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Meghan Ballard (Owner, AM Session Lead Teacher) Meghan has a B.S. in Environmental Science, has completed graduate level coursework in Environmental Education. She is a Certified Teacher with the Association of Nature-Based Education and a Certified Teacher with Cedarsong Way nature immersion pedagogy. She has over twenty years of experience engaging Preschool-Adult classes in nature- based education and has worked for SOLVE, Friends of Tryon Creek State Park, and the Wetlands Conservancy. She loves observing and learning about the natural world with her students through play, art and hands-on investigations. She has spent the past five years teaching an outdoor “caregiver and me” class called Wild Preschool and a drop off nature-based art and science class for elementary school youth called Wild School. She is currently board chair of the Blue Mountains Conservancy, a freelance environmental educator. In her free time, she enjoys being outside with her family and hiking with her dog. |
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Beth Wasley (AM Session Teaching Assistant) Beth is a La Grande native. She graduated from the University of Oregon, lived and worked in France, Mexico and Washington state, and then settled back home in La Grande where she has raised her own family of two children with her husband Kevin. Deeply connected to the outdoors and her community, she finds joy in hiking, drawing, and creating art—especially alongside children. With a Master’s degree in Teaching in Art and over fifteen years of experience teaching art to children, Beth brings creativity, curiosity, and care to her work every day. Grateful for the opportunity to spend her days making, noticing, singing, and walking outside with these beautiful children, Beth aspires to nurture a lifelong love of art and nature in those around her. |
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Tatiana Derichsweiler (PM Session Lead Teacher) Tatiana is a master herbalist and owner/founder of WildWomanOnFire apothecary. She is dedicated to the land and raises her young wild child in the beautiful Grande Ronde Valley with the Norwegian philosophy of friluftsliv in mind. With an educational background in early childhood development, over a decade in pharmacy, and a continued education in natural medicine, she looks forward to guiding young independent thinkers in learning and fostering a deeply rooted love of the natural environment around them. |
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Lexzi Hart (PM Session Teaching Assistant) Lexzi brings warmth, creativity, and genuine care to every child she works with. Before joining BMNS, she spent four years as a local nanny, supporting families and gaining hands-on experience with children of all ages. She is passionate about early childhood development and believes deeply in creating nurturing, curiosity driven environments where kids feel safe to explore, grow, and express themselves. Lexzi loves incorporating music, conversation, and imaginative play into the learning process, and she enjoys finding engaging ways to support each child’s unique strengths. Outside the classroom, Lexzi likes to spend her time singing, sky gazing, snuggling her cat, and having craft nights with her friends. She hopes to continue growing in the field of early childhood education and looks forward to supporting the BMNS community as she develops her teaching practice. |