and social justice campaigns and believes that in order for the next generation to take stewardship over the environment, we need to educate them to be part of it.
Since moving to Fernie, Katie can be found down by the river, up the mountain attempting mountain biking, or at home sewing fun outfits for the next festival or community event. She is very excited to join such a wonderful team in such a beautiful place.
MAIRYN DUMANOWSKI | Forest School Facilitator
Mairyn grew up in Cochrane, AB, figure skating, snowboarding, and exploring with her friends and family. When Mairyn is not at work, you can find her outside, on the slopes, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, kayaking, or hiking. The outdoors is a happy place for Mairyn; and brings her a great sense of belonging, something she hopes to pass on to the next generation of adventurers.
Mairyn's passion for childcare began when she became a Nanny for two boys in Calgary. Through this experience, she fell in love with supporting children through their early years and saw the impact that child-led experiences can have. This passion led Mairyn to achieve a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Development at Bow Valley College in 2022. The completion of this course solidified her passion for getting children outdoors. She then took her Forest and Nature School Practitioner course through the Canadian Forest and Nature Alliance, which she will have completed in the Summer of 2023.
While taking this course in Fernie, she instantly fell in love with the sense of community and the beautiful landscape to explore, as she has been doing since moving here in September. Mairyn feels so honoured to be able to connect her passions and her career while working her dream job with the Friday Wolf Pack. Mairyn feels blessed to have support from her Friends and Family back home as she continues to pursue her passions. She hopes to carry on the forest school philosophies with her new nanny families and strives to get outside each and every day, no matter the weather.
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.
Jennifer Anderson | Director
I am Jennifer Anderson. I look forward to being one of the guides at our Outdoor Connections Forest School summer camp series.
Since becoming a parent, some of my favourite things are: being connected to myself and my family; keeping things simple; playing outside; and listening to my heart. Not always in that order and not always that easy. I hold these values dear in my life as well as with young children. Forest School checks all of these boxes for me. For the last 2 years, I have served on the Board of Directors for Outdoor Connections and have truly enjoyed connecting with the incredible individuals who run this program, and who dedicate their time and love in support of these little ones in this beautiful town of Fernie.
I am currently wrapping up my certification as a Forest School Practitioner with the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada, and my instructor certification for a global not-for-profit called ‘Hand in Hand Parenting’ (parenting through connection). I have taught yoga and meditation for over 20 years and love everything to do with mindfulness, brain and neuroscience, and gentle and conscious parenting. Through all of these practices and areas of study, I have learned many listening tools to support self-regulation and social emotional learning for parents and children. I am a huge advocate and supporter for alternative education, and am passionate about, believe in and protect free play, nature play and risky play for children.
My two favourite people in the world are my husband, Jim, and my son, Noah. When I am in Fernie, I love to listen to the birds and watch thunderstorms or snow fall from our porch, and as soon as the snow melts, you will find me happily playing in my garden! This summer, you’ll find the three of us chucking rocks in the river, hiking or biking in the woods, playing disc golf, or visiting the ice cream shop daily!
Looking forward to many fun adventures together this summer.
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.