THE INSTRUCTOR TEAM

Originally from Finland, Mia has studied the regenerative practices of earth based cultures around the world and has been teaching children and adults for over 20 years. She directed and co-founded the Bay Area branch of Trackers Earth, managed several outdoor education programs, and taught nature education in many California schools. She is author of The Bay Area Forager and Sierra Forager, guide books to edible wild plants. She has served on the board of many non-profits including Sustainable Fairfax and CircleCenter and been an elected member of the Fairfax Open Space Committee. She currently sits on the board of Friends of Tahoe Truckee Waldorf. Mia’s deep knowledge of the local environment stems from hands-on experience outdoors. She has spent countless hours studying the flora, fauna and ecology of California.

Mia brings a rich background of life-skills to her classes and has taught a variety of topics including animal tracking, nature awareness, survival skills, bird language, art, music, english as a second language, special education and conflict resolution to name just a few. She has been a featured expert in articles and films including Time Magazine, the documentary Play Again and the Travel Channel’s Wild Within. Mia is a certified Nurtured Heart Approach coach.

Mia lives in Kings Beach with her two children and is passionate about meeting our basic needs of food, water, shelter and connection in a balanced way with our environment. You can read more about Mia on her website www.miaandler.com.

Noelle was born and raised in the Bay Area. Her time playing and wandering the hills and oak woodlands around her hometown birthed a deep love of the plants, animals, and land here. Her first job out of college was teaching environmental education on an organic farm and wilderness preserve, and she has never looked back from sharing nature with children. She has worked for many public and private schools as a gardening teacher and naturalist, helped co-found and co-run a local nature-connection day care, and has studied permaculture, nature awareness, and mentoring nature connection in the Regenerative Design and Nature Awareness program.

Noelle lives with her husband and daughter in their hand-restored home in Woodacre, and loves to grow beautiful gardens and good food, dance, and do yoga in her spare time.

Emma grew up in Tsuut’ina / Blackfoot / Stoney territory in the city of Calgary, Alberta. She loved adventuring in the mountains and plains as a child, and has been lucky to explore many new ecologies since then. She studied ecology and French at the University of Minnesota, and later completed a master’s degree in environmental education from Antioch University of New England. In between, she lived and worked in Tennessee, France, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, and met wonderful mentors along the way. They inspired her love of nudibranchs, wildlife tracking, and hunting for wild orchids.

Emma loves to learn about what makes each life form special, and her mission in her work is to increase awareness, build connections, and act in loving relationship with our human and more-than-human community. Along the way, she has been an outdoor preschool teacher, community garden coordinator, canoe/backpacking guide, and beaver ecology instructor. She is happy to be bringing together what she has learned from all this to continue playing, learning, and building community with Vilda. In her free time, Emma can be found keeping turkeys out of her garden, learning to surf, and skating with the local roller derby league.

Nick's connection with nature dates back to his earliest years. His grandfather introduced him to the wonders of fishing along the Chesapeake Bay and local ponds during his childhood. His passion for the outdoors deepened during his time at 'Camp Sonshine,' a summer camp in Montgomery County, Maryland, where he engaged in activities like archery, kayaking, and various forest games. Nick even earned badges in the Cub Scouts before relocating to the Bay Area.

In Marin County, Nick enrolled in the 'TEAM' outdoor education program. There, he explored the wilderness through hikes on Mount Tamalpais and backpacking adventures across California. In his senior year of high school, he co-led a 12-day camping expedition to Joshua Tree with fellow TEAM students.

In addition to pursuing various interests like science, creative writing, filmmaking, music, and acting, Nick has taken college courses in Soil Ecology, Field Biology, and Parks and Open Space Management. His green thumb, inherited from his grandmother, led him to volunteer at the Richmond non-profit organization, Urban Tilth, which strives to inspire, employ, and train local residents in agriculture while fostering a sustainable food system and a healthier community.

Nick is also an experienced whitewater riverboarder and is passionate about facilitating nature connection as a way to protect the environment. He joined Vilda in the fall of 2022 and, prior to that, gained valuable experience as a camp counselor and assistant instructor at 'Kid's Choice Summer Camp' and 'Kid's Carpentry with Nat Davis' in Marin.

Tiana Cicco is the Lead Instructor for Vilda's early childhood programs. She is a nurturing teacher who loves to help children cultivate deep and mutually healing relationships with the lands we call home. Tiana has guided children and adults in nature for over fifteen years, and this is her sixth year leading groups of kindergarten-age children with Vilda.  Previously, Tiana served as a Park Interpreter with CA State Parks for eight years and led her own nature-connection programs with children through her organization, True Nature Marin.  A Marin native, she combines her intimate knowledge of the local lands with a master’s degree and certificate in eco-psychology to facilitate transformative experiences with the natural world.  As a musician, creative writer, dancer, and performing artist, Tiana inspires children and adults to explore and express their wild nature within.  

Meet Jared Rivera: father, farmer, nature mentor, and former tech innovator turned advocate for living in harmony with nature. From tending to his homestead at sunrise to teaching in the wilderness, Jared's days are filled with gratitude, intentionality, and barefoot living. With a background in food & tech and the recipient of multiple media accolades, he traded boardrooms for goat milking, finding purpose in nature mentoring. At Vilda, he shares his passion for cultivating children's wonder and resilience through connection with the natural world.

Jared trains, and coaches, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and soccer. He runs a skills center at his homestead where he teaches farming, cooking, baking, fermenting, cheese making, animal husbandry and natural building to children and adults. 

“My childlike curiosity had lead me to amass a great deal of knowledge resulting in a life full of peace, abundance and reciprocity. It’s my purpose and pleasure to share this knowledge with our children and our students.”

Jason Long grew up exploring the forest for Eastern Box Turtles and flipping rocks for Crawfish. Now, a father, coach, mentor, and tutor - he loves the quiet of his backyard garden, practicing martial arts, biking, and rock climbing.

His journey has taken him to study engineering in Australia and later teaching appropriate technologies to the Putti village community in Uganda, Africa. He studies nonviolent communication, herbalism, tai chi and received a master's degree in social work focusing on trauma and resilience. 

Rooted in a vision for a resilient community for the past 20 years, he has taught youth wilderness and survival skills, mentored teens in rites of passage experiences, and supported neurodiverse students through the academic world. His attention to group dynamics has led to cohesive experiences that build on individuals’ natural strengths and emotional resilience. He is immensely grateful to be on the Vilda team.

Lyndsie is a passionate educator with seven years of experience working with youth in schools and in nonprofit settings. Her journey has woven together a wide range of experience, including teaching in elementary classrooms, coordinating an international scholarship and mentorship program for young women in Rwanda and Cambodia, and guiding children in nature connection programs with Vilda. She has taught in both public and Waldorf-inspired charter schools, where she designed engaging curriculum and facilitated opportunities for experiential learning.

Lyndsie holds a B.A. in Gender Studies and has pursued extensive training in teaching and child development. She brings creativity and a holistic approach to her teaching, cultivating environments where children feel nurtured, curious, and inspired to learn. She finds deep joy in helping children discover their unique gifts while fostering meaningful connections with each other and the natural world.

Randy Wittorp’s love of nature began here in the Bay Area camping with his family and riding horses with his brother in the East Bay hills. During college, a summer job in Yellowstone National Park confirmed his passion for the outdoors, putting him on his path. Early in his career Randy worked as a naturalist for local parks departments that included the East Bay Regional Park District. He then helped expand the public information and education department at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and served as a media spokesman for the US EPA.

California native plants have been Randy’s lifetime focus, as well as environmental restoration. He loves to teach the interconnections between all living things. He spends some free time supporting restoration work with The Nature Conservancy of California and restoring wetlands here in Marin. He loves living in Marin with its diverse habitats and seeing wildlife right in our communities.

Randy is an avid hiker, cyclist and kayaker. His next adventure later this year: the Alleghenny Gap and C&O trails, cycling from Pittsburg, PA to Washington DC.

Sunny Valentine has a lifelong love for the great outdoors. Growing up in Arizona's rugged landscapes, Sunny spent countless hours hiking and mountain biking, fostering a deep connection with nature. As a seasoned traveler, Sunny has explored the country, from the desert landscapes of the West to the lush greenery of the East Coast, always seeking to learn and discover more.

With years of experience working with children, Sunny knows how to create engaging and interactive experiences that inspire young minds. She has studied various plants, herbs, and animals through books and hands-on experiences, and continues to learn from others and the environment.

As a guide, Sunny brings a thoughtful, kind, and childlike enthusiasm to every adventure, creating a safe and supportive environment for exploration and discovery. Let's explore and learn together, embracing the wonders of the natural world with open hearts and minds! 

Nathan Kuan is a white-presenting mestizo born & raised in the unceded lands of the Northern Sierra Miwok & Nisenan peoples, known today as El Dorado County. Nathan Kuan comes to Vilda with a decade of experience working with youth and adults alike in connecting them with the more-than-human world.

As a young adult they recognized the gift of nomadery and traveled around working for 8 different nature connection organizations along the West Coast to learn from elders in the field and integrate all these unique ways of mentoring into their very own style. They are a fugitive pollinator, a mycelial storyteller, and an ecological storycatcher; apprenticing to and with the more-than-human world as we dream worlds of multispecies cultures and inhabitations.

They hold an M.A. in Philosophy & Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies and currently live, work, and learn in the traditional lands of the Coast Miwok & Kashia Pomo people, known today as part of the Federated Tribes of Graton Rancheria.

As a sprout Aspen wandered toward her curiosity in relationship with the wild plants of the Great Lakes region of northern Wisconsin, often getting lost in the wood. This connection grew and became her heart’s center. She is now pursuing her license as clinical social worker and has 11 years of experience as a wilderness guide. 2 years of which included immersion with The Teaching Drum Outdoor School where she took a liking to fire making, group dynamics, basket weaving, hide tanning and tracking.  She went on to work as a backpacking guide for at risk youth and began sharing her love of nature worldwide ranging from war time Ukraine to the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.

With a minor in Cultural Anthropology, Aspen has continued her appreciation for immersive learning experiences and has apprenticed with many Elder’s. This has contributed to her deep love of learning, writing and sharing songs which honor our connection to all life! 

Spencer Nielsen: Instructor

Spencer Nielsen grew up exploring the wild lands of Marin County and northern California.  After studying Ecology (B.S.) at UCSD,  and Environmental Education at UCSC, Spencer has since been a naturalist teaching, guiding, and mentoring youth ages 4-18 throughout California since 2005.  He has been leading youth nature connection programs in Marin County since 2008.  Spencer completed a Master’s Degree in Integrative Eco-Social Design through Gaia University, exploring the role of rites of passage in a healthy culture.  Spencer has led wilderness-based rites of passage for Summerfield Waldorf School, Credo High School, Marin Academy, Stepping Stones Project, Vilda Nature, Elemental Nature, and Back to Earth, guiding hundreds of teens in ceremony. 

As an ethnobotanist who has traveled through Latin America and Asia, Spencer is always seeking to deepen his relationship with plants and traditional uses of plants.  Spencer is certified as a Planetary Herbalist with Michael Tierra’s East West School of Herbs, integrating European, Ayurvedic, and Chinese herbs into a TCM diagnosis.  Spencer has also been a landscaper, organic farmer, gardener & permaculture designer/educator since 2000, creating abundant gardens at home and for clients.  He teaches Permaculture Design Courses at Sivananda Yoga Farm and Natura Institute for Ecology & Medicine. 

Spencer has taught hatha yoga and qigong in high schools and as part of various adult programs.  He is an ongoing student of Traditional Chinese Medicine, weaving Medical Qigong and Neigong with Acupressure and Bodywork (Tui Na).  Spencer is a Hatha Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Wellness Consultant, while still a perennial student of Vedic sciences such as Jyotish and Vastu.  He has recently begun studies in Traditional Tibetan Medicine. 

You can learn more about Spencer and his offerings at ElementalNature.org

Caitlin McNeely: Instructor

Caitlin grew up exploring the gentle sandy beaches of the southern Gulf coast and the giant sprawling oak trees in her urban Houston neighborhood. In the summer, her favorite time was spent road-tripping to the magical tide pools and rocky beaches of a small island off the coast of Maine, where she fished for seaweed, made forts of driftwood and talked to the small colorful creatures tucked in the pools.  

During college she studied creative writing and travelled to Ghana for a year abroad to experience more intact indigenous earth-based cultures. Since then, she has continued to follow a path of learning from and supporting earth-based indigenous cultures and wisdom, including joining indigenous-led water protector camps in West Texas and in Anishinaabe territory in Minnesota, spending several months living with and supporting Dine families at Black Mesa and learning from local California indigenous leaders at the Buckeye Ancestral Skills Gathering.

In Houston, she worked in creating healthier, more eco-friendly urban planning and development policy and it was here that she encountered the brilliance of youth organizing and the power of deep nature connection. She cemented her belief that people will only fight to protect what they know and love, and embarked on the journey of connecting more people and youth to wild nature. She returned to California to study the Art of Mentoring at the Wilderness Awareness School where she has been studying for the last three years, including completing a weeklong wilderness survival immersion this summer. Caitlin also holds experience and knowledge in permaculture, organic farming, folk herbalism and ancestral bushcraft. In her free time you can find her dancing, drinking tea, planting flowers and practicing parkour! 

THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

Joe Fox: Director of Marketing & Finance

Joe spent his youth in rural Mendocino County, hiking, camping and swimming in the Eel River. There he gained a true love for nature and wildlife that has (and never will) let go of him. He's studied design, music, psychology and biology and has been working in graphic, web and sound design since 1995. While work often keeps him in front of a computer and in an office, the call of the wild is never far behind and he's out hiking, camping and kayaking every chance he gets.

At Vilda, Joe works primarily behind the scenes, handling marketing, money, and all things admin. 

A woman of many trades, Odessa brings with her a diverse background of skills. In addition to her proficiency and experience with office organization and management, she is an avid nature lover, hiker and gardener.  She has also previously been a preschool teacher and a naturalist at the Point Reyes National Seashore, so working with Vilda is a great fit!

Board of DIRECTORS

Mia Andler - President

Dave Hickman - Secretary