ABOUT

Stephanie graduated from Creighton University Physical Therapy Program in May 2001 with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Her experience in pediatrics has ranged from many pediatric settings including Early Intervention, schools, & outpatient hospital services.  In 2015, she shifted to private therapy practice to focus on incorporation of holistic wellness care for women & children. The opening of Well Wilderness Kids Therapeutic Nature Center shortly followed as her vision to create a space for children of all ages & abilities in a nature-based setting came to light. She has studied the science behind the benefits of nature on the sensory system, immune system & overall brain development in children which has fueled her passion to create an inclusive nature center for families & her community.

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She & her husband, Farmer Jon, with their 4 children lead a busy farm life full of caring for animals, outdoor projects, gardening & enjoy hosting outdoor gatherings for family & friends.

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“Birds of a feather flock together. Feathers come in all shapes, sizes & colors. They identify each bird as part of a group yet also differentiate them as individuals. When feathers are found on the ground, they are often approached with a sense of wonder & kept as a treasure to its finder. There is a story that comes along with each feather…a journey that takes them to the place where the feather landed. And most importantly, feathers serve a vital purpose in providing insulation, protection & flight. Like feathers, each child has an identity that provides them a sense of belonging to a group yet makes them each unique. Every child has a story, a journey that they can be guided on by Learning Allies who support & nurture them along the way. Children provide us with warmth, strength & navigation throughout life.  If only we approach them with a sense of wonder, we will come to see their value like that of a treasured feather."

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"'Today or Never' That's my motto." ~ Mary Poppins

Lori graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Social Work.  She comes with over 25 years of experience working with children & adults having developmental disabilities. Prior to joining Well Wilderness Kids, Lori spent 20 years with a non-profit organization supporting adults having IDD to achieve their fullest potential through a program that focused on body, mind, & spirit to build strength and foster independence.  Lori directed a successful employment division and helped many individuals within the program seek meaningful employment uniquely suited to their interests, abilities, & goals.  As part of her role, Lori led the organization through arduous accreditations, receiving high honors for compliance & person centered services.

 

Lori joined the Well Wilderness Kids team in February of 2021. She has a passion for teaching children a healthy foundation of social-emotional intelligence & mindfulness skills. Lori is the Lead Learning Ally for the ToddlerPlay group and provides Social Emotional Learning skills in Semi Private & Private sessions. She shares that the most rewarding part of her job is watching the children blossom from beginning to end throughout the All Season NaturePlay program which is truly indescribable. 

 

Lori & Stephanie are launching the Mindful Parenting Coaching program together in 2024 where parents & families can learn therapeutic strategies to support Social Emotional skill development, Reflex Integration techniques & Mindful Communication language for everyday family life.

 

Lori & her husband, Dave, have 3 girls (Livi ~ 16, Katelyn ~ 14, & Finley ~8) who keep them busy with school activities & sports.  Together, they enjoy spending time with friends & family, hiking, game nights, & being active members of their church.

 

Lori is an incredibly passionate & dedicated Learning Ally that goes above & beyond for our Well Wilderness families. She truly makes significant impact on children with her calm spirit & loving heart.

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 “I chose the nature element of air because it is constantly in motion, even when you can’t see it. This is similar to the human mind.  Air can be concentrated on human thought seeing all the beautiful things life has to offer. Children often see the world very differently & help us notice the little things that make life meaningful, that we often overlook, or take for granted. Beauty is everywhere, in everything, and it's up to us to open our eyes and look around to see it.”

 

 

“Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.”  - Walt Disney

Brittany received her undergraduate degree in Illustration at MIAD in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While taking a course focused on community service, she found her calling working with inner-city kids at The Urban Ecology Center, an educational nature space on the Milwaukee river. She has since volunteered with various programs in the KC Metro that strive to bridge education gaps within urban school systems such as Literacy KC, Lead to Read & the Front Porch Alliance PAL Program. She feels most passionately about fostering a sense of play & wildness in marginalized communities and will always strive to use her privilege as an access point for others.

 

These experiences led her to a process-based art studio for children & their families that she helped run for 3 years. Brittany was able to further explore her interest in sensory play & the therapeutic aspects of art while leading classes and camps for children 18 mos and up.  As a neurodivergent learner, she has always found solace in mess-making & comfort in an art room. The studio inspired her to start her own business creating creative interventions for people of all ages & she is excited to share her all-natural aromatherapeutic playdough “Aromadoh” with the Well Wilderness community!

 

Brittany currently lives in her hometown of Lawrence, KS & continues to serve the families of her community as a playworker with City Play Corps, a non-profit adventure playground pop-up. She stays busy with her business and maintains employment at a woman-owned restaurant on Mass Street where she gets to flex her SEL skills daily. She prides herself on being a curious explorer of the world, a mindful entrepreneur, & a proponent of play. She always has an adventure on the horizon & views Well Wilderness Kids as an exciting new journey bridging all of her passions.

 

"Shadows carry so much information about the natural world. They can tell us the time of day & the time of year, while also providing such playful organic shapes. There’s a balance there that inspires me & reminds me that where there is darkness there is also light & neither can exist without the other."

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“All good things are wild and free.”

― Henry David Thoreau​

Danielle graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Family & Consumer Sciences Education.  She has experience teaching in multiple childcare settings & at the middle school level.  She has always had a deep passion for Early Childhood Development.  Danielle has served as a Parent Educator & Coordinator for Parents as Teachers since 2015.  It was during this time that she strengthened her knowledge & skills for Social-Emotional Learning & Mindfulness.  Her career in parent education trickled down to a desire to work with, not just the parents, but the children too to help foster the importance of Social Emotional development.  

 

She has training & experience in Conscious Discipline, and teaching children’s yoga & mindfulness.  Danielle’s goal is to better understand the brain and the reason behind the behaviors of children.  She is passionate about play & believes that play is truly the most important work in childhood!  Danielle is grateful for the opportunity to see children learn & explore through nature, while fostering their natural development.  

 

Danielle has 3 children of her own & strives to raise kind humans who are compassionate to others & to nature.  She strives to slow down & get outside everyday to see the simple things & take in their beauty.  

 

"Trees have deep roots that symbolize what I strive to plant as I work with children & parents. Those roots grow strong & mighty much like I hope the children do too." 

 

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”

~Nelson Henderson

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Madeline graduated from Harding University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology & a minor in Fine Art. She has experience working in therapeutic learning environments, as well as volunteering with organizations such as Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald houses, & Relay for Life. It is very important to Madeline to be involved with her community & she loves the opportunity to incorporate her interests in nature, mental health, and art in ways that foster healing & peace. Madeline also has experience using "art as therapy” to encourage others to realize the potential for problem solving, safe emotional expression & exploration within the creative process. There is so much research that supports art as an effective stress reducer.  As an avid reader, Madeline loves to discover new ways that art can benefit our emotional well-being. 

 

Madeline loves spending time with her family & friends hiking, camping, & reading any novels she can get her hands on. As an artist herself, Madeline has a never-ending list of projects to try & is always collecting art supplies. One of her favorite things to do is incorporate dried and pressed plants, rocks, or twigs into her creations & has so much fun collecting these items during her time exploring the outdoors.

 

"I have always been a collector & am often teased by my family for always having full pockets after a walk. The stability & weight to be found in stones is one that has kept me grounded my whole life. The intricate beauty of each stone is also a humbling reminder for me that beauty can be found in a myriad of shapes, sizes, colors, & weights. The preservation of time periods within certain types of stone or rock is also an exciting portal into the history of the earth that gives me a sense of purpose & belonging in the ways I choose to interact with nature. Art making & curating pieces of nature that bring me joy is an important daily practice that provides me peace & healing as I move through life. I hope to pass some of this onto others in ways that fits them & the life they hope to live."       

 

"At the root of all art & all science there exists a gap – a gap between what the world is like & what the human creator wishes & hopes for it to be like. Our unique way of bridging the gap in each of our lives seems to me to be the essence of the reason for human creativity.” -Mr. Rogers

Tonya graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2001. She fell in love with pediatric OT during one of her fieldwork experiences providing OT to birth to 3 year olds and their families in their homes throughout southeast Kansas. Her first position at Mi-Child Enrichment Center, provided the opportunity to work with a team of over 15 therapists in a preschool setting for kids with special needs and their peers in Russellville, AR. Tonya returned to the KC area to provide home visits as a member of the Infant/Toddler team at the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. Although she took a break from OT as an active therapist to raise her children, she always kept her OT hat in her back pocket and stayed connected to the OT community through part-time OT work & memberships in the Kansas Occupational Therapy Association and the Kansas City Pediatric Alliance.  

 

Tonya & her husband, Dave, started their family in 2005 and now have 5 kids keeping their calendar full of sports, music & theater events. Tonya & her family enjoy hiking, off-road biking, camping, fishing, and playing on Grandma’s farm. Tonya & her husband are passionate about raising kids with great character in community with other families. They have dedicated countless hours to the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, & American Heritage Girls (AHG) communities. Tonya has been a leader in AHG for over 8 years in a variety of roles, serves as the committee chair and as a den leader for Cub Scouts, and also serves as Vice Chair on the Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting. 

 

Tonya has experience implementing sensory integration and vision strategies, aquatic therapy, feeding for young children. She is trained in the Sing.Play.Love program & is passionate about sharing this program to teach self-regulation and social emotional skills to children. She is beyond excited to combine two of her passions, pediatric OT and exploring nature, within her adventures at Well Wilderness Kids. 

 

"Whether it's a single candle lit on a chilly morning while enjoying coffee snuggled in a blanket, or a campfire on a weekend evening telling stories & laughing with family and friends, a fire can bring comfort & joy to many situations. Fire is essential to cooking our food, warming our homes, & providing light. Sometimes we talk about the fire inside of us. In some days and some seasons our fire may be a little dim, and in other times, the fire within us burns brightly. My hope is that I can provide your children with a little spark of encouragement to help them develop and learn in Nature Play. So, gather around the fire with me. Let's sing a song, enjoy a warm cup of tea, or share a warm meal together as we grow in friendship as partners on the journey helping your children grow. Let's see their light shine!"

 

"Good friends are like the stars, you don't always see them, but you know they are always there."

 - Unknown

Courtney has over 12 years of experience working with young children.  She is a graduate of

Emporia State University with a degree in Elementary Education as well as a Masters Degree as a Reading Specialist.  Courtney taught 1st grade for 9 years and 2nd grade for 3 years in the Olathe School District.  She left the classroom to stay home with her two children.  While staying at home she found Well Wilderness Kids for her toddler.  She & her family fell in love with Well Wilderness' mindful approach to Social Emotional development.  After spending a year as a parent, she knew she wanted to be a part of the Learning Ally Team.  Courtney is looking forward to connecting with Well Wilderness families as well as sharing her love for nature, team work, & learning.  

 

“Rocks represent stability, strength, and solidity.  All of these qualities help build a solid foundation for whatever we choose to build.  As a Learning Ally, I want to support children to form their own foundation through nature exploration, creativity, mindfulness, and compassion.”

Denise has a love for learning all things mind & body and exploring the impact of the mind-body connection on our overall well being.  She has been a School Psychologist for over 13 years & has an Ed.S in School Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa. In addition, she is a

Certified Wellness Coach & Yoga Instructor. She has experience in schools providing individualized mental health support, teaching social skills groups, social-emotional/behavioral assessment & conducting comprehensive educational evaluations. She enjoys incorporating mindfulness & mindful movement while working with students & educators.  Denise also volunteers in the Girls on the Move after school program. 

 

Denise is a wife and mom of two kids & one Schnoodle. She loves reading, biking, hiking, swimming, paddle boarding, playing in the dirt & game nights with her family. She also enjoys spending time in the mountains. 

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“To me sunflowers represent strength, resilience, positivity & joy. They stand tall & sturdy, even in adverse conditions, & always face toward the sun. Paradoxically, they have delicate, yellow petals; they are gentle & warm, to show that we can be strong, along with soft, resilient, but also vulnerable.  Sunflowers remind us to embrace the good in all things, seek out light & always face the sun in our lives, especially in difficult times.”

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“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” 

—Helen Keller

Vikki graduated from  the University of Missouri Columbia in May 1987 with a BS degree in Occupational Therapy.  She began her career working in inpatient psychiatric hospitals with children to adults.  After a few years, she began working in pediatric practice with over 25 years in the school system as well as First Steps Early Intervention, outpatient pediatrics & some guest teaching with OT students.  

 

Vikki & her husband Paul, who is a Physical Therapist by training & now in Health Administration, live in Olathe, KS.  They raised two boys, Seth (26) and Sam (24), in Springfield, MO.   They recently added two daughter-in-laws to the family.  They enjoy traveling to National Parks, camping, hiking & playing board/card games together.  

 

"A river is always moving yet able to nurture life within it.  Sometimes there is too much water & sometimes too little but it always moves forward.  As my life has moved & flowed on I hope to nurture children's lives regardless of the water level.  In nature I see the Creator & feel close to Him when surrounded by it."

Lindsey is a former Well Wilderness Kids Volunteer for 3 Summer seasons.  She has dynamic experience of caring for children as a nanny & in early childhood settings.  She is currently pursuing a degree in

Early Childhood Development at Johnson County Community College. 

 

Lindsey is passionate about nature & animals. She loves to go fishing, hiking, riding horses & spending her days outside reading. She enjoys taking in the beauty of nature especially flowers. 

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“My Nana had flowers in her garden growing up & I would love to look at and smell them. I think a flower represents my journey at Well Wilderness Kids. I started as a bud when I volunteered and now I am blossoming into a flower to help children grow in nature therapy.” 

 

“If you truly love nature, you will see beauty everywhere.” - Vincent Van Gogh 

Marisa has been a Physical Therapist Assistant for 6 years & has leaned more towards a holistic approach over the past few years. She has most recently delved into the world of breath, airway, oral tethered issues/mouth breathing, & the connection of the diaphragm & pelvic floor to posture & stability. She loves seeing kids' creativity which inspires her to slow down & pay attention to the simple joys of life. Some of her favorite memories as a kid were exploring around the pond on her property, climbing a special willow tree, identifying birds, & using her imagination in the midst of nature to keep her busy for hours. She is excited to be a contributing Nature Team member towards the growth, emotional regulation, relational skills, & developmentally appropriate inclusive play that happens here. 

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"The nourishment & strength of a tree is bolstered under the surface--more than what we can see. I have benefited greatly from looking for the "root" of an emotion, an attitude, an idea, instead of being driven by an emotion itself. Our beliefs about the world & ourselves tint the lens we look through. Knowing this helps me dig deeper & listen for the root of what a child is thinking or needing & help guide them towards a productive response to challenges."

Marissa graduated with her Bachelors in Social Work from Avila University in 2019. She has worked as a Case Manager in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a residential treatment center, & with foster families and children. She also received education through the

Nutritional Therapy Association, certifying her as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 2023.

 

Marissa had her first baby in October of 2023, & has been a stay at home mom since then. She decided to join the NaturePlay Team in 2024 to fulfill her desire to work with children & to offer her skills and education to support young children & families. She loves watching the kids explore the outdoors, use their imagination, and experience the sense of wonder that all children innately are gifted.

 

"My daughter’s name is Marigold (Goldie for short) because flowers are my favorite nature element. They can make even the most plain or boring space look beautiful. They come in all shapes, colors & sizes, and each is beautiful in their own way. They are the universal offering for happy times, sad times & everything in between. I love seeing random flowers around the farm. It’s just a reminder that beautiful things are everywhere, if we just remember to look for them!"

Shanna graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2016 with a degree in Psychology.  She immediately began working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in an Autism Center. There, she focused on helping children diagnosed on the spectrum with social & emotional awareness, assisting in day-to-day personal or social tasks, engaging in social play with peers & learning how to love themselves to their fullest potential.

 

She & her husband then moved to Gardner, KS where she focused her skills with younger children diagnosed on the spectrum between the ages of 18 months to 5 years. She found her passion for helping the littles with all different abilities to grow & thrive within their natural environments. She quickly became a lead technician to support not only the kids, but also new employees wanting to grow their own passions.

 

After the birth of her first son, she stayed home with him for almost two years to watch him grow. This timeline brings us to today where she found Well Wilderness Kids as a way for her son to be his happiest self & to grow his social emotional awareness amongst new peers. Knowing he is safe & loved made it an easy yes for her to join the NaturePlay Team to dip her toes back into her love of helping children to dig their own roots & nurturing their growth.

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"I couldn’t be more excited to watch each of these children build their own foundation here with each other in therapeutic NaturePlay! Building such a strong foundation within nature will certainly help them weather any storm that may come their way along their journey of life."

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“A tree with strong roots laughs at storms.” - Malay Proverb

Lydia is an Occupational Therapy Doctoral student set to graduate in December 2024 from

Rockhurst University located in Kansas City, MO. She will be completing her Capstone Project in the Fall of 2024 with Well Wilderness Kids.  While Lydia is still developing her expertise as an Occupational Therapist, she has a deep passion for helping children grow & learn in their natural play environments. This enthusiasm stems from her experiences babysitting, her previous fieldwork & her role as a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.  She is grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of an emerging practice that supports young children of all abilities.

 

Lydia’s love for the outdoors began in childhood, inspired by her dad who would take her & her siblings on bike rides, encourage them to help in the garden & engage in activities like hiking, golfing, & fishing. She continues to enjoy spending her free time outdoors, as well as reading books or watching movies indoors.

 

“The world gets quiet when it snows. The ground, trees, houses & roads become covered with a fluffy white blanket that seems to make you pause, slow down & listen. Not to mention the fact that each & every snowflake that falls from the clouds to rest on this Earth has its own unique design. No two are the same. Snow is a perfect representation of God’s beautiful creation & a reminder to be still and rest in Him."

 

“Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night will always fill my heart with sweet clarity.” – Novala Takemoto

Emily graduated from Central Methodist University’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program in 2020. She has had multiple experiences working with the Special Needs Community including being a paraprofessional in a medically fragile classroom. Emily started her OTA career in the Lawrence School District, working with kids with all abilities. Her experiences & passion for early childhood development along with her love of nature, have her enthusiastic & thrilled for the opportunity to implement nature as a therapy tool.

 

Emily & her fiance, Luke, are preparing for new life adventures, starting with their wedding in October of 2023.

 

“Each leaf has its own design & colors that make every single one unique from the others.

As seasons change, leaves learn to grow & adapt. Even when life turns cold with barriers, they fall down only to eventually & always grow back stronger. Our lives blend with those of leaves as we all face challenges & each have our own unique characteristics to contribute to every course of life. Every soul is unique as it grows & faces adversity to then bloom back to where they are planted.”

 

“In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow.”

– Amit Ray

Kristi is a Board-Certified Music Therapist and creator of Stepping Stones KC. Kristi graduated from The University of Kansas with a degree in Music Therapy, and an emphasis in early childhood development. While at KU, she worked as a preschool teacher and also received a minor in Psychology, and Certifications in Research and Service Learning! Kristi has worked with young children in home, classroom, and community settings and has over 10 years of experience working with children of all ages with a wide variety of different needs! She has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Delays, Down Syndrome, Emotional/ Behavioral Disorders, Attachment Disorders, and more.

 

"I am passionate about helping children reach their goals and supporting families, without boundaries!  I feel at-home in nature and love to share that passion for adventure and exploration! I love climbing trees to gain a different perspective and listening to the music that the wind and the trees create. Tree trunks represent stability, adventure, and, most importantly, growth. This is a perspective that I carry into my music sessions, allowing children to experiment, grow, and explore music naturally!"

Taylor graduated from State College of Florida’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program in 2017. Since that time, she has worked at an outpatient/school-based setting in addition to the opportunity to teach Special Education while in Florida.  Taylor moved back to the Kansas City area in 2019 where she has served as a paraprofessional at a center for children diagnosed with Autism. Her therapy background as an Occupational Therapy Assistant allows her to integrate sensory-based play experiences in a child's natural environment.  Her passion for connecting children with nature has her beyond excited to share her blended role as a therapist, teacher, and caregiver with the children & families at Well Wilderness Kids.

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“I have always been drawn to water since I was a little girl. I grew up going to the beach and will always be the first one to jump into the waves! One of my husband and I’s hobbies is to find creeks in the area to go explore with our dog. Being near water is my happy place. It came to fruition while I was in the pool with a young boy with Cerebral Palsy that I nanny, that someone with such limited movement could feel so weightless, free to move in the water, independent and exhibiting pure joy. That is why I believe water to be the most powerful element in nature.”

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“In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time."
― Leonardo da Vinci

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Cherie graduated from University of Kansas in 2011 with a degree in Sociology. Her passion for people & service led her to work in management in local maker businesses & nonprofits. She has worked hard in her organizations to support outreach efforts in her community.  Her passion in creating teams & functional work environments has guided her to Well Wilderness Kids to assist with marketing, social media, & community outreach. 

 

Cherie & her husband Travis love taking their daughters Calliope & Elodie for traveling adventures & local excursions. She feels so lucky to have her daughters participate in Well Wilderness Kids NaturePlay programs to enrich their social emotional growth.