Sara Otis

Co-Founder / Director

Teacher—3 to 8 year olds

Sara has a deep passion to connect with nature and help young people do the same. She has over a decade of experience guiding young people in many different contexts and environments. She initially became intrigued of connecting education with natural environments while working with kids in Bogota, Colombia. After moving back to her hometown of Knoxville, while pursuing post grad studies in Counseling, she was introduced to the magic of the forest school model. Soon after, she obtaining her forest school certification in Seattle Washington through Cedarsong, and then founded Knox Forest School with a passion to make this education available to her own kids and Knoxville’s youth. Sara is presently finishing up a level III certification through the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers. She is the mother of three wonderful kids. She enjoys backpacking with friends and family, quiet walks in the forest, wildcraft, natural dyeing, fields of Goldenrod and Aster, collecting songs, and of course, a good true crime documentary.

Natalie Connors

Teacher—3 to 5 year olds

Director of Curriculum—3 to 5 year olds

Natalie has an enthusiasm for nature education; she appreciates how the outdoor classroom cultivates a sacred space for children to make deep connections with our natural world. Her education background includes a Bachelor's in Art History and a Masters of Science in Education with an emphasis in Art Education from the University of Tennessee. Natalie has over a decade of experience in education in both private and public schools holding roles as lead teacher, art teacher and art director from ages preschool through high school. She has developed an affinity for working with preschoolers. In addition, Natalie has begun her journey as a trainer to support fellow educators. Her passion for nature education led her to earn a certification as a forest teacher from the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools. Natalie spends her time creating, laughing with good friends, exploring with her beloved lab, Bear, hosting game nights, sharing stories around a fire, going for swims and walks, tearing up over beautifully written books, and baking family recipes.

Bailey Fuller

Teacher—3 to 5 year olds

bailey has developed a strong connection to the natural world through experiences from her childhood and adult life, She spent a lot of time in the woods growing up, allowing her to form an understanding and passion for nature. She’s carried this passion throughout her experiences as an educator and is always looking for new opportunities to expand her knowledge and learn alongside of her students. She has taught in the public school realm and in Montessori and Nature Schools. She says, “I love seeing the light in a child’s eyes when they explore the natural world, and I believe that is something that needs to be protected and honored. When I’m not exploring with students, you can find me with my family, practicing yoga, tending to my garden, going camping, reading a good book, or cooking up a meal for my friends and family.”

Luke Marx

Teacher—6 to 12 year olds

Director—Wild & Well Program

Luke has a passion for human development and working with children. His connection to nature began through outdoor play as a kid. He would climb trees, explore, and make belief live in the woods with his neighbor. In 2019 He earned a bachelors degree in child and family studies at the University of Tennessee. As part of this program, he interned at Knox Forest School, where his connection to nature and understanding of people grew. In 2023, Luke earned a Masters in School Counseling and interned in Knox County Schools as a school counselor. He also has experience teaching preschool in a variety of outdoor and Montessori education programs. Luke is excited to be back at the Forest School. He is passionate and intentional about helping to foster wellness and development and believes the forest school is an ideal context for this!

Stephen Otis

Co-Founder

Director—Forest School for Adults

Stephen’s initial nature connection began in the forests and trails of the Great Smoky Mountains. He also loved building hidden forts wherever he could as a kid. He now has a great passion for hiking, journeys, education and creative flow. He has twenty-three years experience in education, having worked in schools in Boston, Bogota, and Knoxville. His education background includes a degree in Anthropology, a Master’s in History, and a certificate in Acceptance and Integration Training (counseling protocol). Stephen has a passion for the art of storytelling and loves contagious laughter, building things, taking long treks in the mountains, science fiction, and most of all, being a partner to Sara and a dad to his three wonderful kiddos—Zoe, Zaide and Walker. In teaching, Stephen seeks to instill in people (of all ages!) a sense of magic, harmony, and joie de vivre.

BETH AISENBREY

Teacher—3 to 5 year olds

Garden Mage—3 to 12 year olds

Beth has a deep love for the natural world that has manifested into a passion for wandering, caring for creatures, and having her hands in the soil. She has a degree in Food and Agricultural Business from UT and has spent the last 6 years working for various farms as well as teaching gardening classes, dabbling in herbalism, and training as a birth doula. Her greatest joys in life include belly laughs, slow hikes, sunrises, and spreadsheets.

Marcy Yoder

Teacher—3 to 5 year olds

Marcy's deep connection with nature began in the woods of north Alabama, where she grew up. She received a BA in Art and a Masters degree in Teaching from Harding University. She taught elementary art for 3 years, guiding children as they discovered their own voice and love of creativity. She now spends much of her time outside with her little girl, Wren. Marcy is an artist, a lover of mystery, gets really excited about moss (as well as birds and moths) and carries a deep abiding love for Wendell Berry.

Summer Fuss

Teacher — 3 to 5 year olds

Summer has a loving passion for connecting to nature that grew from time spent in her childhood hiking, exploring, and foraging morels in the woods surrounding her grandparents cattle farm in Middle Tennessee. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. She discovered her calling to work with young children through experiences mentoring at-risk-youth in Knox County schools and working in play-centered preschools. Her goal in the classroom is to encourage a unique understanding of the world through individual exploration and an understanding of the self in respect to its function, place, identity, and authenticity. Her studies in the fields of psychology and child development center on a positive understanding of the everyday individual, that everyone is virtuous and capable of manifesting their reality into whatever they dream possible. Summer finds her peace in creating free-associative art, baking, riding her bike, hiking, and playing her clarinet.

Katie Barr

Teacher — 3 to 5 year olds

Director — 6 to 12 year olds & Adventure Program

Katie’s love for nature stems from her adventures hiking and foraging among her favorite trails. One of her most treasured experiences is section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. A Pennsylvania native, she graduated with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration from York College of Pennsylvania. Katie has worked in multiple outdoor experiential education capacities as an instructor, and loves helping children experience the joys of the natural world. In her free time, Katie can be found going hiking with her partner and beloved dog, Eddie. Katie also enjoys a nice cup of coffee, a freshly foraged mushroom, and good compost (the more worms the better!).