Site icon Fern & Feather Forest School

Facilitators

Brian Crosby: Co-Founder/Director

         

Brian Crosby here! I am an adventure seeker that is always on the lookout for ways to connect to Nature in a deeper way.  I have a beautiful wife that is a dual immersion elementary school teacher.  We have two beautiful boys aged 3 and 6 months!  I have a degree in Recreation Management from the University of Nebraska.  I have also had training in Nature-Connected Life Coaching from the Earth-Based Institute in Boulder, Colorado.  I have first aid training as a Wilderness First Responder from the Wilderness Medicine Institute.  I have 15 years of professional experience working with people of all ages and abilities in the great outdoors.  These experiences have gifted me the opportunity to travel all over the Western United States working in Wilderness Therapy, wilderness trip guiding, summer camps, before and after school programs, and therapeutic recreation programs.   I believe in fostering and creating space for children’s curiosity and imagination to run free.  This is key to living a connected life, and is at the core of my personal mission, as well as that of Fern & Feathers’.  The gratitude I have for the opportunity to help cultivate your children’s wondrous spirit is immeasurable.  I look forward to meeting you all out on the Land!

Erika

Hello, I’m Erika! I love the outdoors and spent my early childhood adventuring in Alaska before moving to Oregon where I’ve lived ever since. My husband and I enjoy hiking and camping anywhere from the coast to the mountains. I spend my free time studying the night sky with my two telescopes, or being with my family. I love to learn, to teach, and to explore!

Pamela Kolbas

Hey! My name is Pamela Kolbas. I live on farmland just outside of Philomath with my husband Michael, who is a nurse at Good Sam, and our two boys, Jonah and Oscar. I grew up in Philomath and have a deep love for this community and this land.  Professionally speaking, I have an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and worked as a Child and Family Therapist prior to stepping back to be at home full time with my kids for their first few years.  I came to Fern and Feather first as a parent, when my son Jonah attended, and immediately fell in love with the vision and commitments of this program, as it reflects so much of what we already value in our family and in parenting. I am very excited to support these kids in deepening their relationships with themselves, the earth, and each other

Kyla Basher: Co-Founder / Ambassador

Kyla has always held an affinity for inspiring curiosity and how natural spaces lend themselves to innate learning and feels lucky to have called the Willamette Valley home for the past eight years. Before arriving in Oregon Kyla spent her years in the Northeast from summer camps in Connecticut to Tall Ships in Long Island Sound to caves and climbing in Upstate New York. Another decade in North Carolina led her to becoming a paddle guide and marine science educator along the intercoastal waterways, barrier islands, and black rivers while continuing to chase rock walls, climb pinnacles and gorges, coach youth and spearhead community competitions.After a decade of balanced experiences in Outdoor and Experiential Education, and Adventure Leadership with all age groups.  She co-founded Fern & Feather Forest School- an outdoor immersion preschool in Philomath, Oregon. Kyla is driven to illuminate others’ natural curiosities in themselves and the world around them. She has served as the Program Manager for Cascadia Expeditions in Corvallis as well as the Outdoor Store Manager and Buyer at Peak Sports in downtown Corvallis. You can find her trail running in the surrounding woods with her dog Oona, or at the beaches and rivers looking for Agates with her son Cash and partner Josh.

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