Outdoor Education Programs for Children in VA and SC
TRAVELERS REST STAFF
Interested in working with children outdoors every week on the Travelers Rest team? Email Bekah for opportunities at bekah@valleyforestschool.com
OWEN CUNNANE
Program Coordinator- Travelers Rest
Forest name- Mr. Rootz
Owen originally hails from Maine where he first developed his love and interest for the natural world. After living on the Canadian border working at Acadia National Park as a Park Ranger, Owen traveled the country in pursuit of a diverse range of professional outdoor experience. Whether it was the Redwoods in California, deserts of Utah, or the Jungles and Volcanoes of Hawaii, Owen's experience is eclectic working as a ranger for the National Forest and National Parks. In 2014 Owen started developing and leading expedition and farm based programs for children. His longest expedition with students was over 400 miles all by canoes from the tributaries of the St Lawrence (Canada) all the way to NYC. Owen has worked with children for the last 7 years in expedition, ecology, and farm based programs between Canada and America. Owen has his B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Maine and is trained and certified as a Wilderness First Responder and Lifeguard in addition to numerous other certifications and training. When Owen is not adventuring outdoors you can find him playing chess, doing yoga or Tai Chi or simply reading a book.
Contact Owen: owen@valleyforestschool.com
AMY HELMS
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Monarch
Amy has over 15 years of experience working professionally with children. As a Michigan native, she immediately fell in love with the Carolina outdoors when she moved to Greenville 8 years ago. Hiking and outdoor adventures became a new weekend must! After having her first daughter, Amy joined her local Hike it Baby community where she grew in her confidence taking children outdoors and learned how the outdoors helped her bond with children. Alongside her husband and two girls, you can find them in the mountains most weekends forging for mushrooms and looking for squirrels. Amy believes the best way for kids to learn and grow is by experiencing the beauty and challenges of nature. Amy is trained in Wilderness First Aid.
HAILEY CANUP
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Miss Sunset
Hailey has her B.S degree in Outdoor Leadership from North Greenville University where she fell in love with the Western Carolina Mountains. She has worked for many adventure summer camps as a counselor, trip leader, and outdoor program director where she enjoyed the opportunities to help kids and teens experience the wonder of wilderness and adventure. She worked a couple of seasons at the North Carolina Outward Bound School leading backpacking, climbing, and white water canoe expeditions in the beautiful Linville Gorge. She also worked for two expedition semesters with college aged students, worked in wilderness therapy as a wilderness field instructor, and worked at a Children's Home where she led recreation activities and retreats for youth in group foster care. Additionally she has worked as a middle school P.E teacher and does some raft guiding and hike guiding on the side. Hailey is passionate about the healing aspects of nature and community and the importance of positive outdoor experiences for kids and teens. She is a Certified Wilderness First Responder.
JOSHUA RUNION
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mr. Sleepy Bear
Meet Joshua Runion: A new-to-teaching enthusiast. Joshua has been an entrepreneur since age 20. He established and later successfully sold North American Rain Systems—a rainwater collection company—in 2020. Valley Forest School marked his first venture into traditional employment after years of self-employment. Joshua's roles span wide: a homeschooling father, dedicated homestead farmer, avid outdoorsman, a passionate musician (listen to his nature recordings by searching for Oolenoy) and a staunch advocate for sustainability. His newly discovered passion for teaching has surprised him and humbled him. Each week at Valley, Joshua is excited to draw out the strengths of the students in his class as they delve deep into the wonders of the natural world.
KARA PRUITT
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Fire Fairy
Kara is from Georgia and has been drawn to the outdoors through many facets for as long as she can remember. Beginning with family camping, lifeguarding and Girl Scouts in her youth and continuing with backpacking, sailing, and mountain survival courses in her adulthood. She has been employed by the Georgia Forestry Commision and she earned a Basic Wildland Firefighter Certificate while living in Colorado. Connecting with young minds to watch nature teach its wonders is a growing joy of hers. Becoming a parent, 11 years ago, led her to a path of experiencing a collection of youth leadership roles, many of which had a focus on outdoor education. She holds an Aviation degree from Georgia State University and she tries to keep proficient at making bread, tap dancing, yoga, and herbology.
KRISTIN FERRE
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Kingfisher
Hello and Guten Tag, born and raised in Germany Kristin received her BA Degree in Elementary School Education there before moving to the USA. She has traveled all over Europe and the East Coast before settling in Travelers Rest, SC. There she is homeschooling her two children and working in the homestead farm with her husband Ryan. Kristin was introduced to true concept of Forest School in Germany and fell in love with the concept of teaching by and learning in the great outdoors. Over the past two decades she has been teaching in several educational settings from students aging preschool to middle school. Reading books, hiking, walking, exercising, rising bike, and eating nourishing foods are Kristin’s beloved hobbies.
KRISTIN GRIMM
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest name- Mrs. Fern
Kristin grew up moving all over the country as part of a military family. This allowed her to experience and explore the different landscapes of America from Louisiana swamps, the beaches of California, farmlands of the Midwest, to the mountains of Colorado. This instilled a life long curiosity and admiration for nature. Her along with her husband and two kids are now thoroughly enjoying another part of the country as they settle into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kristin has worked with children through camp settings, traditional education and non-traditional education since her teenage years. Outside of teaching you can find her painting, knitting or going for a run on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
LIZ KOHUT
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Ginkgo
Born and raised in Michigan, Liz did not grow up exploring the outdoors. It wasn't until she went to college where she realized her love for being outside. After college she worked in Alaska for a summer which then led her to Vail, CO where she met her now husband, Nate. Together they took many adventures from canyoneering in Utah to hiking / backpacking, rafting, canoeing, snowboarding, and camping with some travel thrown in!
Liz and Nate have lived in SC for 6 years now and are slowly passing on their love of the outdoors to both their kids, Charlie and Skyler in hopes of preserving their childhood for as long as possible! As a family they like to eat good food, travel, spend as much time outside as possible and keep bees!
MARY ELISE MASTERS
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Lupine
Mary Elise recently moved to Greenville from the the San Juan Mountains in a town of 400 people(the most remote county in the US)! She spent the last couple of years homeschooling her girls and exploring the area. Prior to homeschooling her girls, she was a teacher for adventure based education, lead wilderness trips, working in both traditional and untraditional education settings, and studied the benefits of experiential learning and the great outdoors.
SARAH ANDERSON
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Magnolia
Mrs. Magnolia is a visual artist and teacher. She spent her childhood by the ocean in Coral Gables, Fl and all her summers at wilderness camp in North Carolina discovering Blue Ridge waterfalls and mountain tops. She earned her bachelor's degree in Film from Boston University and worked as a Writer’s Assistant and Set Dresser in Los Angeles. In search of a more genuine way to share her creative passions, she earned her Master’s in Teaching from the University of Southern California and worked as an Art Teacher in NYC at schools and museums for 10 years. Sarah and her family relocated to Greenville, SC in 2022 and are enjoying the familiar beauty of this area. She strives to smile her way through life, to create freely, and to stay fascinated and in awe of the natural world. Sarah can't wait to teach and learn in the great outdoors with Valley Forest kiddos this fall!
SONYA CARR
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Sonya
Sonya grew up in South America immersed in rich nature in the Amazon. At the age of 12 she moved to the USA with her dream of being a teacher. She has been working with children in a professional setting for the last 16 years. She was captivated by the nature of South Carolina and loves to call the state home. Over the last few years, she has created individualized nature experiences for children with autism. She's an avid hiker, forager, and is studying to be an herbalist.
VICTORIA GREENE
Lead Instructor- Travelers Rest
Forest Name- Mrs. Ginger
Originally from Massachusetts, Victoria is a nature enthusiast! She studied Environmental Science and Education at Palm Beach Atlantic University; VFS is the perfect fit for her to express her multiple passions. Victoria started her professional career as a high school Biology, Chemistry, and Global Issues teacher in the Dominican Republic. She then went on to teach Sciences, Gardening, and Health & Wellness at a school in Hawaii. Being a Resident Supervisor at that school ignited Victoria’s enthusiasm to get kids outdoors. She brought her residents hiking, kayaking, foraging, and boogie boarding whenever she had a chance. Victoria and her husband, Boe, have a homestead in Belton where they aim to mimic earths patterns to regenerate soil, grow food and medicine, and create a fun, educational environment for their two young boys!
Make sure to ask Victoria about her travels and low-waste living! In the past decade, she’s been to 30 different countries and has worked on farms in five of them. Over the course of three years, she fit all her plastic & landfill waste in a peanut butter jar. She loves sharing her appreciation for traveling and environmental justice!
BEKAH QUIRIN
Executive Director
Forest Name- Mrs. Luna
Bekah started Valley Forest School in 2019 after developing a passion for immersing children of all ages in nature. Bekah has a bachelors degree in Outdoor Leadership from North Greenville University where she spent much of her time studying the psychology of children in the outdoors. Her desire to start a Forest School in America grew stronger after she and her husband spent 6 months thru hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2017 with their 1 year old daughter, Ellie. In 2018 they rode their bikes from Canada to Mexico. Bekah has been a Wilderness First Responder for 6 years. She has 13 years of outdoor guiding experience across the country serving youth to senior adults from the Carolinas, to the coast of Virginia, to the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Bekah has over 1,000 logged days and nights of backcountry travel, and more than 600 of those are with children.
Contact Bekah: bekah@valleyforestschool.com
DERRICK QUIRIN
Director of Operations
Forest Name- Mountain Goat
Derrick grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains where his love for the outdoors was fostered by his parents from a young age. From hiking to mountain biking to sailing, he gained thousands of hours of experience outdoors before reaching the age of 10! His passion for guiding children outdoors comes from his own experiences outdoors as a child. He graduated in 2014 from North Greenville University with a degree in Outdoor Leadership. His direct observations of the benefits of immersing children outdoors grew strong when he thru hiked the Appalachian Trail and rode his bike from Canada to Mexico with his family. He has 13 years of experience working across America as a summer camp counselor, mountaineering/rafting/climbing guide, and was the Outdoor Adventure Manager for all of The Cliffs locations in the Carolinas. He has been a Wilderness First Responder for 6 years.
Contact Derrick: derrick@valleyforestschool.com