About Earthkin Nature School

Sydney is a nature-based educator, community builder, and mother with a deep passion for connecting young children and families to Nature. Through her work with the Natural Start Alliance, she supports a national community of leaders in nature-based early learning, while her role as founding director with Earthkin centers on expanding access for families at the local level. With a background in environmental humanities from the University of Utah and years of experience in nature-based youth programming, her work is grounded in reciprocity, belonging, and care. She continues to grow her practice through leadership with the Virginia Association for Environmental Education, ongoing study in early childhood development, and certification through the Forest School Teacher Institute. At home, she is mama to Bea June and wife to Alec, tending both family and a shared life rooted in connection to land and community.

Nature is medicine to Elena. With a deep sense of the natural world, she recognizes that nature is a source of healing, grounding and connection for all humans. This spiritual relationship with the land has inspired her to support the growth of Earthkin Nature School. She knows that our children are the future and believes that a strong connection to nature is essential to raising well balanced humans. Her daughter, Mayu, continues to be the source of inspiration for the way she moves through this work. With a formal background in Urban and Regional Studies and more than 12 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector, Elena has dedicated her career to strengthening communities and creating spaces where families and children can thrive. Over the years, she has supported community-centered initiatives through program development, strategic planning, securing funding, and partnerships that center equity, belonging, and long-term impact.

Bernadette has been an avid lover of the outdoors since they could walk, with a deep passion for interacting with flora and fauna—both native and beyond. Their journey working with children began at a nature camp in Charlottesville, where they discovered a love for guiding nature-based play and organizing outdoor activities. Bernadette also grew up attending—and later working as a counselor at Triple C Camp, an outdoor-focused camp centered on nature exploration, play, and community. These experiences helped shape the nature-based approach they bring to their work with children today. Since then, they have worked as a nanny in both Charlottesville and Richmond, supporting children’s growth through attentive, creative care.
At home, Bernadette rescues exotic animals and tends to what they lovingly call their “jungle.” When they’re not caring for plants and animals, you can usually find them working with children through art and nature-based play—or drumming in the local music scene.

David is a nature-loving, community-rooted educator with a growing passion for supporting young children and their families. His experience includes working with children across a range of settings—from cooking summer camps and toddler swim lessons to supporting students in Richmond Public Schools and caring for young children within his extended family. He is actively engaged in hands-on, land-based work at the Fonticello Food Forest, reflecting his commitment to food, land, and community connection. Deeply inspired by books like Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom and Hunter, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff, David brings a thoughtful, culturally grounded approach to child development. He is especially drawn to nurturing social-emotional growth in the early years and is passionate about helping raise a generation of earth-conscious, community-minded young people.