Field Instructor

Seth MacLean

Born and raised on the Atlantic Ocean, Seth’s love of nature stems from family trips starting as young as he can remember. He found his way into the Ontario outdoor world as a 16-year-old and has been hooked ever since. As a long-time paddler, he has a deep love for experiencing nature through canoe tripping in remote areas across Canada. Whether Seth is paddling, hiking, rock climbing, or travelling, you will always see him with a wide smile while he ponders his next big adventures. No matter where Seth ventures, he will always be stoked to end up back in Ontario for the fall ALIVE season!

Field and Virtual Instructor

Grace Woodley

Grace grew up in northern Alberta, but spent many summers in the Ontario wilderness at camp. To date, Grace has found a path to work in the field year-round as a challenge course practitioner, field and virtual facilitator, and canoe trip guide. Whether running, climbing, paddling, skiing, or dancing, Grace finds her most authentic self when she is being active on big or small adventures.

Field Instructor

Ned Carolan

Ned’s love for the outdoors started during his many years as a camper at YMCA Camp Pine Crest where he participated in many canoe trips. He spent three summers working at Pine Crest, and then another three at Camp Arowhon. After completing his Undergrad in Outdoor Recreation and Degree in Education from Lakehead University, Ned started his career at ALIVE. Ned’s motivation to stay in the education sector outside the classroom walls continues to lead him to unique learning environments.  Most recently Ned brought Grade 9 Geography through a travel program through Northern Ontario, Montreal, Ottawa and New York.  His next trip through Edu Travel, has him traveling to the Dominican Republic delivering curriculum on environmental science.  Ned is always seeking to enhance and refine his facilitation skills and practise.  On canoe trip, the high ropes course or bringing experiential education to the city streets, we are very grateful for the diversity of skills Ned brings to ALIVE.   

Field Instructor

Claire Lunan

Claire’s love for outdoor adventure started at a young age and was fostered through winters spent skiing and summers spent paddling in Algonquin Park! She currently guides canoe and kayak trips for Black Feather in Ontario, Quebec and the Northwest Territories. She hopes to spend the next few years travelling, seasonal guiding and skiing in BC! She is passionate about outdoor education, the value of nature and its power to shape our lives for the better.

Field Instructor

Wesley Spatazzo

Wes grew up in Hamilton, Ontario and spent his summers attending both overnight and day camps. In 2012, he started his journey working in the outdoor industry as a camp counsellor in the summer and began to work as a seasonal outdoor educator in 2015. These experiences led Wes to obtain his Outdoor Recreation and Leisure degree from Brock University, where he also received his Master of Arts degree in Applied Health Science – Leisure Studies. Most recently, he has been working in a professional setting facilitating youth programs abroad and domestically. Wes is enthusiastic about all activities outdoors and spends much of his recreational time climbing, biking, slacklining, downhill skiing or swimming.

Field Instructor

Sophie Grogan

Born in Denmark to Irish parents, Sophie grew up travelling around the world, experiencing different cultures and learning new languages. Upon settling in Canada, Sophie found her new home in the seat of a canoe with a paddle in hand. Sophie has since made it her mission to empower youth in the outdoors, allowing them to have the same life-changing opportunities she experiences. Sophie believes in the fundamental power of connection to the land, community, and culture. Sophie’s background is in psychology where she currently works as a Child and Youth Counsellor at a Women and Children’s Crisis Center. Whenever she can, she gets outside with loved ones, gets some sun on her face, and will make it her mission to make you laugh.

Field Instructor

Iskren Mihaylov

Having grown up in the city of Mississauga, Iskren is passionate about giving students from all backgrounds the opportunity to learn about and love the outdoors. Iskren believes that nurturing positive experiences in nature is a powerful tool to build genuine connections and promote conservation. When he’s not paddling down a river, you’ll find him thumbing through field guides, sharing nature facts with his pals, or behind the lens of one of his many film cameras.

Field Instructor

George Shelton

George stepped into a canoe a year after stepping off the plane in Canada in 2014. This beautiful vessel has taken him from the banks of the Bow in Banff, canyons of the Mosie in Quebec, out to the Ottawa Valleys, up into the Mackenzie Mountains and Arctic Prairie of the NWT. When George is not floating down rivers, he is adapting skiing for folks with disabilities, nerding-out about how to make a tastier coffee or trying to master the art of throwing clay on a pottery wheel.

Field Instructor, Workshop Facilitator

Melissa Tong

An adventurer, an opportunist, a seeker of stillness. Melissa is a lifelong learner, a Massage Therapist, Life Coach, Challenge Course Instructor Trainer and Outdoor Educator. Melissa’s facilitation style blends functional health and wellness with the grounding and changing natural world to help people thrive. She loves to be on the water, in a tree or sleeping under the stars. Favourite travels include going to the desert.

Field Instructor

Georges Kirijian

Georges has been passionate about the outdoors as long as he can remember. Growing up he spent his summers canoeing in Algonquin Park at Camp Ahmek for boys and his winters skiing at Mount St Louis. Georges has completed over 200 days of canoe trip. In 2020 he was a founding member of Canoe4Covid, a 60-day fundraiser canoe trip across Ontario. During the expedition the group raised over $85k for Food Banks Canada’s Covid-19 Relief fund.

Field Instructor

Erin Anderson

From family camping trips, to exploring the wonderful wilderness that Ontario has to offer, Erin developed a passion for the outdoors at a young age. She enjoys leading others through canoe trips, high rope elements, and team building activities. Erin is known to have a huge smile and a positive attitude; she often inspires others to be the best version of themselves. As a recent Kinesiology graduate, Erin hopes to study more within the field of rehabilitation. By combining the love of the outdoors and helping others, she believes that outdoor activity and teaching through nature is beneficial for wellbeing. In her spare time, you can find Erin swimming, running, sewing, playing squash, climbing, and reading books.

Field Instructor

Jacob Morton

Jacob was born in Toronto but grew up in a small town where he fell in love with being outside. He started attending YMCA Camp Pine Crest from the age of 7 where his love for the outdoors grew through being introduced to canoe tripping. From young camper to experienced guide he is now a senior leadership trainer who recently completed 38 days on the Coppermine River. Jacob took a brief hiatus from canoe tripping to study kinesiology but quickly returned to camp to guide the Missanaibi, Bloodvein and will be heading out on the Winisk during the summer of 2024. When Jacob is not guiding for Pine Crest or ALIVE, he spends his time on extended trips with Black Feather. He enjoys being outside as much as possible and sees it as a place where he can best help people achieve their dreams.  

Field and Virtual Instructor

Emily Keaveney

Hey there! My name is Em (she/her), and I am a Canadian educator and recent graduate living in New Zealand! I was lucky enough to work with ALIVE full-time throughout 2022 and 2023 before taking off to Auckland, New Zealand, to study for my master’s and explore over the last 18 months! I am so excited to be working with ALIVE while I’m back home for a visit this Fall and connecting with and supporting young people in my favourite classroom – the great outdoors!

Field Instructor

Greg Nettleton

Born in Toronto, family camping trips planted the seeds that grew into a deep love for the outdoors. Greg has been working as an outdoor education instructor and wilderness guide for the last ten years at many camps and organizations across Ontario. An avid paddler, Greg loves to spend every moment on and around the water and sharing those moments with others. Greg also enjoys skipping rocks, skiing, fishing, and cooking delicious food.

Field Instructor

Emily Cowley

As someone who grew up participating in outdoor experiential education programs and long nature walks with her grandmother, Emily developed a deep passion for outdoor play and connecting people – especially youth – with the natural world. She has a desire to see young people realize their potential as individuals and leaders, and a passion for supporting, equipping, and empowering them in this important journey – particularly through immersive outdoor learning.

When not working with ALIVE, you can find Emily directing an overnight camp in the summers, travelling, or doing other Outdoor Ed. work across the province (bird watching is a given throughout). Regardless of where she is, Emily constantly seeks ways to foster joy-filled community that brings life to others!

Field and Virtual Instructor

Finn Thomas

Finn grew up attending a small camp outside his hometown of Presqu’ile in Owen Sound, ON. In 2015 he began working at YMCA Wanakita and spent many years on their Outdoor Instructor roster. He continued to refine his skills and passion for unique outdoor programming by studying Recreation and Leisure services at Algonquin College. In his free time, you will find Finn exploring local forests, paddling or cross-country skiing. In the summers he can be found in the Algonquin Park backcountry.

Field Instructor

Rachel Dalton

Rachel’s love for the outdoors began when she started attending YMCA Camp Queen Elizabeth at age 12.  Her four summers working at Queen Elizabeth, in various roles, refined her skills as a canoe tripper and her ability to develop creative programming. She loves all things crafty and thrives when she brings a group together through laughter and sharing stories. Rachel has completed a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Guelph and spent the summer of 2023 guiding a month-long leadership canoe trip in Northern Ontario. 

Field and Virtual Instructor

Tim Martin

After backpacking across India, leading wilderness canoe trips in Northern Ontario, and teaching Middle School in Toronto, Tim eventually completed a Masters in Environmental Studies. In the process he somehow became an avid birdwatcher. In the field of outdoor and environmental education, he has taught, developed curriculum, and engaged in ethnographic research among various learning communities. He is currently working on a PhD in Education at York University in Toronto, where he lives with his wonderful family.

Field Instructor

Erin Thomson

After attending her first ALIVE program with her school in grade 9, Erin knew working with ALIVE was virtually required for her future. Her love for the outdoors grew as she attended and then worked at various camps in Ontario and BC as an outdoor educator, leadership trainer, and logistics support coordinator. In the spring of 2023, Erin obtained her bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism at Lakehead University. In the Fall of 2023, she experienced her first ALIVE season as an instructor and loved every moment of it. She continues to return to the ALIVE instructor team season after season.

Field Instructor

Emma Gibson-Bray

Tea in hand, big smile.
Nature appreciator,
stays rooted, but light.

An avid camper since age 7, Emma brings to ALIVE over 14 years of outdoor work and teaching experience with children and youth of all ages and capabilities, at schools, outdoor centres and summer camps across Canada and abroad. Whether backpacking BC trails (Camp Potlatch) or canoe- tripping across Northern lakes (Camp Wanapitei), or sleeping in snowy quinzhees (RKY), Emma witnessed nature’s capacity to challenge, to heal, and to bring people together. Emma holds BASc in Child, Youth and Family Studies (Co-op and ECE) from the University of Guelph and a teaching degree (PGDE Primary) from the University of the West of Scotland. In her spare time, you can always find Emma outside, enjoying everything from cold plunging to hiking, with a big smile on her face, tea in hand, and saying her favourite tagline: “Go team!”

Field Instructor

Meg Lederer

Meg lives in Toronto and found an early love of the outdoors by playing in the ravines and spending summers at camp. She joined ALIVE in 2009 with a passion for helping students push their limits on the high ropes course. At home, Meg is happiest lifting heavy weights, biking along the lake, hiking in the woods, and petting dogs. She also loves trying new things in the kitchen and has recently been experimenting with pastry & baking to help foster creativity and play.

Field and Virtual Instructor, Lead and Workshop Facilitator

Dorothy Saulewicz

After completing a Bachelors of Education, Dorothy spent some time abroad, teaching English and hiking the mountains of South Korea. Dorothy joined ALIVE Outdoors in 2013 and has since led trips in Algonquin Park, Antscositi Island, the Adirondacks as well as urban trips within Toronto. Teaching others about the power of nature has been a long-standing passion of Dorothy’s. This passion fuelled the start of BeesButter Canada, a female owned and operated business striving to provide sustainable skincare that is eco-friendly and plastic free. Based in Toronto, Dorothy balances outdoor education contracts with the daily hustle of entrepreneurship.

Lead Facilitator, Field Instructor

Stefi Van Wijk

Stefi Van Wijk’s life and values are shaped by learning from rivers. She is driven by her passion for nature, watersheds and fostering people’s connections to them. Stefi aims to widen and grow the sport of whitewater paddling, as it brings people together for active, playful and growth-oriented experiences outdoors. Stefi has been whitewater paddling for over 2 decades, guiding canoeing and kayaking expeditions all over Canada. Now, she has settled alongside the Madawaska River to run Canada’s premier whitewater centre, established in 1972 by her grandparents, Madawaska Kanu Centre. Joining the ALIVE Outdoors instructor team over 9 years ago really sparked her passion for outdoor education. ALIVE inspires and fuels her drive to make impactful outdoor experience facilitation her life-long pursuit.

Field Instructor

Emma Willoughby

Emma was born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and recently completed her Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University. Whether it’s cross-country skiing across frozen lakes or paddling down rushing rivers, she is passionate about getting outside in every season. Emma believes that the best learning takes place out on the land, and from the land, and she enjoys exploring what ‘education’ means outside the four walls of a classroom. She is looking forward to her first season with ALIVE this fall and continuing to explore some of the most beautiful regions of our country!

Field and Virtual Instructor

Hayden Canning

Hayden joined ALIVE in the winter of 2020 after working in Outdoor Education for 5 years. From the Manitoba plains to oceans of Nova Scotia, Hayden has spent much time exploring, paddling, and climbing pretty much anywhere he can find! He now lives in the small town of Lakefield, Ontario and works as an Assistant Teacher at Lakefield College School and is a part time Beekeeper.

Lead and Workshop Facilitator, Field & Virtual Instructor

Sarah Recoskie

Sarah has been part of the ALIVE Instructor team since 2013. She lives in the mountains of Golden, BC but continues to make the migration east for the Fall ALIVE season. Sarah brings an infectious energy and love of the outdoors to every ALIVE program she is part of! In Golden, Sarah is a nanny as well as an alpine ski coach but most recently is embarking on a new adventure and has started Golden’s first Early Years Forest School. When not working with kids, Sarah can be found mountain biking, skiing, camping and doing anything she can outside.

Virtual and Field Instructor

Olivia McCallum

Olivia joined the ALIVE Outdoors team in 2019 and has loved being a part of the Connectival facilitation team since the fall of 2020. She wears many hats as a facilitator, youth mentor, and student of Media, Film, and Communication at Lakehead University. Through the Prosago Adventure Learning Program and Medeba, Olivia has discovered her passion for canoe tripping, community building, and experiential learning. You can find Olivia anywhere with coffee, dogs, and good company.

Field Instructor

Anthony Russwurm

Anthony exudes positivity and a love for outdoor adventure programming.  Seeing people push their comfort zone to accomplish something difficult forms the backbone of why Anthony has pursued this work for over 7 years.  He believes you are stronger than you think and has facilitated this realization for countless participants.  You can’t help but smile when you are in the presence of Anthony’s fun and caring energy.

Field and Virtual Instructor

Jake Fell

Jake joined the ALIVE Outdoors team in 2019 and spent his first ALIVE season guiding canoe trips in Temagami and Algonquin. He has been hooked ever since! In addition to working with ALIVE, Jake has spent 9 summer seasons working for Black Feather the Wilderness Adventure Company as a white-water canoe guide in the NWT, the Yukon and Nunavut.

In an attempt to take on a new type of adventure and explore the corporate world, Jake has recently moved to Ottawa and is working full time as a strategy consultant. As Jake settles into his new role, he is appreciating the flexibility of the work-from-home life and will be taking two months off from his consulting job this fall to guide for ALIVE and spend meaningful time outside.

Lead Facilitator, Workshop Facilitator, Field Instructor

John Reynard

John joined the ALIVE Outdoors community in 2015.  Raised in Burlington, Ontario, John spent most of his summers lifeguarding at the local outdoor pool.  After attending Teachers College in his mid-twenties, he decided to try something new and began working as a cook at the Madawaska Kanu Centre, a whitewater kayak/canoe school located close to Algonquin Park.  John soon fell in love with all things related to whitewater and would professionally guide and teach on moving water and in the outdoors for the next seven years. John now compliments this career path as a Grade 3 Teacher in the Ottawa region. 

Field Instructor

Lex Posie

Lex first fell in love with the outdoors in her early days while spending time at summer camps making memories. She enjoys contributing to teamwork and encouraging others to challenge themselves. She believes the relationships formed by these experiences are one of a kind and enrich lives.  Lex is an RMT in Toronto and goes north for city breaks to reconnect with nature. In her spare time, you can find her training for half marathons, getting involved in community theatre, hunting for a good coffee, or spending time with friends and family.

Field and Virtual Instructor

Kim Taylor

With a degree in Human Rights and Gender Studies, Kim has over six years of experience running youth programming addressing leadership and social justice issues. Kim joined the ALIVE Outdoors team in 2019, as a way to combine her experience in education with her love for the outdoors. Her passion is finding connections between the lessons the outdoors can teach us in relationship to tackling global issues. When she’s not at ALIVE, she’s teaching skiing in Switzerland.

Field Instructor

Savannah Stephen

Savannah joined ALIVE as a student in 2011 and circled back as an instructor in 2018. She is a trusted guide with diverse outdoor training and a strong connection to the earth. She thrives on embracing authentic, bright moments with those around her, both on and off trip. Savannah is drawn to learn more about indigenous culture, history, equity, and has begun to apply related practices and beliefs into her everyday life. Her lifelong journey is to continue learning and to share this knowledge with others. She has already begun sharing as one of the founders of The Wasteland Plan, as well as the founder, host and producer of her podcast, Child of the Earth.

Field Instructor, Workshop Facilitator

Sydney Badger

Sydney is motivated by all forms of water: Frozen, moving, and glassy calm. After graduating from the Outdoor Leadership stream at Lakehead University, Syd’s career has focused on empowering students and clients to feel and live well. She has worked as a personal chef, hosted healthy cooking workshops, instructed yoga, taught skiing, and is currently studying to become a registered therapist. Based in Squamish, BC (Skwxwú7mesh) you will see Syd smiling big amidst skiing, surfing or paddling adventures.

Field and Virtual Instructor

Lauren Hanley

Meet Lauren! She has spent her life always searching for the nearest body of water to play in. Lauren grew up as a student of outdoor education where a foundation of guiding skills was established as well as a realization that she wanted to turn her love for the outdoors into a career. To date, Lauren has been guiding wilderness trips for 10+ years. Lakes, rivers, and streams have her heart, but she has recently found a new love interest- traveling. She spent 3 years traveling around the world returning to Canada for paddle season!

Lead and Workshop Facilitator, Field Instructor

Ryan Benson

Former ALIVE Program Director and long-standing instructor, Ryan has helped shape ALIVE programs for many years in all seasons. Over his career Ryan’s work has always centered around the magic that happens when you work, play, and live with people in nature. His various jobs in teaching and guiding have led him to the Yukon where he now works as an educator for the Department of Environment. His role sees him promoting a sense of stewardship and conservation in the territory’s youth. Working with both scientists and educators, Ryan’s job is to take the science done at the department and transform it into engaging learning opportunities for teachers and students. The spell of the north is strong but so are Ontario’s warm lakes and pull of the amazing ALIVE community. Ryan continues to be involved whenever possible. Ryan has recently guided trips on the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers taking him through the world’s largest non-polar ice cap.

Field and Virtual Instructor, Workshop Facilitator

Niki Cesta

Niki joined the ALIVE Instructor community in 2019. She is a strong, open guide with a varied history of outdoor training and a deep connection to water. She thrives on pushing her edge, and supports others to do the same when exploring new environments. She has spent the better part of the last five years living out of a 70L backpack, and traveling for marine conservation work as well as self-work. She is a trained Scuba Dive Master, Sailor, Free-diver, and Yoga Teacher. Most notably, her guiding and conservation work in the Galapagos Islands built the foundation of her grassroots eco-business, The Wasteland Plan. Niki has gained most of her enlightenment underwater where her breath always connects her back to growth and intuition. Niki holds a Masters of Environmental Science with a specialization in Marine Biology and Conservation.

Field and Virtual Instructor, Lead and Workshop Facilitator

Felipe Ospina

After completing a multi-sport bike and kayak expedition from his hometown of Bogotá, Colombia to Leticia located in the middle of the Amazon, Felipe knew he wanted to lead a life of adventure.  Since this trip, he has stayed true to this belief completing several other biking expeditions including the El Camino de Santiago in Spain and creating a life revolving around Outdoor Education and Adventure.

Following formal studies in Marketing and Advertising at the University of Colombia Politecnico Grancolombiano, Felipe pursed his professional career in the outdoors within Colombia through a number of organizations; Off Bound Adventures, Andares de Colombia, ENVOYS, and EKO Campos de Verano.  Through these experiences Felipe deepened his belief in the power of experiential education and refined his ability as a facilitator to work with the natural environment to help students clarify values such as honesty, active citizenship, perseverance as well as cultivating a sense of pride and deeper understanding of what it means to be Colombian.

In Canada, Felipe’s professional experience is vast.  Working with organizations such as Outward Bound, Evolve Tours, Esprit Rafting and ALIVE Outdoors has left Felipe with a broad understanding of what it means to be a professional.

Although many of his roots are in Colombia, Felipe calls ALIVE Outdoors and the community of instructors, who are the heart of the business, his home away from home.  His professional attitude, playful personality, adventurous spirit and love for music and dance have always made him a highly valued member of the ALIVE team.

Lead and Workshop Facilitator, Field and Virtual Instructor

Jess Rock

Jess started working for ALIVE Outdoors in 2016 and felt an instant connection to the community and values represented by this incredible organization. Jess grew up loving the outdoors and found that she learned some of her most important life lessons while exploring the natural world. Throughout her career as an outdoor educator Jess has led whitewater canoeing and hiking trips for YMCA Camp Pine Crest, NOLS, and Appleby College. She has certifications as a Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education.

Field Instructor

Émy Nantel

From Quebec, Émy has worked as a professional in the outdoor industry for over 8 years.  Most recently, Émy spends her summers in Ontario guiding wilderness canoe trips for MHO Adventures and her winters as a backcountry ski guide in the Chis-Chocs Mountains.  When she is not in the field, Émy shares her vibrant personality as a physical education teacher. Émy is a passionate educator with a keen belief that you can learn something from everyone you work with.  She loves sharing her passion for getting outside and adventuring in wild places.

Field and Virtual Instructor, Workshop Facilitator

Christine Kinghorn

Christine grew up in a family that fostered a love of the outdoors and appreciation of nature, so it was a natural decision to seek work in the outdoor industry. She joined the ALIVE Outdoors team in 2013 and has spent many years working at camps and outdoor centres in Ontario. In her spare time, Christine loves the challenge of rock climbing both indoors and outdoors and exploring trails throughout southern Ontario. When she is not adventuring outside, Christine is a high school teacher in Toronto. She holds a diploma in Musical Theatre and M.A in Theatre and Performance Studies.

Field Instructor

Alyssa Burrows

Alyssa fell in love with camping the first night she slept inside a soaking wet A-frame tent in a roaring thunderstorm. Since then, she has hiked the Grand Canyon, kayaked Anticosti Island, and paddled numerous provincial parks. She is an Outdoor Educator with the Gould Lake Outdoor Centre and has been a Coordinator and Leader with McMaster University’s Outdoors Club. She holds certifications with ORCKA, National Lifeguarding, Wilderness First Responding, dance teaching, and additional mental health response certifications. Alyssa enjoys facilitating new experiences for her students and believes we grow the most when we are outside our comfort zone.

Alyssa is also a science communicator and aspiring pharmacist with a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Biology & Pharmacology and a Master of Science in Translational Medicine. When not making friendship bracelets around a campfire or a mean burrito after a long day of portaging, Alyssa enjoys dancing, swimming, reading, traveling, and baking chocolate chip cookies.

Lead Facilitator, Field Instructor

Matt Brown

Matt has worked with ALIVE since 2011. He attended school at Trent University for History and Geography where he developed a keen interest in the outdoors. After his university studies, Matt went to Sir Sanford Fleming College and graduated with a diploma in Recreation and Leisure. His college experience landed him jobs in New Zealand, Australia and across Canada as an Outdoor Educator, and he became Level 2 Ropes certified from Canadian Ropes Courses.

Field Instructor

Emily McDermott

Meet Em – an Outdoor Educator and guide, who’s been hanging out with the good people of ALIVE since 2017. She’s found herself in a plethora of positions from Raft Guiding to Outdoor Education, but the one that stuck was Adventure Therapy. She is currently chipping away at her education in Neuroscience, Psychology and Mental Health. Living by the motto “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”, she hopes to empower individuals to grow and accomplish goals in outdoor therapeutic settings.

Field Instructor

Cole McLaughlin

Cole joined the ALIVE team for the first time in 2015 as an ambassador of sorts from his work with nature connection and experience with The P.I.N.E Project in Toronto. Bringing his passion for playing in the forest and connecting with the world through senses and craft, Cole has accompanied ALIVE in enacting their re-wilding program development and supporting bushcraft offerings. Cole lives in Canada’s capital region working as a craftsman, artist and steward. He accompanies communities in developing their relationship with themselves, each other and nature (place).

Lead and Workshop Facilitator, Field Instructor

Heather Dabrowski

Heather joined the ALIVE team and immediately felt a sense of community that filled her heart right up. Her ongoing passion for supporting and mentoring students in outdoor and natural settings is what brought her to ALIVE. As an outdoor educator, teacher, forest school practitioner and avid traveller, Heather feels most connected to the world and people in it by exploring, adventuring, and sharing in good food and conversation with good friends.

Field Instructor

Sophie Eisberg-Marshall

Sophie’s love of the outdoors grew from a young age when she began doing programs with The P.I.N.E Project in Toronto. Through The P.I.N.E Project and family canoe trips, her love for outdoor education propelled her from a participant to a mentorship role. She is inspired to work in outdoor education because of a desire for community and to encourage youth to explore the world around them. As a young person herself, Sophie sees firsthand the impacts of social media and the digital space on youth, and the benefits of being outdoors. In addition to the outdoors, Sophie has been an avid dancer since childhood and loves reading, baking, and her cats.

Field Instructor, Workshop Facilitator

Lou Corbett

Lou Corbett is guided by a love of the wild and of learning. Having completed a Masters in Environmental Studies with a focus on biodiversity monitoring and citizen science, and currently undertaking a Bachelor of Education, Lou is a lifelong learner. A lifelong student of nature, too! Always looking to bring play, scientific inquiry, stories and historical context to help us understand this magical, beautiful, complicated world we live in. Lou has spent a number of seasons with ALIVE, enjoying canoe trips, facilitating outdoor education and connecting with the endlessly inspiring instructor community. Through her small (think tiny cabin-sized small) business North Shore Apothecary + Goods, Lou weaves a love of nature into wildcrafted skincare, aromatherapy and perfume all lovingly created from abundant and invasive wild plants of the Georgian Bay-Muskoka region. Chat with Lou about the edible wild, wildcrafting, essential oil distillation, and connecting with nature through the power of scent.

Field Instructor

Jen Wills

Jen’s passion for the outdoors started at a very young age. She could often be found fishing and canoeing at her Ontario cottage growing up. This love was enhanced through Girl Guides where she gained many skills in outdoor survival. After raising five children of her own, Jen wanted to spend more time learning and so she went back to school and graduated with honours as an Outdoor Adventure Naturalist. Jen loves guiding canoe and backpacking trips and has recently started her own tripping company where she encourages a slower pace and where guests can deeply connect with the environment, by participating in mindfulness and contemplative activities while on trip. She encourages an “inner journey in the outdoors” and promotes nature as therapy helping folks to improve their quality of life. Jen will often be found talking to birds and critters in the forest or canoeing the lake with her wife.

Lead Facilitator

Ann Creighton

Ann has worked alongside Alive since 2017. As a lifelong camp kid, Ann spent her summers playing and growing in the beautiful wilds of Ontario.  After graduating with her degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Ann decided that she would turn her love of working with people and getting them stoked for the outdoors into her year-round career. As a former outdoor centre director and outdoor professional, Ann believes passionately in the power this industry has to offer young people. Ann is motivated by connection, challenge, and play. In her opinion, there is no better time spent than singing a rowdy tune together around a campfire.

Field and Virtual Instructor, Lead and Workshop Facilitator

Lauren Oliver

Lauren has been a part of our ALIVE community since 2018. Fun is her middle name! She has spent the last 6 years traveling between the US, Ontario, Yukon Territory and Western Australia. Lauren’s enthusiasm for Outdoor Education started at a young age traveling from South Carolina to Ontario every summer to attend camp. She believes that big energy, compassion, integrity, and exploration are the keys to building a strong community. Outside of the OE life Lauren is a health and wellness coach empowering others to dig deep and persevere. With a background in Film and Media she’s a documenter at heart, bringing fresh creativity to every aspect of her life, while capturing the little moments that make it all worthwhile. You can find her at any beach by any ocean ready to take the plunge (no matter the season) or standing in a waterfall someplace somewhere.

Lead Facilitator, Field Instructor

Dan Whillans

Dan’s love for the outdoors has him living in Fernie BC working as a Teacher for the winter season. Each spring Dan ventures back to his homeland of Ontario to embark on other entrepreneurial projects in and around the Ottawa Valley. We are thrilled that he has woven the ALIVE Fall season into his eclectic calendar of purposeful work and adventures.

Field and Virtual Instructor

Krista Bradshaw

Krista has worked for ALIVE during Fall and Winter seasons since 2018, after finishing her Bachelor of Education with a focus in Experiential Outdoor Education. As a teacher, it has always been important for her to include experiential education and character building into her teaching practice – ALIVE aligns perfectly with her beliefs that some of the most powerful learning comes through experience and reflection. Krista feels that the experiences she’s had working for ALIVE have allowed her to grow immensely as an educator putting experiential education in action! Growing up, Krista wouldn’t have classified herself as ‘outdoorsy,’ but she came to find a love for the outdoors through rock climbing. Her first time ever camping was for a climbing trip when she was 19 years old! Since then, Krista has continued to climb and also become a paddler, mountain biker, regular camper and, on occasion, a van-dweller. She currently lives in Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh) but will always try to work in a Fall ALIVE season into her year as the experience working for ALIVE and the ALIVE community makes a cross-country trip worth it!

Field Instructor

Wesley Bennett

Wes has been hanging out with the great people of ALIVE since 2017. Most days you can find him working on various rivers across Canada as a whitewater raft guide and kayak instructor. However in the fall, Wes loves to slow things down and show students of ALIVE where his passion for the outdoors began in the lakes and forests of Ontario. Wes is passionate about outdoor education, and appreciates any opportunity he has to pass along knowledge the natural world has taught him onto others. Wes has recently become a certified EMR, and hopes to attend school to become a fully licensed paramedic.

Field and Virtual Instructor

Robyn Broudie

Robyn started working with ALIVE in 2017 and is grateful to be a part of this incredible community.  She has always been drawn to exploring the wild places of the earth and spent many years out in the world travelling and guiding international adventure trips.  Her deep curiosity to learn more about human psychology and nature lead her to working in the field of wilderness therapy.  Her experience guiding backcountry expeditions with vulnerable youth highlighted the incredible healing potential of the human connection and our vital need to sustain our innate relationship to the natural world.  She is currently pursuing her Masters in Social work with a focus in Ecopsychology and has also recently started a Toronto based company for kids.  Roots 2 Rise Outdoors is a company that facilitates programs in natural pockets throughout the city, providing spaces for children to connect with themselves, each other and nature through exploration and play.   If she is not studying or working you will find her somewhere wandering through the wilderness.

Nurse, Field Instructor

Christine Camilleri

Christine joined the ALIVE Outdoors team in 2017 after spending five years working in Outdoor Education as a leadership counsellor and canoe guide. In between working in a trauma unit and studying at McMaster University, she spends most of her time hiking, rock climbing, canoeing and recently, road biking adventures. Christine is passionate about learning new skills, getting out of her comfort zone and exploring the world.

Field Instructor

Jared Bell

Jared’s love of movement and the outdoors stems from his summers spent at camp and on family adventures. Working alongside ALIVE since 2016, he considers this time as some of his most foundational experiences, both as a professional and a person. A jack-of-all-trades yet master-of-none, Jared can be found paddling white-water, skiing or cycling – appreciating those he gets to do the sports with even more than the sports themselves. Currently attempting to build a career in business sustainability, Jared’s vacation time is already booked for ALIVE contracts.

Field Instructor

Margaret Fahey

Margaret was inducted as a member of the ALIVE family in the fall of 2016. A nomadic creature, her home base in Revelstoke, BC, where she works as a ski patroller in the winter months. Come spring time, she often finds herself migrating east, returning to the blue lakes and rocky shores from whence she came. Margaret works as a guide for Black Feather in the summer, leading outdoor enthusiasts on adventures down the wild and wondrous rivers of the northern territories. By the time fall rolls around she’s consistently and overwhelmingly delighted to join the ALIVE family in facilitating young adventurers in their curiosity of the natural world. 

Field Instructor

Naomi Jones

Naomi was introduced to the back country at an early age. It fostered a love of the outdoors, especially water in all forms, be it in a river, lake or in the form of snow. Nomadic by nature, for many years Naomi has migrated west to mountains each winter to enjoy the snow and, as the snow melts, migrates back east to enjoy the rivers and lakes of her home lands (Eastern Ontario). Having spent the better part of 10 years whitewater rafting in various parts of the world, Naomi enjoys returning to canoe guiding each fall to share her love of canoe tripping with others.

Field Instructor, Lead and Workshop Facilitator

Jen Hanson

Jen has grown up immersed in the outdoors. After pursuing degrees in kinesiology and education at Brock University, she went on to complete her Master of Education, focused on experiential learning. She is the Executive Director of Connected in Motion, a Canadian-based organization that provides retreat and adventure programs to adults with Type 1 diabetes. She has had the privilege of travelling throughout North America, guiding backpacking and paddling trips with Connected in Motion. Jen began working with ALIVE Outdoors in 2011 and looks forward to continuing for years to come. When she is not planning adventures through work, she enjoys spending time on her small island property in Northern Ontario.

Field Instructor

Maris Fraser

Maris is fuelled by water, mountains, and the people who gather there. She spent seven summers on the banks of the Ottawa River sharing her love of white water with new people every day. Maris first joined the ALIVE community in 2016 with a passion for helping people build a strong environmental ethic through outdoor experiences. Maris is now living in the beautiful mountain town of Revelstoke British Columbia where she works as the Training Program Coordinator for the Canadian Avalanche Association.