The natural world easily took a hold of Cassie’s childhood while growing up in rural Pennsylvania.  Long, usually unplanned, adventures with her father helped cultivate her love for nature.  Since then, she has devoted herself to continuous learning, loving, and sharing of the beauty (and sometimes unexpected) wonders of the Earth with her community.

Cassie’s adventurous spirit took her to Florida, where she earned a degree in Environmental Education from Eckerd College.  Afterwards, she worked on ranches in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah before making her way to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to teach Environmental Education.  She adored the ‘Ah-ha’ moments experienced by students who were beginning to develop a strong connection to the natural world.  These moments inspired her to continue on in the education field as a co-learner with her students and the earth.     

Cassie is looking forward to always learning more from the natural world and others, and paying respect to the people that came before her on ancestral lands.  She deeply trusts in the healing power of nature, and its interconnectedness with people.  Cassie finds peace while hiking in the mountains, paddling down the river, and spending time in the garden.  She has gratitude for all who enabled her in this opportunity to become a part of this beautiful journey.     

“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.”

 ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer