Nature Educators in Vermont
Meet Our Team
Meet the educators and community leaders who help children explore, learn, grow, and build lasting connections with nature.
Nature educators in Vermont are at the heart of Field, Farm & Forest. Our team creates hands-on, place-based learning experiences for children and families in Lyndonville and throughout the Northeast Kingdom. They lead Kinglets Nature School, homeschool programs, summer camps, and other opportunities for outdoor learning.
Our educators work within Vermont’s early-childhood standards and licensing framework. Learn more from the Vermont Child Development Division.
Our Educators
Our Nature Educators in Vermont
Kendra Simpson
Kinglets Program Director & Lead Teacher
Kendra grew up in Jay, Vermont, and earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Northern Vermont University. She has worked with preschool- and elementary-aged students in a variety of settings throughout the Northeast Kingdom. Some of her favorite teaching experiences bring learning outdoors—counting and studying rocks, exploring plants and life cycles, building shelters, tying knots, and discovering the natural world. Now in her third year as Kinglets Program Director and Lead Teacher, Kendra brings her passion for teaching and the outdoors to Field, Farm & Forest each day.
Emily Bache
Business Manager, Kinglets Teacher & Coyote Homeschool Program
Emily is beginning her sixth year at Field, Farm & Forest and continues to wear many hats. She grew up in Massachusetts and has lived in Vermont for more than ten years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Northern Vermont University and has worked in education for many years. Emily loves nature and the outdoors and enjoys sharing that connection with children. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, knitting, drawing, and creating art. She believes children learn best through outdoor play and meaningful connections with nature.
Anna Weber-Loomis
Kinglets Assistant Teacher & Aftercare
Anna Weber-Loomis is beginning her second year at Field, Farm & Forest as a Kinglets Assistant Teacher and Aftercare teacher. She studied outdoor education and sustainable agriculture at Sterling College, where she developed a strong interest in hands-on learning and helping people connect with the outdoors. Anna also runs Hedgehog Mountain Gear Repair in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and spends time farming and adventuring outside. She brings her practical skills, creativity, and love of the natural world to her work with children.
Jessica Simpson
Co-founder & Kinglets Teacher
Jess has worked with children in and out of classrooms for more than 20 years. She earned a B.A. in Creative Writing and Theatre from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and an Early Childhood and Elementary Education certificate from Pacific Oaks College in Seattle. Her experience includes teaching grades 3–5, math tutoring, afterschool education, and guitar instruction. She currently runs Wilder Farm in Lyndonville and enjoys sharing her love of farming with children.
Mary Jo O’Neill
Co-founder & Substitute Teacher
Mary Jo earned her degree in early childhood development from the University of Massachusetts. She taught first grade for four years, worked as a homeschooling facilitator, homeschooled her children from kindergarten through eighth grade, and later returned to education as an early intervention provider and co-founder of Field, Farm & Forest. Mary Jo supports child-led education and believes children learn best outdoors—in fields, streams, and woodlands—through nature, self-guided learning, and a supportive community.
Our nature educators in Vermont are supported by a volunteer Board of Directors committed to Field, Farm & Forest’s mission, programs, and long-term future.
Community Leadership
Board of Directors
- President: Mary Jo O’Neill, co-founder
- Vice President: Jen Fischer
- Secretary: Napoleon
- Treasurer: Jen Fischer
- Members: Nikki Samuels, Michelle LaRocque-Tipton, and Alejandra Taylor