Santa Barbara Faculty
Jenn Sepulveda
Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Jenn has a deep love of and appreciation for nature and all its wonder-filled gifts. She grew up in South Lake Tahoe exploring fresh water lakes and streams, climbing granite boulders and mountains and has always sought refuge in the natural world. She graduated from UC Davis with an emphasis on Spanish language and literature, completed graduate work in Spain through New York University, and obtained her Bilingual Teaching Credential through New College of CA in San Francisco. Her interest in and love of Spanish language and cultures began at an early age and led her to pursue living and studying abroad in Mexico and in Spain. She has been a bilingual educator here in Santa Barbara since 2008 (at Cesar Chavez Charter School, Orca School and Wild Roots), and a mentor for Wilderness Youth Project since 2012 . In 2018, Jenn completed level 3 training with the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers. She is daily mentored by her own spirited boy, who brought her out of the classroom and into the wilds. With her feet on the earth roaming barefoot on the land, singing songs and playing games with the wee ones, she is grateful to experience curiosity alive, and to share in the magic that is everywhere. She loves working with her hands, tending the land, and all opportunities to share and offer gratitude. She is also deeply committed to weaving a vibrant tapestry of sustainable communities.
Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Jenn has a deep love of and appreciation for nature and all its wonder-filled gifts. She grew up in South Lake Tahoe exploring fresh water lakes and streams, climbing granite boulders and mountains and has always sought refuge in the natural world. She graduated from UC Davis with an emphasis on Spanish language and literature, completed graduate work in Spain through New York University, and obtained her Bilingual Teaching Credential through New College of CA in San Francisco. Her interest in and love of Spanish language and cultures began at an early age and led her to pursue living and studying abroad in Mexico and in Spain. She has been a bilingual educator here in Santa Barbara since 2008 (at Cesar Chavez Charter School, Orca School and Wild Roots), and a mentor for Wilderness Youth Project since 2012 . In 2018, Jenn completed level 3 training with the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers. She is daily mentored by her own spirited boy, who brought her out of the classroom and into the wilds. With her feet on the earth roaming barefoot on the land, singing songs and playing games with the wee ones, she is grateful to experience curiosity alive, and to share in the magic that is everywhere. She loves working with her hands, tending the land, and all opportunities to share and offer gratitude. She is also deeply committed to weaving a vibrant tapestry of sustainable communities.
Amalia Smith Hale
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Amalia grew up in a bilingual household, always living in different places both in the US and in Latin America. In each of these places, she found connection and magic in the natural world, always exploring, hiking, swimming and climbing trees. Since a young age, Amalia has embarked on backpacking trips through the Rocky mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, the Alaskan wilderness, the Canyons of Utah and many other wild places with friends and family. On these adventures, she has learned great amounts about herself and about the land she has explored.
Amalia is a musician and an artist and considers creative expression to be an essential element of her life, especially in her work with children. She graduated with a degree in Ecological Agriculture from the University of Vermont and has spent the past 8 years living with her husband in Brazil where they work on a piece of collectively owned land that serves as an educational site for Agroecology, Bioconstruction, Permaculture, and Riparian reforestation. Since moving to Santa Barbara in mid 2018, Amalia has immersed herself in studying Nature Based Early Childhood Education at Antioch University and has worked as a farm teacher at the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens. Amalia is passionate about working with children in the natural world and learning every day from their wisdom, observations and creativity.
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Amalia grew up in a bilingual household, always living in different places both in the US and in Latin America. In each of these places, she found connection and magic in the natural world, always exploring, hiking, swimming and climbing trees. Since a young age, Amalia has embarked on backpacking trips through the Rocky mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, the Alaskan wilderness, the Canyons of Utah and many other wild places with friends and family. On these adventures, she has learned great amounts about herself and about the land she has explored.
Amalia is a musician and an artist and considers creative expression to be an essential element of her life, especially in her work with children. She graduated with a degree in Ecological Agriculture from the University of Vermont and has spent the past 8 years living with her husband in Brazil where they work on a piece of collectively owned land that serves as an educational site for Agroecology, Bioconstruction, Permaculture, and Riparian reforestation. Since moving to Santa Barbara in mid 2018, Amalia has immersed herself in studying Nature Based Early Childhood Education at Antioch University and has worked as a farm teacher at the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens. Amalia is passionate about working with children in the natural world and learning every day from their wisdom, observations and creativity.
Sespe Miller
Mixed Age Preschool Lead Teacher
Sespe Miller was born in Santa Barbara and raised on his father’s small organic farm in the foothills above the city, where he farms to this day. As a young and adventurous boy he explored nearby canyons, and chaparral forests and fell in love with the land, the birds and the animals. As he grew, his relationship with nature grew more and more intimate. Sespe apprenticed with Earth Walk Vermont, where he studied and practiced ancient teaching methods for 16 months. He has also studied with the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers and apprenticed for several years with Wild Roots director, Lia Grippo. Realizing that nature is a tool to strengthen community, Sespe made it his goal to connect people to their natural surroundings and to study a variety of mentoring and teaching styles. Sespe is basket maker, having apprenticed with a master. He is a skilled and knowledgeable naturalist, farmer, mentor, and storyteller. Sespe can usually be found making something useful and beautiful with his hands. Sespe is loving life, learning when ever, where ever, and however he can and giving thanks for it all!
Mixed Age Preschool Lead Teacher
Sespe Miller was born in Santa Barbara and raised on his father’s small organic farm in the foothills above the city, where he farms to this day. As a young and adventurous boy he explored nearby canyons, and chaparral forests and fell in love with the land, the birds and the animals. As he grew, his relationship with nature grew more and more intimate. Sespe apprenticed with Earth Walk Vermont, where he studied and practiced ancient teaching methods for 16 months. He has also studied with the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers and apprenticed for several years with Wild Roots director, Lia Grippo. Realizing that nature is a tool to strengthen community, Sespe made it his goal to connect people to their natural surroundings and to study a variety of mentoring and teaching styles. Sespe is basket maker, having apprenticed with a master. He is a skilled and knowledgeable naturalist, farmer, mentor, and storyteller. Sespe can usually be found making something useful and beautiful with his hands. Sespe is loving life, learning when ever, where ever, and however he can and giving thanks for it all!
Natalia Pareja
Mixed Age Preschool Assistant Teacher
Natalia was born in La Paz, Bolivia- a city nestled in the Andes Mountains at 13,600 ft. As such, she grew up with a reverence for mountains and an affinity for climbing them. A child from a Californian mother and Bolivian father, Natalia was raised bilingual in English and Spanish alike. As a young adult she entertained the idea of a business career and completed a degree in Finance and Mathematics. Eventually, she realized through her experience teaching that her love for working with children would surpass all other pursuits. Following her heart, and motivated by her first nephew, she discovered Montessori and became enchanted by Waldorf. This educational journey brought her to Santa Barbara to complete a Masters of Arts in Education with a Concentration in Nature Based Early Childhood Education at Antioch University. Natalia believes in lifelong learning, embraces vulnerability, and meets the world with kindness and wonder. She fills her wanderlust through travel and finds solace by putting down roots gardening. She is eternally grateful for the reflection this world has given her at birth who reminds her of how magical life truly is: a twin sister.
Mixed Age Preschool Assistant Teacher
Natalia was born in La Paz, Bolivia- a city nestled in the Andes Mountains at 13,600 ft. As such, she grew up with a reverence for mountains and an affinity for climbing them. A child from a Californian mother and Bolivian father, Natalia was raised bilingual in English and Spanish alike. As a young adult she entertained the idea of a business career and completed a degree in Finance and Mathematics. Eventually, she realized through her experience teaching that her love for working with children would surpass all other pursuits. Following her heart, and motivated by her first nephew, she discovered Montessori and became enchanted by Waldorf. This educational journey brought her to Santa Barbara to complete a Masters of Arts in Education with a Concentration in Nature Based Early Childhood Education at Antioch University. Natalia believes in lifelong learning, embraces vulnerability, and meets the world with kindness and wonder. She fills her wanderlust through travel and finds solace by putting down roots gardening. She is eternally grateful for the reflection this world has given her at birth who reminds her of how magical life truly is: a twin sister.
Chanel Loren
Mixed Age Preschool Co-Lead Teacher
Chanel was born and raised in Santa Barbara. With memories of seeking wild places in her younger years, it wasn't until her adult life when she lived at the edge of the forest with dappling lakes sprinkled amongst the woodland far off in Massachusetts that she tasted what her soul had been longing for. After graduating with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Peace and Conflict in Massachusetts, Chanel sought how to embody and create the balm that her studies showed her our world was hungry for, which sent her dancing into a love affair with what Mary Oliver calls, “the family of belonging” that is found in the natural world. Her wings took her back to Santa Barbara. Since 2014 she has been deepening her relationship and devotion to place. Chanel’s imagination was expanded after stumbling upon the magic that Wild Roots proves possible. She has completed all 3 levels of the Forest Kindergarten Teacher Training and is a continual student of the natural wonder. Drawing upon the respect and honor of the ones that came before her, Chanel seeks to embody the exemplar tending of this land the way the Chumash always have. She is dedicated to inspiring a future generation that is relentless in their creation of a beautiful future. She is inspired by all the beings and creatures of the land and believes in creating a world with out borders between humans and all other sentient beings. Chanel finds her recipe for this outside amongst the oak woodlands, singing with children, harmonizing with the chorus of the plants and animals, and dancing in step with the rhythms of the land.
Mixed Age Preschool Co-Lead Teacher
Chanel was born and raised in Santa Barbara. With memories of seeking wild places in her younger years, it wasn't until her adult life when she lived at the edge of the forest with dappling lakes sprinkled amongst the woodland far off in Massachusetts that she tasted what her soul had been longing for. After graduating with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Peace and Conflict in Massachusetts, Chanel sought how to embody and create the balm that her studies showed her our world was hungry for, which sent her dancing into a love affair with what Mary Oliver calls, “the family of belonging” that is found in the natural world. Her wings took her back to Santa Barbara. Since 2014 she has been deepening her relationship and devotion to place. Chanel’s imagination was expanded after stumbling upon the magic that Wild Roots proves possible. She has completed all 3 levels of the Forest Kindergarten Teacher Training and is a continual student of the natural wonder. Drawing upon the respect and honor of the ones that came before her, Chanel seeks to embody the exemplar tending of this land the way the Chumash always have. She is dedicated to inspiring a future generation that is relentless in their creation of a beautiful future. She is inspired by all the beings and creatures of the land and believes in creating a world with out borders between humans and all other sentient beings. Chanel finds her recipe for this outside amongst the oak woodlands, singing with children, harmonizing with the chorus of the plants and animals, and dancing in step with the rhythms of the land.
Portia Johnson
Mixed Age Preschool Co-Lead Teacher
Portia Johnson was born and raised here, in Santa Barbara. She enjoyed a lot of freedom as a child, playing outside on her family’s acre of land in the foothills, exploring the hillsides where her brother and friends would jump from boulder to boulder, venture into caves, snack on sour grass and splash in San Antonio Creek. After high school she started to explore the wider world, spending a gap semester in India, then moving to Boulder, Colorado where she attended Naropa University and graduated with a BA in Early Childhood Education. While in Boulder she met some amazing mentors who guided her work, and led her to become a preschool teacher at a Waldorf-inspired school, to start and direct an after school service-learning program with youth, complete a year-long nature connection apprenticeship with Feet on the Earth Programs, become a City of Boulder volunteer naturalist, complete the Lifeways North America Early Childhood certification, and attain an MA in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education as well as State of Colorado ECE Teaching License through University of Colorado Denver and Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Program. After eight years in Boulder, she and her husband took off to teach at International schools in Qatar and Taiwan. Four years later, she and her family returned to her hometown with a new daughter. Portia is excited to be marrying her passion for working with young children and her love of nature at Wild Roots. Portia currently lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and two year old daughter.
Mixed Age Preschool Co-Lead Teacher
Portia Johnson was born and raised here, in Santa Barbara. She enjoyed a lot of freedom as a child, playing outside on her family’s acre of land in the foothills, exploring the hillsides where her brother and friends would jump from boulder to boulder, venture into caves, snack on sour grass and splash in San Antonio Creek. After high school she started to explore the wider world, spending a gap semester in India, then moving to Boulder, Colorado where she attended Naropa University and graduated with a BA in Early Childhood Education. While in Boulder she met some amazing mentors who guided her work, and led her to become a preschool teacher at a Waldorf-inspired school, to start and direct an after school service-learning program with youth, complete a year-long nature connection apprenticeship with Feet on the Earth Programs, become a City of Boulder volunteer naturalist, complete the Lifeways North America Early Childhood certification, and attain an MA in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education as well as State of Colorado ECE Teaching License through University of Colorado Denver and Boulder Journey School Teacher Education Program. After eight years in Boulder, she and her husband took off to teach at International schools in Qatar and Taiwan. Four years later, she and her family returned to her hometown with a new daughter. Portia is excited to be marrying her passion for working with young children and her love of nature at Wild Roots. Portia currently lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and two year old daughter.
Sister Mulberry Tree
Agility, Balance, Awareness, Natural Cycles, and Daydreaming Teacher
Sister Mulberry has lived in the Children’s Garden at Fairview for many years. She has served as a classroom, a source of delicious berries for humans and animals. Sister Mulberry has had hundreds of children climb on her stable, thick branches, build forts in her lush green leaves, and run around her low hanging branches, listen to stories at the base of her trunk, and daydream in the shade of her canopy. Sister Mulberry teaches with Wild Roots Forest School in the months of November and March. She also teaches during, Summer camps, After school programs, Spring Break, and is always open to visits after hours. Sister Mulberry enjoys her time listening to the birds sing, children’s laughter and playing with Brother Wind.
Agility, Balance, Awareness, Natural Cycles, and Daydreaming Teacher
Sister Mulberry has lived in the Children’s Garden at Fairview for many years. She has served as a classroom, a source of delicious berries for humans and animals. Sister Mulberry has had hundreds of children climb on her stable, thick branches, build forts in her lush green leaves, and run around her low hanging branches, listen to stories at the base of her trunk, and daydream in the shade of her canopy. Sister Mulberry teaches with Wild Roots Forest School in the months of November and March. She also teaches during, Summer camps, After school programs, Spring Break, and is always open to visits after hours. Sister Mulberry enjoys her time listening to the birds sing, children’s laughter and playing with Brother Wind.
