Meet Us

Sarah started a play group called Adventure Club in 2012. In 2014, with a group of adventure loving parents, they founded Olympic Nature Experience. Sarah is a Lead Teacher at Owl’s Hollow Early Learning and Adventure Club. She has a B.S. in Marine and Environmental Sciences from the US Coast Guard Academy and has a Forest Kindergarten Teaching Certificate. She is passionate that all people have access to nature connection and brings a focus of diversity, equity and inclusion in her work and her personal life.

Sarah brings with her many years of experience in informal outdoor education along with Master’s Degree in Environmental Education and a Forest Kindergarten Teaching Certificate. She loves stomping in puddles, exploring beaches, and eating trail snacks. A true Californian at heart, Sarah can normally be found seeking out the sunshine or working in the office as the Administrative Director.

Nancy lives and works on a peaceful little farm with her husband, daughter, dog and chickens. After graduating from Sequim High School she spent a few years working as a wild land firefighter, traveling and working for Boulder Outdoor Survival School. Her desire to help people has led her to a 20 year and counting career in massage therapy. Coming back to teaching outdoor skills and working with children is a fulfillment of a long time dream.

Erica recently moved to Port Angeles, following time in Olympia, Montreal and Seattle. Her recent years have been spent teaching at a nature-based preschool and creative reuse center, while making art in her free time. With a BA in Environmental Studies from McGill University and a love of local ecology, Erica is excited to join Olympic Nature Experience .

Stephanie spent most of her childhood and young adult years enjoying the wonders of the great pacific north west. Marrying young she and her husband had their first child before she turned 20. Her passion to coach high school cross country became a natural fit after running races, marathons and ultra marathons into her 20s. She is currently studying to finish her bachelors in child/family counseling online. Nannying became her full time job while her husband was touring the country with his band. Stephanie and her family moved to Nashville for 6 1/2 years for her talented husband to explore the music industry. After having her second child they returned to Sequim to learn how to live simply and sustainably by farming and homeschooling her boys! Working with children finding the best ways to communicate, learn and grow is her hearts joy! She spends her free time farming at home, practicing yoga, or biking/running local mountain trails!

Melissa moved to the Olympic Peninsula to attend the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in 2016 and decided to call it home after falling in love with the unique ecology and community. Learning the art of traditional boatbuilding led to a burgeoning passion and commitment to teaching young children in her ideal classroom environment, nature. After pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education from Peninsula College she has taught young children through Headstart and a local nature preschool. She is honored to have the opportunity to join the Olympic Nature Experience team while serving the children and families of Owl’s Hollow Early Learning.

Laira Stewart spent her childhood growing up next to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula Forest in Sequim. She would spend most of her day’s bike riding and hiking in the forest, learning about the plants and animals of the Pacific Northwest. She was homeschooled growing up and during that time she became passionate about photography and loves to take landscape photos. She married young in 2007 and has two children; a son born in 2009 and a daughter born in 2012. Both her and her husband returned to college to get their degrees while raising their young children. Her husband’s job after graduating from UW took them to live on Maui in 2013.  She obtained her B.S. degree in Elementary Education in 2014 while attending part time distance learning.  They decided to move back to Sequim in 2015 to homeschool their son who was struggling in the public school system because of his autism and speech delays.  She has been homeschooling ever since and she has spent time teaching in homeschool co-ops and ALE programs.  She has always loved working with children and finding fun and engaging ways to facilitate learning. She spends her free time studying martial arts, kayaking, rowing and doing photography!

An appreciation for the easy access to wild beaches, forests and mountains brought Noah and his wife to the Olympic Peninsula in 2011. He is happy to now be raising two children on the Peninsula and connecting to and supporting the community however he can. Noah is the Assistant Director at the North Olympic Library System where he oversees and implements a wide range of services and programs throughout Clallam County.

Jill, a native to the Midwest, made her way to the Pacific Northwest shortly after college to
pursue a career in environmental restoration. She and her husband moved to the North Olympic
Peninsula in 2009 to work in Olympic National Park. She spent 5 years at the Park coordinating
volunteers for the Elwha River Revegetation Project. After the Elwha Project, Jill moved on to
manage a local Conservation District – working with farmers and other private landowners to
meet sustainable land use goals. Jill currently stays home to raise her two wild girls (named
after wildflowers) and to grow her herbal plant business. Jill is passionate about connecting
people to one another and our local landscape through food and native plants.