Ms. Holly

Founder,  Director,  Lead Teacher

In the forest is Holly’s favorite place to be. She grew up wild and free exploring the woods of the multiple islands she grew up on in Western Washington. Holly was a nanny throughout college while studying “Humanities for Teaching” at Seattle University. After graduation began her preschool teaching career at her first outdoor preschool in Santa Barbara. There she spent her days outside with the children teaching them organic garden, animal husbandry, and learned the value in child led and play based learning. Through working at these schools, she was introduced to Compassionate/Non Violent Communication as taught by Marshall Rosenberg, she learned first hand from her mentors and took workshops helping her discover a new way to teach and communicate with children with great compassion and consideration for their emotional capacity and need to openly express their emotions freely with no judgement, punishment, shame, guilt or trying to make it better. She watched children flourish with this approach of validating their feelings and treating them with respect and became committed to approaching teaching with this in mind. Holly went back to school and received her Masters Degree in elementary education from USC.  After having her second daughter,  Holly returned to teaching at local sister school, Thimble Forest School, bought her land and began her journey to start her own nature based program that has emerged into Whole Heart Nature School. Holly also teaches “Mindful Monkeys” through Hamsa Meditation Center, a once weekly class introducing those of preschool age to mindfulness and meditation practices.  (Ask her for details is you are interested:)