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

Amy Petersen

Amy was born and raised in Idaho. For college, she ventured west to attend Western Oregon University. Having grown up in a family of teachers, Amy had always known she wanted to be a teacher! At WOU she obtained her Bachelors degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education followed by a Masters Degree in Information Technology for Education.
Amy taught for 7 years in Oregon. During this time she also completed her National Board Certification. She loved teaching and learning from her students! After having kids, Amy decided to move back to the Boise area to be closer to family.
She now enjoys teaching for EverWild, working part time at Rediscovered Books, and spending time outdoors with her two boys, husband, and dog DirtyBear.
Email Amy or call at (208) 398-3313

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.

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.

Aaron Senderowicz

Aaron grew up playing in the foothills and mountains of Boise and all around Idaho. Working in various parts of the outdoor industry, he developed a passion for sharing the outdoors with others. Some of his favorite activities are running, cycling, rock climbing, skiing and playing music. He loves working with kids and plans to attend Boise State to study social work and child development.

Lauresta Welty

Lauresta has been working in Environmental Education since the fall of 2016. She was part of the team that started the Outdoor Preschool program at the Foothills Learning Center and taught Outdoor Preschool there for 6 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies at a small college in northern Indiana, where she also worked at the local Environmental Learning Center, Merry Lea. Lauresta is a Boise native and often spends time in the beautiful nature areas found here. She is passionate about nature and teaching students about the natural world around them. Unstructured time outdoors is also very important to her. When students have nature as their playground, and they learn a natural respect for the outdoors, they are more likely to be involved as adults in advocating for environmental policies to better the future. Lauresta is married, has two children, and also a cat and a dog. Her favorite animals are the big wild cats, especially the cougar and the cheetah. She loves birding, mountain biking, camping, and backpacking.

Jessica McFarlane

Jess grew up on the shores of Lake Washington north of Seattle, and spent her childhood swimming, biking, skiing and exploring the PacNW. She earned her BA in English (Writing Concentration) at Western Washington University in Bellingham. After 20 years in business administration, Jess ventured into nonprofit development, fundraising, and special events planning, most recently working at the Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association (IOGA) & the Idaho Conservation League (ICL).

Jess loves yoga, hiking & walking, travel & exploring new places, skiing, outdoor concerts, swimming, road & river trips, reading in cozy places, and spending time outdoors with family and friends!
Jess has 3 children, ages 22, 18, and 15 years old, and is happiest when the family is outside together, exploring and enjoying the natural world. She is honored to work at EverWild and support children's innate curiosity and enthusiasm with experiential learning and adventures in natural settings in the beautiful Treasure Valley!

Staci Knox

Staci has been working with children and families for 15 years. She has a degree in Child Development with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education, and certifications as a childbirth and lactation educator. She embraces all stages of life from birth and beyond. Staci has focused her knowledge on guiding local families through positive interactions with children.
As the mother of a young daughter, Staci is constantly reminded to "stop and smell the roses." This simple philosophy helps her remember to slow down and enjoy life at a child's pace. This helps her as a nature teacher because she allows each child to truly take in the wonder of nature.
Staci is a board member of the Idaho Master Naturalist program, Deer Flat Chapter. This program has helped her fall in love with the nature of Idaho. The information she learns as a Master Naturalist serves to strengthen her curriculum and foster a passion for the flora and fauna of the Treasure Valley. In addition to practicing emergency medicine, Savannah is also a certified Yoga Instructor. She enjoys working with children and brings a unique combination of practical rescue skills and mindfulness practices to her role as an Outdoor Educator.

Katelyn Bassett

Katelyn was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. She found love for nature and exploring the wilderness when she was able at a young age. She often felt the most relaxed and content among the trees and has grown a passion for developing that appreciation with her own daughter, husband, and anyone else looking for adventure. She’s currently attending College of Western Idaho and is studying to become an American Sign Language Interpreter. She’s worked with kids for as long as she can remember and finds joy in watching littles grow into their personalities.
During her free time she enjoys being with her husband and daughter; hiking, swimming, and indulging her husband’s love for D&D. She also has a small sewing business and is excited to journey into teaching outdoors!

Lizzy Meisenbacher

Lizzy grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina. As a young teen she channeled her love of winter sports into coaching young skiers and snowboarders at her local ski area. From tiny tots to teens, she shared technical skills, perseverance, patience, and confidence building for those under her wing. After graduating high school, Lizzy worked as a camp counselor in Colorado. Her nurturing support and fun-loving attitude helped her campers create life-long memories. She also spent the past winter earning her certifications instructing at Copper Mountain. Her love of the west coast mountains kept her exploring Colorado and its neighboring states, landing her in Idaho where she now resides as she completes her B.A. in Psychology.

Anika Freer

Anika was born in Flagstaff, Arizona and moved to Idaho when she was little. She grew up in a small forest town for 4 years and then moved to a suburban town. She currently is enrolled at Boise State for Environmental Studies. She loves everything outdoors and hopes to have her future career be working in nature. Some of her favorite outdoor activities are hiking, wake surfing and snowboarding!

Juliet McKee

Juliet grew up in California, where her deep-rooted passion for adventure and the outdoors began with camping, skiing, scuba diving, and tree climbing with her three younger brothers. She is currently pursuing a Marketing degree at Boise State University, and in her free time, enjoys skiing at Bogus Basin and country swing and line dancing.
Juliet has spent several summers working as a camp counselor at camps in Texas and Catalina Island, California, where she mentored children, fostered a fun and safe environment, and led outdoor activities. Her global perspective was expanded during a semester abroad in Thailand, where she traveled throughout Southeast Asia, hiked, chased waterfalls, and worked with children in hill tribes. This experience deepened her understanding of diverse environments and further ignited her passion for working with children in nature-based settings.
With her adventurous spirit, experience in mentorship, and background in marketing, Juliet is excited to contribute her skills and enthusiasm to EverWild Forest School, where she hopes to inspire the next generation of nature explorers and lifelong learners.

Alexis Stiles

Alexis grew up in Central NY in a rural area with lots of farmland and forests. Throughout her childhood, she spent lots of time exploring in nature and playing sports. She attended college receiving a BS in Recreation Management with a Minor in Outdoor Education and Interpretation. Alexis has enjoyed traveling in the states and also abroad.

She has a background in childcare and a deep love for the outdoors. Whether it’s hiking, nature crafts, or leading team-building games, she’s passionate about helping kids build confidence and curiosity through outdoor experiences. In her free time, Alexis enjoys activities such as hiking, kayaking, camping, riding dirt bike, skiing, and finding the perfect hammock spot to read.