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Learning In, From, and Through Nature
The Wild Journey Team
Mollie Barnes
Founder & Educator
I founded Wild Journey Forest School in 2024 with a dream of connecting children and families with nature in order to help change the world, while also homeschooling my 2 year old daughter. I am passionate about fostering children’s relationship with Mother Earth and promoting environmental literacy through immersive nature-play. I believe that time spent outdoors while engaging in child-led play promotes the holistic growth of the learner across all developmental domains.
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I enjoy teaching social/emotional skills, adaptive skills, place-based ecology, sustainability, wildcrafting, outdoor cooking, risk-awareness, and backcountry survival and safety. I am an observant and knowledgeable naturalist, have executed gardening plans with children through the spring and fall planting seasons, can manage and build simple projects, and have experience working with small farm animals.​
I have been teaching and leading students in both indoor and outdoor settings since 2014. I spent 1.5 years a Lead Nature-based Teacher at Inman Park Cooperative Preschool, leaving at the end of 2024 to spend more time with my daughter. Prior to that, I was the Assistant Director and Educator of Robin's Nest Nature School, a 100% outdoor forest preschool program for 3.5 years. There, I applied my education, experience and passions towards assisting with the development and implementation of the curriculum, daily routines, discipline ethos, staff/substitute orientation and training, assessment and documentation, student success, community events, parent co-op, and the school's culture. I've also worked with children ages 6-8 as the Lead-teacher in the EDSL program at The Children's School from 2017-2020.
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I obtained my M.A. in Educational Studies from Western Governors University in 2020 with a concentration on the application and benefits of Forest School and Nature-based Pedagogy. In 2017 I obtained my a B.S. in Outdoor Leadership from Young Harris College. These experiences taught me how to facilitate student-centered outdoor and nature-based lessons that support the development of the whole learner. I also received my Culinary Management Degree from Gulf Coast State College back in 2008.
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​I am dedicated to upholding the highest standards as a Nature-based Educator and Risky-play Practitioner. I have studied NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practices and North American Association of Environmental Education Nature-Based Professional Practices to maintain this goal. I am CPR and Wilderness First Aid certified, and have training in Wilderness First Responder skills. I also obtained my Nature-based Teacher certification through the Eastern Regional Association of Forest and Nature Schools.
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​I am nourished by the rocks, rivers and woods of the Southeast. I enjoy backcountry camping and hiking, climbing, canoeing, and whitewater boating. Growing up hunting, fishing, surfing, sailing, and camping in NW Florida, I experienced first hand the power of time spent outdoors as a catalyst for building a positive relationship with the natural world. I deeply understand how these immersive nature-play experiences foster self-confidence, self-efficacy, resilience and independence.​
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Highly energetic, I love to be goofy with children, and find it easy to share in their excitement. I am eager to discover the wonders of the world with our youngest explorers and help them flourish on their Wild Hero's learning journey.
