Catherine Barnum, the founder of Little Nest Forest Preschool aged program, is a graduate of Capilano University’s Early Childhood Care and Education Program, the Clinical Herbal Internship Program from the Ohlone Herbal Center in Berkeley, California, and the Herbal Apprenticeship Program with Susan Weed in Upstate New York. She grew up in North Vancouver, and is excited to have made a home on Bowen Island, where she and her husband were married in 2009.
Catherine began exploring her interest in the forest school model through an internship with Cedarsong Forest Kindergarten, located on Vashon Island, Washington, in 2011. Catherine completed Forest School Canada's Nature and Forest School Practitioner's summer Training Program, in 2014.
She has most recently competed the Foundation Teacher Training Course though Mother Earth School in Portland Oregon, in 2015 and continues to learn. The Foundation course teaches Waldorf teaching methods in philosophy while training teachers how to integrate permaculture ethics and principles into their classroom.
Catherine combines her background as an herbalist, environmentalist, and Early Childhood Educator, to express her passion for validating children’s innate connectedness to the earth. Catherine brings her passion for playing acoustic guitar and fiddle to the classroom. Her love for the guitar and music was instilled early in her own childhood.
She believes it is important to approach the subject of sustainability through an optimistic and empowering classroom culture. Her goals are to help build a generation connected to the natural world, armed with the knowledge that each of us can make a difference.
For Catherine, teaching is an opportunity to offer children the foundation they need to become healthy, confident, rooted individuals capable of the kind of leadership, self-regulation, and creativity that will help them face tomorrow’s challenges. She offers young children the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and values essential to sustainable living, the development of complex thought, and self-esteem.
Catherine began exploring her interest in the forest school model through an internship with Cedarsong Forest Kindergarten, located on Vashon Island, Washington, in 2011. Catherine completed Forest School Canada's Nature and Forest School Practitioner's summer Training Program, in 2014.
She has most recently competed the Foundation Teacher Training Course though Mother Earth School in Portland Oregon, in 2015 and continues to learn. The Foundation course teaches Waldorf teaching methods in philosophy while training teachers how to integrate permaculture ethics and principles into their classroom.
Catherine combines her background as an herbalist, environmentalist, and Early Childhood Educator, to express her passion for validating children’s innate connectedness to the earth. Catherine brings her passion for playing acoustic guitar and fiddle to the classroom. Her love for the guitar and music was instilled early in her own childhood.
She believes it is important to approach the subject of sustainability through an optimistic and empowering classroom culture. Her goals are to help build a generation connected to the natural world, armed with the knowledge that each of us can make a difference.
For Catherine, teaching is an opportunity to offer children the foundation they need to become healthy, confident, rooted individuals capable of the kind of leadership, self-regulation, and creativity that will help them face tomorrow’s challenges. She offers young children the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and values essential to sustainable living, the development of complex thought, and self-esteem.