Founder

Sarah is a Bank Street Graduate with an M.S. Ed. in Early Childhood Elementary Education, and has taught in a variety of public and private school settings in New York and New Jersey for the past 19 years. She is the 2018 recipient of the Margaret O’Neill Early Childhood Nature Educator Award for her work with Brooklyn Nature Days. Sarah is certified as a Forest School Kindergarten Teacher through Cedarsong Nature School and is currently pursuing her New York Master Naturalist Certification through Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension Program. She currently serves on the Board of the Eastern Regional Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS). Sarah holds Permanent Teaching Certification in both New York and New Jersey. She is inspired by children's authenticity, energy, and expression and is rooted in the idea that we are always learning through experience, reflection, and finding the magic in day to day moments. Sarah believes strongly in the freedom, health, and creativity that ample time in nature can provide.

Director & Park-Support

Susannah is originally from Hershey, PA, but has been a Brooklynite for 21 years. She holds a BA in English with a minor in Women's Studies, a study abroad certificate from the University of Wales, an MFA in Poetry from Brooklyn College, and has also continued her education with courses and certificates through CUNY's New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. Susannah has 15 years of teaching experience with ages 2-10. She is certified in Infant, Child and Adult CPR Pro and Wilderness Advanced First Aid.

Susannah has found her pedagogical home outside in the park surrounded by children and nature. She believes that children are powerful in both body and mind and possess the skills and strength to complete difficult tasks independently. She wants to teach children that it is a sign of strength to ask for help/cry/try again (repeat).

Susannah lives in Kensington with her husband and their two spirited children. She loves baseball (Go Phillies!), birdwatching, swimming, playing strategy board games, 90s R&B, and roller coasters. She does the NYT crossword puzzle every day (nerd alert) and reads 50 books a year.

Assistant Director & Park-wide Support

Nina moved to the big city from the mountains of Asheville, NC. She has a BA in Theatre Studies and a minor in Education from Guilford College.

Since joining BND in Oct 2018, Nina has discovered a newfound love for all things feathered, leafy, woody, and muddy. She feels so fortunate to have found a career where she gets to teach kids to love and care for the earth and all the little critters on it.

Nina lives in PLG with her husband and their little black cat, Bruce. She enjoys crochet, embroidery, birdwatching, camping, hiking, and binge-watching tv shows.

Nina is certified in Infant, Child and Adult CPR as a First Responder and also in Advanced Wilderness First Aid.

Teacher & Floating Park Support

Bryce Sullivan grew up in the Boston area, where she formed a strong connection to the local landscape, spending much of her free time exploring the city. She went on to complete her undergraduate degree at Bennington College in Vermont, where she developed a dedicated focus on environmental education, working with children of all ages in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. She is passionate about facilitating meaningful relationships between young people and their environment, and believes that a play-based approach encourages a love of learning rooted in curiosity, empathy, and resilience. A Brooklyn resident since 2022, Bryce enjoys biking, reading, and working in her garden.

Bryce is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR

Teacher & Floating Park Support

Cameron was born on the Isle of Man before moving between Chicago, Belfast, Connecticut and eventually growing up on the north shore of Long Island. For as long as he can remember he’s been fascinated by the outdoors, spending much of his childhood learning and leading on trips from Harriman State Park to the Presidentials. Having been a Boy Scout and having become an Eagle Scout, his fascination with the environment has inspired him to help educate his community on key issues, such as Harmful Algae Blooms and Invasive Species. He is a recent graduate of Emerson College with a BFA in Creative Writing and a minor in Comedy. Cameron has worked as an Escape Room Operator, a Gardener, and Fundraiser for the Human Society among other things, and draws on his years of experience making children’s days brighter. He believes that children are endlessly curious, and providing them with new worlds to explore teaches them to be independent, questioning, and bright. Cameron is delighted to join the Brooklyn Nature Days team for his first full season, and so excited to meet his students and let them discover the wonders of Prospect Park. In his off hours, Cameron loves to paint, write, exercise and do the occasional stand up set.

Supply Runner / Play Enthusiast / Jr. Teacher-in-Training

Donovan Bortner-Palmer just completed his sophomore year at New York Harbor School, a marine biology-focused high school located on Governors Island, where he is concentrating on Marine Systems Technology and Ocean Engineering. Donovan plays 3rd base and is a relief pitcher for the NY Harbor School Sharks, his school's varsity baseball team. Donovan enjoys baseball (GO Mets!), video games, hiking, and birding. 

Donovan has attended Brooklyn Nature Days first as a student, and now as a teacher-in-training, since 2016. This summer, he will be responsible for delivering materials and supplies to all the groups and ensuring everyone has what they need. He will also be available for reading books to groups, helping out with art projects and games, and supporting teachers with their child-led activities while under supervision of an adult teacher. He is excited to learn more about nature and play-based learning this summer! 

Donovan is certified in CPR and First Aid. 

Teacher & Floating Park Support

Giovanna was born and raised in sunny San Diego, California, where her childhood was shaped by a love for the outdoors—camping and backpacking along the coast, through the desert, and deep into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. When she’s not out adventuring, she enjoys expressing her creativity through writing, photography, and filmmaking.

Her diverse educational background includes performing arts training at Groundworks Theatre, Spanish language studies at Far Horizon Montessori School, and hands-on wilderness experience with the Poway Backpackers. One of her most unforgettable adventures was co-leading a group of high school students on a challenging backpacking trip that ended with a successful summit of Mt. Whitney.

For the past four years, Giovanna has lived just steps away from Prospect Park and is thrilled to spend the summer exploring its natural beauty alongside this year’s campers!

Teacher

Jade grew up in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and spent her childhood summers learning to live with and love nature in the mountains of New Hampshire and Western North Carolina. During her junior year of high school, she attended the Maine Coast Semester School in Wiscasset, Maine, where she discovered her passions for outdoor education, organic farming, and communal living. After graduating from Brooklyn Friends School in 2022, Jade embarked on a journey West to earn her bachelor's degree in environmental studies at Colorado College. She spent a semester in Thailand learning from local communities about environmental issues and solutions, where she found joy in camping, hiking, and snorkeling as a part of school curriculum. Jade took a semester off from college to continue her travels, where she lived in an eco-village in Greece and learned about permaculture, natural building, and kombucha making. She recently moved back to Brooklyn for the summer and is excited to go on long walks, do yoga in the park, join a community garden, and help little New Yorkers connect with the outdoors at Brooklyn Nature Days!

Jade is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR

Teacher

Jae is a native New Yorker, mother of 2, devout yogini, and nature lover.  When her children were young she facilitated free weekly meet-ups in the park for families and toddlers. Having raised her children in the park, she has witnessed first hand, the power of unstructured play in a natural environment.  As an “edu-carer” she hopes to instill a deep sense of curiosity and wonder, as well as gratitude for the natural world.  She is so very grateful for the resource that is Prospect Park, and honored to join the Brooklyn Nature Days team. 

Teacher

Jennifer has been a resident of Brooklyn for 20+ years.  She holds a B.S. in Acting and Italian from Syracuse University.  Before becoming a mother herself, she worked with Inwood House, a non for profit youth agency focused on improving outcomes for young mothers in child welfare.  In the past few years, you may have seen her volunteering in Prospect Park leading parent-child forest groups, singing songs, reading in ridiculous character voices and participating in imaginative play. Jennifer believes that immersing a child in nature balances their mind and body, offers them the opportunity to explore their innate interests, as well as practice kindness, empathy, and respect with each other and the living organisms around them.  She is so happy to be part of the incredible team at Brooklyn Nature Days and cannot wait to meet your tiny yet mighty adventurer.  Let the play begin!

Teacher

Liv grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, where exploring tide pools, catching (and releasing) lightning bugs, and crafting with natural materials sparked her lifelong appreciation for the natural world.

She earned her degree in Education and Art & Visual Culture from Bates College in Maine, and later received a Master's in Youth Studies from CUNY School of Professional Studies. Her professional journey has taken her from the rocky coast of Maine to the redwoods of California and the mountains of Wyoming, where she worked in outdoor education before settling in Brooklyn seven years ago.

In New York City, Liv has taught human rights education, visual arts, and youth leadership programs across diverse classroom settings. She is passionate about designing experiential learning opportunities that inspire curiosity and extend beyond traditional classroom walls.

When she’s not teaching at Brooklyn Nature Days, Liv can be found working in art and design, leading cycling classes with Bike New York, or getting humbled in the ceramics studio.

Teacher

Mariana was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and has called Brooklyn home for the last 5 years. She is fluent in both the Spanish and English language and has extensive experience working with children as a childcare provider for local families as well as a mother to her own two beautiful, inquisitive children. Since her early years growing up in the Dominican Republic, Mariana has always been drawn to nature and the outdoors and is thrilled to be part of a program that matches her enthusiasm for child-led exploration and learning. Mariana’s joyful sense of curiosity is contagious and mirrored in her students excited faces as she empowers them to discover new things about themselves and the natural world around them.

Teacher

Maya grew up in Portland, Maine, where she spent her days exploring the woods and the beaches and attended a forest school herself! Maya has been working with kids outdoors and indoors for the past five years – she has been a counselor at a coastal farm camp, a creative writing teacher, and a tutor! Since graduating from Oberlin College last May with a degree in creative writing and education, she has been teaching environmental science in the Bronx. She loves any opportunity in which she can help kids to stretch their curiosity and imaginations in creative and silly ways. In her free time, Maya loves reading, writing, knitting, and going on bike rides. Maya is incredibly excited to work with Brooklyn Nature Days this summer and share her love of nature and playing outside with campers!

Maya is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR

Teacher

Sid grew up in Lower Manhattan and returned to Brooklyn after earning a degree in Media, Culture, and the Arts from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Since graduating, Sid has primarily worked in creative production as a project manager, while also gaining valuable experience as a nanny and volunteering enthusiastically at youth-focused events. After calling Brooklyn home for five years, Sid recently moved to Queens.

An avid biker and nature lover, Sid is happiest outdoors and is passionate about helping children explore their creativity and enjoy meaningful time in nature. With a warm, attentive energy, Sid brings a thoughtful and engaging presence to their work with kids. A lifelong New Yorker who spent countless hours in places like Prospect Park, Sid is excited to support city children in connecting with the outdoors and growing into their fullest selves.

Teacher

Sinclaire was born in a small town in the foothills of Northern California. She grew up skiing in the mountains, swimming and boulder hopping in the nearby river, and building fairy houses deep in the forest. She went to University in Santa Barbara. There she started working (playing) with kids at the beach and in the mountains as an outdoor educator. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and an Early Childhood Education Certificate.

Eventually Sinclaire wanted to explore beyond California. She has since spent time as a bartender in Brooklyn, a full time crafter and explorer in London and she is now back and excited to be a part of Brooklyn Nature Days.

Sinclaire is passionate about environmental and social justice in her personal life and her work with children. She believes that a caring relationship for the earth and its beings comes from fostering connection, exploration and collaboration and that the access to this is a right not a privilege.

Her teaching philosophy is based on empowerment, child led play, building non-violent communication skills (she even wrote a children’s story about this!) and anti-bias education.

Sinclaire loves exploring, dancing, playing in the mud, crafting, being silly, trying new things, and siiiiiingiiiiing 🎶

Oh! And she looovvveesss doing hard things. You’ll see!

Sinclaire is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR

Teacher

Xylem (you may know them by their former name, Kate) is originally from the Hudson Valley and currently lives in Brooklyn. They graduated from Binghamton University in 2017 with a degree in biology, focusing on ecology, evolution, and animal behavior.

A lifelong nature enthusiast, Xylem enjoys hiking, camping, and stargazing whenever they can. In their free time, they also love to swim in the ocean, sing, paint and draw, play video games, and deepen their knowledge of their favorite trees.

Xylem is continually inspired by the natural curiosity children bring to the world. They are passionate about helping kids connect with and appreciate nature in meaningful ways. Xylem (formerly going by Kate) has been teaching at Brooklyn Nature Days since 2021.

Xylem is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR

Teacher

Derick is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult CPR and First Aid

Stella is certified in Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR