Candice spent her childhood years in Los Angeles, and there was a piece of land that separated her family’s backyard from the freeway. Candice and her siblings called this space “Neverland” and they spent hours every day engaged in imaginative play between the woods and wildflowers that inhabited this land. As a mother raising two young daughters in Los Angeles, Candice realized the landscape of “play” had substantially changed from when she was a child, and found raising children in a city very limiting.  After her family learned about forest schools, their lives completely changed. Candice discovered her mission of creating accessible nature programs for her communities, and founded Davis Forest School in early 2018. Candice also co-founded Atlanta Forest School in Atlanta, Georgia in 2019. Candice attended UC Davis as an undergraduate student and managed the local teen center for the City of Davis during her college years. She also volunteered as a camp counselor for several summers through the City. Candice has her MBA with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior from California Lutheran University. She is Wilderness First Aid and CPR certified, and trained in nonviolent communication. 

Jenna Kohls is the mother of 2 children, and recently married. She loves music, dance, playing the guitar, her husband, her home, and her children. Jenna was raised on a farm in the Delta region of California, and spent most of her childhood outdoors, connecting to plants, animals and frolicking through wildflower fields. Over the  years, Jenna has studied various healing and teaching professions. She holds a Ashtanga yoga certification, is certified by Mindful Schools, is a certified Massage Therapist, volunteered with the Awareness Institute, worked with Trackers Earth in Berkeley, CA, has 10 years of experience founding and directing nature-based preschools, has been a preschool teacher for 20 years, and is completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development at Sac State. Jenna also spent over a decade designing and leading yoga, ballet, and movement classes for preschool and school-age children who are experiencing poverty and not provided physical education. Jenna founded Starlight Cottage Playcare, Dragonfly Forest School, and co-founded Muck and Wonder Farm School in Sacramento.

Alana is a CA native plant enthusiast, mom, and lifelong resident of Northern California. She credits childhood family trips to state and national parks – and her child – for instilling awe and love for the beauties of this earth. She is currently in the process of becoming a Certified California Naturalist. She earned a BA in Psychology and a Minor in Child Development through CSU, Chico, and later returned to complete a BS in Nursing. As a public health nurse, she advocates for access to natural spaces and opportunities to connect with nature as public health issues. She believes children need to get to know and experience nature firsthand before they can care about it, and loves seeing them discover the natural world and hear their unique and inspiring perspectives.

Alexa is from Omaha, NE and graduated from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln (UNL) with her B.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Policy, Advocacy, and Social Justice. Before completing her degree at UNL, she started her undergrad at Wartburg College where she played collegiate soccer for two years. Post graduation Alexa moved out to California to work as Naturalist Intern for an outdoor school. During her internship she became a California Naturalist & obtained her Mental Health First Aid certification. In addition, she also has Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness Water Safety certifications. Lastly, Alexa has spent her last three summers in northern MN as a Naturalist & Summer Program Manager for an environmental learning center. In her free time she likes to spend time outdoors running, biking, hiking, camping, and playing soccer. She also likes to read & paint.

Angela has spent more than a decade exploring the power of nature, play, and mindfulness in parenting. Throughout her childhood she spent her own childhood climbing trees, searching for tadpoles, and discovering wild places near home — experiences that shaped her deep belief in the magic of outdoor learning. She is a Jai Certified Parent Coach and brings a heart-centered approach to supporting children’s well-being. Angela loves helping kids feel seen, safe, and free to be themselves — especially outdoors, where nature offers endless invitations to wonder, storytelling, and discovery. She has a background in yoga and meditation, and is passionate about creating environments where children learn through curiosity and embodied exploration in nature. Angela enjoys hiking local trails with her family, making music, dancing, and finding magic in everyday moments. She is excited to be part of the Davis Forest School community.

Growing up in Northern California, Ashley has fond memories of spending her childhood exploring open spaces, streams, and forests with her friends. Her family were avid campers and road-trippers, which she still loves to do. Ashley attended Sacramento Waldorf school from k-12 grade, which instilled an independent spirit and connection to the natural rhythms of the world. She holds a B.S. in Business Management, as well as her Early Childhood teaching credentials. She has taught Early Childhood for the last 7 years. Ashley lives in midtown with her teenage son. They love to see live music, analyze films, and travel together. She sees herself as a guide for the children in learning and developing social-emotional skills and a deep appreciation of nature. Ashley uses play to engage senses, strengthen social awareness, and introduce curriculum.

Bryan is a student in the Redwood SEED Scholars Program at UC Davis. This is a four-year, inclusive residential college program for students with intellectual disabilities. Bryan really enjoys the inclusive culture on campus; he is a trombone player in the UC Davis Marching Band and University Campus Band and runs 100 meter sprints in the Track and Field Club. He loves to support Davis sports teams. If he’s not playing with the marching band at a sports game, he’ll often be found in the stands to cheer on the Davis team.

One of Bryan’s favorite UC Davis classes has been the Early Childhood Laboratory where he interacted with young children in an applied early childhood setting. He really enjoys spending time with young students at the Davis Forest School, especially swimming in the creek in the summer, and hopes to continue to take more classes focused on child development.

Connor first started with DFS back in 2022, and after a few years away he is very excited to rejoin DFS! Connor’s love for nature started when he was 6 years old and fell in love with ducks at a pond in his hometown back in Massachusetts. Hours spent watching ducks morphed into a full-blown love for birds that he holds to this very day. Given this experience, Connor knows how meaningful it is for kids to develop a connection to nature at a young age, and he loves getting a chance to facilitate DFS children discovering their own connections. When not working at DFS, Connor is a lecturer at Sac State University, teaching courses on environmental science, ecology, and (of course) birds! Outside of work Connor is an avid trail runner who loves exploring the beautiful trails across California!

Fermín is a student at UCD, studying Landscape Architecture. He loves to make buildable art with plants! Even though he was born in central California, he was raised in a little rural town in Jalisco, Mexico the first 8 years of his life (that is where he developed a knack for the outdoors!) He lived in Los Angeles for a good 10 years until he came to Davis last fall. Davis reminds him of his little town in Mexico and he loves it here. Though he is going to be an architect, he thinks it is fresh to be around little humans. He has always found ways to be around good honest company, being the second oldest of 4, working with the VEX IQ robotics elementary and middle school programs during HS, being an active counselor for the UCD Cal Aggie Camp program, and now a mentor for DFS!

Ian grew up in Walnut Creek in the East Bay. His love of plants was fostered by a supportive family, and he recently graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Plant Biotechnology. He’s a native plant and mushroom enthusiast, and enjoys identifying, propagating, and chatting about them with friends and family. He’s always enjoyed water and being outside and can frequently be seen wearing sun hats. While his professional future will surely follow a meandering path, it’s likely to follow restoration and bringing California plants to people’s homes. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, running, playing board games and chilling with good company.

Isadora is a current undergrad in Environmental Science and Management at UC Davis. She grew up in Brazil from ages 3-18, and being surrounded by nature made her want to learn more about how to protect it. Her favorite animals include whale sharks and primates, and she’s always ready to share biology-related fun facts. When she’s not studying or working, you can catch her running 5Ks around town, exploring coastal trails, journaling, cuddling her dog, or attending a reptile expo somewhere. She wishes to work with habitat restoration and animal conservation in the future, and hopes to dabble in research in grad school after finishing her bachelors.

Lina was born in Germany and is the eldest of five siblings. She grew up playing in the woods behind her family’s apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden with her sister and their close friend. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 8 years old and although she no longer had the forest at her fingertips, she and her friends found little nature spots wherever they were to be found, with the consensus that the more expansive, and wilder, and freer, the better. She earned a BS in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution at UCLA where she also taught outdoor education seminars as a guide through their Outdoor Leadership Training Program. After working in environmental consulting for three years in downtown LA, she moved to Davis to continue her education in ecology at UC Davis. She co-taught at Kindergruppe Waldwichtel, a German immersion forest school in Davis from 2017-2020 and became a certified California Naturalist in 2020. She finds great joy in getting outdoors with children, including her own two, and believes that a personal connection with nature fosters well-being and a sense of global responsibility.

Naomi grew up in Pittsburg, CA. She did not spend a lot of time in nature during her childhood but loved watching every nature show out there. As an adult she fell in love with the outdoors and protecting it. After graduating from UC DAVIS with a BS in Wildlife Conservation Biology she worked as a wildlife field biologist and became an avid birder and native plant enthusiast, until she had her daughter, Romneya. Not having spent much time in nature as a child, she tries to expose her daughter to nature as much as possible and foster the connection to Pachamama. Naomi has worked with kids as a garden teacher, swim teacher, & community gardener and she is excited to marry all of her passions for building community and spending time outdoors with other families.

Natascha was born and partially raised in Germany, and some of her most precious childhood memories are of wandering about in the woods, equipped with little more than her imagination, and coming up with stories inspired by the land she was exploring. Natascha went on to study Plant Biology at UC Davis and become a certified California Naturalist. After graduating, she discovered the magic of Davis Forest School and worked with the organization for almost three years, learning and growing right alongside the children she mentored, and becoming deeply familiar with the rhythms of the local ecosystem. In recent years, she unearthed a passion for ancestral skills and fiber arts, and loves to spin yarn, knit, and weave, as well as experiment with natural dyes. Natascha is so happy to be rejoining Davis Forest School after a year away and to build new memories with the community along the creek.

Tianna grew up in Sacramento, and is the proud mother of three children. She was introduced to homeschooling and forest schools through a natural parenting community, later helping to run an outdoor preschool cooperative. For over ten years, Tianna has been homeschooling her children, prioritizing outdoor programs and active involvement in homeschool cooperatives. A passionate advocate for the arts, she also co-owned an art studio where she taught artist study classes for homeschooling families. Tianna and her family love life in Sacramento, enjoying the river and exploring the area’s many offerings. Seeing the world through her children’s eyes has been her most rewarding experience. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crafting, cooking, baking, road tripping, and acting.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Vanessa moved to the Bay Area to pursue a BA in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration from San Francisco State University. After 15 years, she returned to Sacramento with her husband and two children, while her stepson stayed with his mother in the Bay Area. A strong advocate for the power of nature, Vanessa has co-founded two nature camps and brings over two decades of experience working with children. She fell in love with Davis Forest School last year while her daughter attended and is thrilled to blend her passion for physical activity with the essence of the outdoors. She believes that nature is not only a playground but also a sanctuary for the soul, offering opportunities for growth, exploration, and connection.

Angelique is a UC Davis undergraduate student majoring in Art Studio. She grew up and moved around cities in the Bay Area. While she didn’t spend much of her childhood immersed in nature, she has grown to deeply appreciate the freedom and peace she finds in the outdoors. She also has experience caring for children through helping with her younger cousins and niece. In her free time, Angelique enjoys reading, traveling, and binge-watching shows.

Ariana was born and raised in CA, Los Angeles but now lives in Davis. A current undergrad student, studying Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. Despite growing up in a city, Ariana grew up surrounded by animals, from rodents, avians and reptiles, the uncommon household pets. You can often find her studying, doing some crafty and artsy project or reading a book. Future dreams for Ariana include working in wildlife conservation, hoping to learn more about the world we live in and the critters we share this land with.

Karely is from the Central Valley and is an undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Human Development. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as traveling. She recently discovered a love for hiking, especially the trails in Monterey County. She looks forward to supporting children’s growth at Davis Forest School while encouraging a connection to nature and making a positive impact.

Karol grew up in Fairfield, California, where weekend hikes helped spark her love for nature. She is currently a third year Psychology student at UC Davis, with hopes of eventually becoming a clinical psychologist. Karol has spent time supporting children and families through volunteer work with the Crisis Text Line and 7 Cups, where she offers a listening ear and encouragement to people in need. She feels strongly about the healing power of play, community, and time outdoors, and is excited to share that with Davis Forest School. When she isn’t studying, working, or volunteering, Karol enjoys reading, crocheting, learning new languages, and spending time on the trails!

Scott grew up in Pacifica, CA (just south of San Francisco) enjoying bodyboarding at Linda Mar Beach and hiking around San Pedro Valley Park. Scott moved to the Sacramento area to pursue higher education (but really to get closer to the Sierra Nevada mountains). He earned a bachelor degree in business administration with a concentration in accountancy at Sacramento State while joining the Ski & Snow Club and becoming an avid snowboarder. After graduation, Scott took several accounting positions at local businesses working in both public and private accounting as an auditor. Scott and his wife moved their family to Davis about 15 years ago to participate in a welcoming, inclusive community. In his spare time, Scott enjoys leading the Davis Adult and Community Education woodshop class.