Our Team

*CO Dept Early Childhood - Director and Coach Certified 2022

*Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) Coach Certified 2022

*MS Ecological Teaching and Learning - Lesley University 2011

*BA Biology (Focus on Field Ecology) Colorado College 2000

*CO Teaching License Science 7-12 w/ ELL Designation

*Wilderness First Responder 2021

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Ryan is a web weaver and a connector of people and ideas. He has taught and facilitated ecological literacy for over 25 years both inside and outside the formal classroom with ages 3 through adult.  

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Ryan is a "re-wilding" practitioner and has been since age 3.  He honors the natural and inherent beauty of human migration while still being accountable to repair settler colonial oppression and border imperialism. He resides on stolen native land, Tsêhéstáno (Cheyenne) and Hinono'eino (Arapaho) unceded territory and works towards reconciliation through Land Back initiatives.  His heart and soul are rooted in the intermountain west bio-region but like all White Americans his relatives are immigrants.  Born and raised in Denver, attending integrated DPS schools (Park Hill Elementary 1989; Smiley Middle 1992; Manual High School 1996).

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He reveres the interweaving of life and organizes for climate justice transitions addressing the human induced Sixth Mass Extinction.  He aims to help students and society participate in the global movement to protect life on Earth, sometimes listening to “youth wisdom” before listening to “adults”.  For the last several years, while working as an Ecological Literacy Specialist in Denver Public Schools and in Salt Lake City Public Schools, he has been a researcher and practitioner of Land Based and Nature Based Pedagogy and/or Forest Schools and also creating modified Forest School programming for public schools.

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Email Ryan: ryan@grasslandgardenschool.org

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See more and connect with Ryan on LinkedIN below   

*Psychology Major at the University of Denver, 2028

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Maddie is a second-year University of Denver student from Denver, CO, majoring in Psychology. She is passionate about supporting children in their developmental journeys and plans to pursue a career in pediatric occupational therapy, working with neurodiverse children to help make a neurotypical-centered world more accessible.

 

She currently volunteers at the STAR Institute, a leading clinic for children with sensory differences. Last year, she also volunteered at another nature school with Ryan, where she experienced firsthand the powerful impact of outdoor, play-based learning. These experiences strengthened her belief in nature-centered education and inspired her enthusiasm for joining the Mycelium Cooperative as a Co-Teacher.

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Email Maddie: RLE@grasslandgardenschool.org​

*Masters of Social Work Candidate at the University of Denver, 2027

*Bachelor of Arts, Sociology - 2026

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Elizabeth is a second-year MSW student at the University of Denver whose path to nature-based education winds through flower arranging, yoga teaching, and a heartfelt commitment to community care. She brings a Sociology background, a Wellness minor, and lived experience supporting wellbeing across generations — from working with inner-city middle schoolers in New Haven to volunteering in an elder care community in Massachusetts.

 

Her roots in wellness and mental health advocacy run deep. As a yoga teacher at DU and a peer leader for Bring Change to Mind — a national nonprofit working to reduce stigma around mental health — Elizabeth has consistently created spaces where people feel safe, seen, and heard. She believes that where genuine connection lives, real learning begins.

 

What draws Elizabeth to Mycelium Cooperative is its rare, intergenerational vision. Her experience supporting children ages 4–16 alongside time spent with elders reflects exactly the "ages 0–99+" ethos at the heart of this cooperative. She is excited to deepen her social work practice outdoors, where the living world becomes a partner in healing and growth.

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*Masters of Social Work Candidate at the University of Denver, 2028

*Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Counseling, Luther College, 2024

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Nathan is a first-year graduate student pursuing his Masters of Social Work at the University of Denver. He completed his undergraduate degree at Luther College, studying psychology and

counseling. Originally, Nathan is from Falcon Heights, Minnesota. He considers the mountains his second home. :)

 

Nathan is dedicated to supporting youth mental health. He works hard to understand children, families, and the systems that impact their lives. Nathan believes connection to nature is an

essential part of human development, as kids and adults! The Mycelium Cooperative is a perfect “playground” for this growth. Most recently, he served as a camp counselor in Steamboat

Springs, fully embracing the outdoor learning model.

 

Over last two years, Nathan worked as a Child Mental Health Case Manager at Washburn Center for Children, a nonprofit in Minneapolis. There, he collaborated with other providers to organize mental health care that was compassionate, culturally competent, trauma-informed, and community-based. He reduced barriers to access, decreased stigma, and established connections with families that were hopeful and healing. Nathan aims to utilize and expand upon these skills while helping at the Mycelium Cooperative. Kindness and curiosity are the most fundamental aspects of his practice.

 

When Nathan is not working or studying, you can find him cycling, skiing, climbing, hiking, or traveling with his friends and family!