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Meet Our Team
Team Biographies
Becky Palmer, OCT, BA, BEd (she/her/elle)
Co-Director and Founder
Becky is committed to creating a space of inclusivity where everyone feels welcome, everyone feels heard and where everyone belongs. Rewilding Education was born out of a desire to create a space where all children can thrive, create connections to the natural world and grow at their own pace.
Becky holds space for the magic of play, journeying hand in hand with the children, nurturing joyful learning and embracing each child's individual path. She believes in learning through child-led, hands-on experiences and believes deeply in the power of play in learning. Nothing brings her more happiness than seeing the growth and evolution of children and youth through connections to the natural world. As an experienced teacher having taught Kindergarten through grade 6, she expertly weaves learning opportunities into conversations and moments of play.
Becky grew up right here in Simcoe County exploring the different forests, wetlands and provincial parks with her family. After graduating from her Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University, she took a big leap and moved to Mongolia for 2 years with her husband Zack. Teaching at an International School, traveling and living in Mongolia was a transformative experience for her, when venturing outside of the capital city felt like being transported back 200+ years. While in Mongolia, she was inspired by the nomadic lifestyle and their deep connections to caring for and learning from the land. Becky is looking forward to making local connections with the Indigenous community in Simcoe County, and welcoming them into our programs to share their teachings and traditions.
Becky cherishes the time she gets to spend with her two children; Amina is 8 yrs old, and Lucas is 5yrs old. After the adventure of online learning, they jumped into the world of alternative education, through homeschooling and forest schooling and haven't looked back. They are most happy running around the playground, forest and gardens at Moondance. Becky lives in Angus with her children, husband Zack, her sister Lindy and two golden retrievers., Jasper and Ruby. She is so grateful to be able to explore our beautiful Simcoe County with her young family like she did as a child.
Kim Keckes, BA (she/her)
Resident Farmer and Educator
As our resident farmer, owner of Moondance Organic Gardens, and as an educator, Kim has a wealth of knowledge to share with our learners and the community. Her belief is that our health (physical and mental health) thrives with connection and foundation in nutritious food and experiencing nature.
With a background in Horticulture Therapy, Kim has a beautiful presence and she creates an awareness that interaction with natural settings promotes health in a variety of ways.
Kim is the fourth generation of her family working and living on this land and we are so incredibly fortunate that she shares her knowledge and space with the Rewilding Education community.
Heather Hurst, OCT, BEd, BA (she/her)
Co-Director and Educator
As an educator, Heather delights in witnessing each child's unique spark and being present to their growth. She truly believes Farm and Forest Schools to be the best environment that youth can be in during their foundational years. Having grown up on a hobby farm in Wellington County, the childhood memories that shine the brightest are those spent in the natural world; exploring, adventuring, testing, erroring, expanding, wandering and wondering.
Heather’s home is a comfortable drive south into New Tecumseth where she has prioritized relishing the precious time of childhood with her 4yr old daughter Lillian, knowing full well how fast it goes as she watches her 22yr old son William venture out into the world. Gardening with her husband is one of her simple pleasures.
With a spiritually centred, trauma informed, community oriented nature, Heather simultaneously exudes a presence of calm, care and joy. She has had the honour of participating in Ecoschools launching year, Waldorf Schooling and Anthroposophical Studies, teaching in both the private and public school system, empowerment speaking, energy healing, creative projects, entrepreneurial adventures, board and council meetings, community groups and being a volunteer for many charitable agencies. She is thrilled to be part of the Rewilding Community and is looking forward to the journey ahead.
Amanda Deshevy-Skinner (she/her)
Farm and Forest Educator and Event Coordinator
Amanda is one of our Farm and Forest School Educators and is the creative soul behind the Arts at Rewilding Education. She joined Rewilding in the spring session of 2023 exploring with the Wednesday Wildlings and has been a shining light in our days. Her passions for music, art and the great outdoors (and her beautifully loud laugh!) is contagious, inspiring children to find their creative voice and embrace the wonder that surrounds them.
Whether it's drawing the creatures we find in the gardens or creating natural-material masterpieces, she empowers our students to explore their artistic identities fearlessly. Amanda is an award-winning musician, having completed the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music program in her youth and has been a professional musician throughout her adulthood. She shares her talents and her passions by creating an atmosphere of playfulness and wonder, where children feel open to explore, discover, and find their unique place in the world. She not only nurtures creative skills but also ignites a deep respect for the natural world by integrating art and music seamlessly into our days.
Teri Monczka, RECE, BA (she/her)
Farm and Forest Educator and Inclusion Support Educator
Teri is a Registered Early Childhood Educator, and joins us with a wealth of experience having supported, nurtured, and educated children in a variety of settings over the past 20 years. Teri expertly weaves literacy into play. She is an early literacy leader in Simcoe County, and all the children adore her felt board stories and story boxes. Teri has extensive experience supporting an array of differently abled children in a multitude of ways. The strategies she brings and shares also support all the children in our programs. She shares stories and songs in beautifully accessible ways and creates an atmosphere of belonging and inclusivity.
We are so thrilled to have Teri as part of the team at Rewilding Education and next time you’re at the farm, make sure you say hi to Teri and welcome her to our Rewilding family.