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Amanda Bell
Hello! I’m Amanda, owner and director of the Santa Cruz Forest School.
I've put my heart into this forest school program since 2016; I have seen how much the children love it, year after year. Once parents realize how free play in nature is helping their children to thrive - physically, emotionally, and socially - they love it too!
A natural storyteller, I find myself engaging joyfully with the children around picture books, oral stories, and spontaneous creativity. I am also curious and have a knack for finding beautiful and interesting things in nature to share.
Learning occurs naturally when you spend time playing outside. During our time together, we are often naming trees, plants, animals, mushrooms and birds when we see them or hear them. We explore tidepools, creeks, and rivers during field trips. My naturalist knowledge has become strong with this practice, and I love to share it with the children.
I studied Geology in college and earned a B.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a M.S. at the Ohio State University.
My sweet family and I moved to California from Columbus, Ohio in 2011. My husband and I have two children who are now in high school and college. We live in Scotts Valley with our youngest and our dog named Princess Leia.
Hello my name is Brooklyn. I'll be teaching this summer and fall at Santa Cruz Forest School.
I have been passionate about the intersection of Early Childhood Education and Nature for a long time. I grew up in the evergreen forests of Washington and moved to Southern California as a teenager.
I received my B.A. in Psychology in Santa Barbara, with an emphasis in child psychology. I am also on my way to getting an AA in Early Childhood Education with a focus on nature based education.
In my everyday life and my teaching life, I draw endless inspiration from the Earth and hope to instill wonder, curiosity, and compassion for the natural world in the children I work along side. I am a huge advocate for play based learning and I aim to meet children wherever they are on their journey of discovery with an open mind and heart.
When I am not with the littles, you can find me in my garden, making herbal medicines for my small business, practicing my bushcraft skills, sewing, making nourishing food, and swimming in wild rivers.
Roni Mayo
Hi Families, My name is Roni Mayo. I will be teaching this summer.
I have my Early Childhood Education Degree from Cabrillo College, and I am starting school in the fall of 2026 at CSUMB to get my bachelor’s in family science and human development.
I started my teaching journey in 2020 at Lakeside Elementary School. I shifted to working as an outdoor educator for 3 years and, until recently, was head preschool teacher at Little Learners in Aptos.
I am very excited to be back at the nest and to bridge my two passions: preschool education and the natural world.
Brooklyn Nash