About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a play-based, nature immersion education that will enable each child to become creative thinkers, independent and joyful learners, and stewards of the Earth.
Studies show that children are spending more and more time in front of screens rather than exploring and interacting with their environment. A nature-based education can benefit children’s health and development by reducing behavioral problems, enhancing both fine and gross motor skills, and developing creativity and problem solving skills. All while cultivating a connection and love of nature. The nature learning component of Forest Trails Playschool is composed of 100% of the day outdoors, including snacks outdoors, learning by playing in a shaded forest area, nature walks, yoga, and art.
Cathy Bode
Director, Teacher
Certified nature-based preschool teacher by Eastern Regional Association of Forest and Nature Schools
Certified forest school teacher and Director by Forest School Teacher Institute
Cathy founded Forest Trails Playschool to provide nature immersion programs for Central Florida families. After working 14 years as a pharmacist, she left her career to pursue her dream of educating children in a natural environment. Cathy is also passionate about science and loves to ignite curiosity and wonder in children with engaging science experiments.
Vanessa Rodriguez
Teacher Forest Kindergarten and Terra Explorers
Vanessa earned her CDA and DCF teaching certificates while in high school and is currently getting her Bachelors in Pediatric Speech Language Pathology at UCF. She has experience as an Assistant Teacher in the Primary Classroom at a Montessori School. Vanessa is from Miami and comes from a wonderful Cuban family. Her favorite snacks are Cheez-It’s and guava pastries. She loves anything to do with outdoors as well as dancing and trying new foods!
Carol Melendez
Co-Teacher, Forest Kindergarten
Carol has always loved spending time in nature, especially growing up in Central Florida, where there is no shortage of outdoor activities. But it wasn't until she had her first child that she became passionate about early childhood development. In search of a like-minded community, Carol found Forest Trails Playschool and enrolled her son in the Nature Stay and Play program. It was then that she realized that teaching was a path she wanted to pursue, so she got certified as a Forest School Teacher through the Forest School Teacher Institute. Carol is also pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and hopes to combine her passion for nature and early childhood development to inspire and nurture children's natural connection to the outdoors.
Titilayo Ogunduyilemi
Teacher, Nature Stay and Play
Affiliations
Educational memberships include: Eastern Regional Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS), the Natural Start Alliance (NSA), the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE), American Forest Kindergarten Association (AFKA), and the League of Environmental Educators in Florida (LEEF). Through these networks, educators can stay up-to-date with the most recent nature education research and participate in professional development and certification programs.
Acknowledgement of Indigenous People
We acknowledge that we gather on the lands and territories of the Ais, Apalachee, Calusa, Timucua, and Tocobago tribes as well as the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Many members of these Indigenous groups were forced to leave their land or lost their lives to settler colonial and state-sponsored violence. This acknowledgement demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Forest Trails Playschool will continue to work to dismantle power imbalances and promote social justice in our local community and beyond.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
Forest Trails Playschool commits to creating an educational and social environment in which families and educators of diverse backgrounds feel welcomed, respected, and expressly valued. We define diversity as the broad spectrum of cultures, races, ethnicities, language speakers, genders, sexual orientations, religions and creeds, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities that together make up our communities, country, and world. All programs are open to families of all histories, backgrounds, genders, identities and abilities. Forest Trails Playschool does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, gender preference, nationality, religion, or abelness.
