Team EverWild

At EverWild, our 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio ensures a personalized, holistic learning experience. Our diverse team includes credentialed teachers, biologists, childcare specialists, wilderness guides, and more – all with extensive child-related experience and CPR/First Aid training. Come rain or shine, we prioritize role modeling kindness, curiosity, and optimism, grounded in an in-depth understanding of child development.

Demi Harris

  • Demi’s passion for nature originated with surfing and boating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. Following her enthusiasm for the outdoors, she moved to Boise, Idaho in 2017 during the "Stormageddon 2017” where she fell in love with the mountains and snowboarding. Later moving to Italy she obtained her bachelor’s degree in media communications and photography from Florence University of the Arts. While living abroad she traveled, worked in hostels, and taught english as an au pair for an Italian family. Since 2015, Demi found her passion working with the youth as a swim instructor for kids of all ages and all abilities. She has continued working with children as a water polo coach, school photographer and now as a certified snowboard instructor at Bogus Basin Ski Resort. While working as a sea kayak guide in Alaska, Demi found her true calling to be working in the outdoors sharing appreciation, respect, and a deep connection to nature and all the beauty it has to offer. She is dedicated to fostering curiosity, education, and meaningful connections with the next generation and the nature world around us.

Meghan Calley

  • Meghan grew up in Pocatello, Idaho where she enjoyed playing sports, spending time outside, and traveling to nearby states to experience all the great skiing around the area. After graduating high school, she attended North Idaho College to play college basketball and receive her Associate of Science in Psychology. In Coeur d’Alene, her love for the outdoors continued to be fulfilled with beautiful hikes and frequent paddleboarding out on the lake. While pursuing her psychology degree, Meghan had the opportunity to take a class about the health benefits of nature. Here, her fascination for the importance of connecting with nature and the environment sparked a passion in her and she knew she wanted to continue in that direction. She is currently attending Boise State University, working towards receiving a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies. In Meghan’s free time, she continues to love hiking, paddleboarding, and skiing, along with hanging out at coffee shops and reading.

Ellyse Tingelstad

  • Ellyse grew up exploring the mountains of northeast Oregon, but moved to the Treasure Valley to earn a degree in Environmental Studies from The College of Idaho. Whether it be through backcountry skiing, hunting elk, summiting peaks, or running the trails, immersion in the outdoors has cultivated her love for wild places and shaped the person she is today. With a strong desire to share her passion for the outdoors and help young children cultivate their connection with nature, she was inspired to join the EverWild team. When she is not exploring mountains new and old, you can find Ellyse soaking up family time, cooking in the kitchen, or simply out for a run!

Sophie Cara

  • Sophie grew up swimming in the ocean and exploring the coast of Southern California. In high school, she and her family moved to Boise where she continued to explore and foster her love for the outdoors, especially skiing. Currently, she is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Health Studies with a minor in Spanish and will graduate in the Spring of 2024 from Boise State University. She is passionate about holistic health and reconnecting with our innate relationship with nature in order to heal. Sophie is interested in becoming a teacher, dietician, or midwife after she graduates. In her free time, you can find her mountain biking, skiing, and hiking outside, as well as spending time with her two dogs and embroidering for her small business.

Caroline Haack

  • Caroline grew up in upstate Corning, New York, generally surrounded by the attitude that winters were for staying inside & hunkering down. Her outlook on the cold months & ‘bad weather’ totally shifted after ski instructing in eastern Idaho & getting lost on quiet, powder-filled trails, reminiscent of Narnia. She’s currently a junior Environmental Science major at Boise State interested in urban planning / walkable cities & the mental health benefits of reconnecting to nature. Outside of schoolwork, she loves to bike as her main form of transportation, walk dogs (especially golden retrievers), run, climb, & help organize events for Backcountry Squatters, a women & non-binary outdoors club. Caroline is constantly thinking about how her college education can be better designed for each student and hopes to bring that mindset into her EverWild classes!

Erica Hermsen

  • Erica was born in Washington and from a young age, she loved spending time outside, exploring the forests, and discovering new adventures. Her love for nature continued to grow as she got older and she knew that she wanted to share this passion with others.

    After completing her BA in Environmental Education and MS in Conservation Biology, Erica set out to create a space where children could learn, grow, and play in the natural environment. She established EverWild Forest School in Boise, Idaho, where she serves as the executive director. Under Erica's leadership, EverWild Forest School has grown to become one of the largest and most successful forest schools in the country!

    In her free time, Erica can often be found exploring the area with her husband and two young girls, hiking, riding horses, painting, dancing, and singing.

    Email Erica

Ilyse Sakamoto

  • Ilyse grew up in Boise, and after studying Public and Community Service Studies in Rhode Island, she returned to her hometown with a refreshed sense of respect for the city. She served two terms with AmeriCorps through Bogus Basin's Mountain Discovery Camp and SnowSchool programs where she was introduced to environmental education.

    Ilyse went on to study Outdoor Education at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Upon her return home she once again joined Bogus Basin's outdoor education programs, eventually taking over and serving as the Outdoor Education Coordinator for five years.

    After starting her family in 2019, she became even more impassioned to share nature with her child and other children in her community. To do this, Ilyse manages EverWild’s scholarship program as well as admissions.

    Email Ilyse or call at (208) 996-3539

Taylor Payne

  • Growing up in Denver amongst the Rocky Mountains, Taylor has always been a lover of the outdoors. She graduated from college with a BA in Secondary Education and joined EverWild to be part of the movement to help shift perspectives from a test/achievement-driven society to one based in nurturing intrinsic motivation through empathy and mentorship. She has quickly become a beloved teacher through her natural ability to meet kids where they’re at. Her students love her ability to be both silly and a calm listener as she guides them through their learning journey. Taylor moved to Boise in 2015 and joined when EverWild started. When she's not teaching kids in the great outdoors, you can find her playing with her children, hiking in the mountains, or reading a good book.

    Email Taylor

Andrea Richey

  • Andrea grew up in Arizona where she had ample freedom to explore the outdoors with camping, fishing and horse-back riding. Andrea graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Conversation Biology. Afterwards she became a zookeeper at the Houston Zoo, where she worked with a wide variety of Texan native species, exotic species, farm animals, and Asian Elephants. During this time Andrea found a passion for teaching about the natural world, by creating a unique program allowing younger volunteers to train the Zoo's farm animals. Her connection with the animals and young children allowed her to inspire zoo visitors to conserve animals in the wild. She continued this work at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. In 2016, she moved to Idaho where passion for teaching grew exponentially with the birth of her son. She hopes to foster love, respect and responsibility for the health of the planet in the next generation.

Kim Taylor

  • Kimberly loves all things outdoors and creative. She especially enjoys watching children explore and create using their own imagination without interruption. Kim knew early on that she wanted to be a mother one day and then brought her beautiful daughter into the world in 2016. She has maintained a love for helping children grow through in-home care as well as assisting with kid’s classes in the martial arts dojo. She is so excited to join a team of wonderful people committed to keeping that spark and imagination wild all through the wonders of nature.

Emma Carter

  • Emma was born in Washington, and grew up in Oregon where she first developed her love of camping, hiking, and spending time outdoors. She earned her BS in Art Studies and her MS in Special Education from Portland State University before spending a few years working as a SPED teacher. After living and teaching (and doing a great deal of hill walking) in Edinburgh, Scotland, she and her husband moved to Boise. Emma can often be found hiking in the foothills with her toddler and enjoys traveling, baking cakes, and learning to play the fiddle. She is looking forward to bringing her teaching experience and love for children and nature to Everwild Forest School!

outdoor educator Boise

Joncee McFarland

  • Joncee grew up in the mountains of Montana. She has also lived and explored Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, Idaho, and Oregon. Joncee began working in education as a behavior support specialist. She quickly learned she loved being in the classroom and worked toward getting her teaching certification. She has taught in the classroom for 6 years, both in special education and general education classrooms. She now has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She is able to work with students with a wide range of skills and abilities and make learning approachable for students of all learning levels. Joncee has a passion for nature and loves sharing her love of all things outdoors with others. She believes being outside helps children learn to self-regulate, grounds them, and encourages inquisitive learning. When not teaching Joncee is enjoying backpacking, mountain biking, skiing, or whitewater rafting with her husband, dog, and two sons.

Adra Lobdell

  • Adra grew up in northeast Florida but headed west to the mountains after receiving her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Guilford College. She spent the next several years building trails and leading conservation corps, where she experienced firsthand the transformative power of spending time in nature. This inspired Adra to go back to school and receive her master's degree from the University of Idaho's McCall Outdoor Science School. She is excited to bring her passion and expertise to Everwild Forest School. When not teaching, you can typically find her exploring outside with her husband, dog, and two young sons.

forest school educator Boise, idaho

Hannah Kittler

  • Hannah grew up in western Massachusetts, where her amazing science teachers fostered her love of nature. She earned her Biology and Environmental Science degree in Vermont and had her first experience with Environmental Education on a farm her senior year. She realized that this was her passion and traveled around the U.S. for many years teaching Environmental Ed and learning about the different ecosystems and cultures in our country. She eventually went to graduate school in Oregon where she earned her Master's in Environmental Education and Non-profit management. She's very excited to be able to combine her love of teaching and nature at EverWild! When she's not teaching you can find her hiking, in the garden, reading, or trying to catch and identify insects.

Diane Stoecker

  • Diane was born and raised in Alaska, moved to Boise in 2001, moved to Illinois for seven years, and then back to Boise in 2016. After raising her four kids, she decided to go back to school to finish her formal education. In December of 2021, she earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the College of Western Idaho. She then transferred to Boise State University where she will earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in May of 2024. Within her time at Boise State, she will earn certificates in conflict management and leadership, as well as complete coursework in place-based outdoor early childhood education. Prior to her academic pursuits, Diane spent twenty-eight years working with children in various settings. Her diverse background in the early childhood field includes operating her own in-home childcare business, home-schooling her four children, teaching at a private homeschool co-op, teaching preschool at church, and assisting in a special education structured learning classroom. She sincerely strives to facilitate emotionally supportive, healthy, and engaging environments that will enable children to become active participants in their learning experience. When it comes to her hobbies, one of her favorite places to be is outside, no matter the season! She enjoys hiking, running outside with her dog, skiing, and being active. Diane is truly excited to put her love of the outdoors together with her passion for teaching young children here at EverWild!

Kari Martinez

  • Kari grew up in the Treasure Valley and has always loved being outdoors playing sports and exploring. Kari studies Art and Education at the College of Western Idaho, and continues to create meaningful pieces inspired by the natural wonders around her. Kari loves working with children and implementing alternative models of early education to nurture well-adapted and empathetic global citizens. Kari has experience in conventional academic-based childcare settings as well as those that implement an inquiry-led model. She enjoys implementing a gentle caregiving approach akin to Reggio Emilia and Magda Gerber philosophies.

Michelle Lobasso

  • Michelle grew up in Southern California, where family camping trips and backpacking the Sierra Nevada mountains instilled a love of nature. While earning her BA in Interpersonal Communications she studied abroad in Ireland at Trinity College, Dublin. She also worked with international students, as an English conversational partner, through her university’s American Language Program. Students enrolled in the program were able to practice their English with other undergraduates on campus, in an organic, unstructured format. After graduation, she became a flight attendant and has continued to enjoy her time in this career. An interest in an outdoor career sparked after completing the Wilderness Travel Course program, which offered formalized training for safety and preparedness in the backcountry. She is motivated by the belief in a holistic approach to learning that merges the classroom with nature. In her spare time she likes reading, DIY crafts, hot yoga, and going on outdoor adventures with her boyfriend and dog.

Nick Bossert

  • Nick grew up in Salmon, Idaho enjoying the river and mountains of his hometown. His love for the outdoors didn’t end in his backyard though. Traveling the world to places like the South Pacific not only gave him an appreciation for other cultures, but a love for marine ecosystems and diving amongst them. After receiving degrees in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Nick began pursuing work in the outdoors including working for the Bureau of Land Management and more recently teaching environmental education at the Foothills Learning Center, Boise Urban Garden School, and virtual learning classes to the students of the Los Angeles Unified School District through the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Sierra Cole

  • Sierra Cole is a dedicated educator with a passion for fostering a love of learning in young minds. Beginning her journey with EverWild as an intern, Sierra quickly showcased her talent and commitment, particularly excelling in the Forest Kindergarten and Early Learning classes. Her hands-on approach and creative teaching methods have made her a beloved figure among students and colleagues alike.

    Sierra recently graduated from Boise State University with a degree in Inclusive Early Childhood Education and a minor in Environmental Studies. With a background rooted in environmental education and a deep connection to nature, Sierra brings a unique perspective to the classroom, enriching the educational experience for her students.

    As a substitute teacher at EverWild, Sierra continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of learners, instilling in them a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them.