Kathleen Cox

Program Mentor

I grew up in the Central Valley on three acres of trees and dirt and tall grass. As a child, I spent hours outside every day climbing trees, investigating insects, and lying on my back in the grass watching the clouds float by. I remember the sound that the dry grass made as it waved in the wind. I remember the smell of wet Earth after a foggy morning. I remember the feel of the prickly Juniper bushes against my calves. And, I remember what it felt like to feel deeply connected to a place on this Earth. When my husband and I, along with our four children, moved to the Central Coast we were in search of more open spaces, and more opportunities to feel our connection to the Earth. Living here and homeschooling our children outside in such beautiful, wild places is such a privilege!

I enjoy working with young children, and I hold a degree in child development. Children growing up in nature makes sense to me. We need to be outside: feet in the dirt, following our curiosities. I am so grateful to be living my values as an Outside Now mentor. I am so grateful to be a part of this community of Earth loving people! 

Jessica Jelinski

Program Mentor

I feel grateful to have grown up among the oak woodlands of the Santa Monica Mountains and to have been part of a family culture that prioritized deep experiences in nature. At least once a month, my family would pile into our RV and camp somewhere in California. My childhood is dotted with powerful memories in nature—mud covered days at the Big Sur river, body boarding in Carpinteria, hiking in Yosemite, and so many sandcastles, mud castles, and stick fortresses. As I grew older, I recognized more the powerful impact of this simple, natural way of being and moving in the world. I sought out deeper nature experiences as an adult and how to share these with young people. My journey has taken me to many cultures and places—the jungles of Peru and Guatemala, the high mountains of India, the barren deserts of California, and the big island of Hawaii. I feel so grateful to be on this learning journey, living with many peoples of the world and learning how they live a nature-connected, community-oriented way of life. I feel grateful to be apprenticing myself to rites of passages, ceremony, and other ways of finding and experiencing our place in the great web of life. What a gift to be back on the Central Coast, weaving many cultures and pathways into my work with Outside Now and exploring the gift of aliveness with our young people: the future of the world!

Nic Johnson

Program Mentor

Born and raised in northern San Luis Obispo county, I spent most of my free time as a child/teen exploring nature, camping, fishing, and collecting various wild animals as pets. 
In my early adult years my family and I spent much time at our family ranch located outside the Carrizo Plains National Monument. It is here my partner and I raised/homeschooled our children in a nature based learning environment. During this time we farmed turkeys, chickens, pigs, and goats and tried to live as closely to the land as possible. Living walking distance from thousands of acres of public land has granted me the gift of endless exploration and provided me with fruitful hunting territory. My favorite activities in nature are hunting, fishing, and backpacking.I also have an extensive background in Mixed Martial Arts.
I have been actively training Kickboxing, Jiujitsu , and Muay Thai for over 10 years. I am a kids/adult kickboxing instructor and fighter. I love the discipline, respect, and the limit pushing experiences fighting has gifted me with as an adult. 

Nawal Kassir

Program Mentor

Coming soon…

Sam McRee

Program Mentor

I was skeptical of nature connection when I was introduced to it.  Yet, when I saw it was an important piece of the puzzle–I’m talking about the puzzle of how we are going to pass down the possibility of a good future–I embraced it wholeheartedly.  The patterns of nature have come to captivate my deepest curiosities, the patterns which can be known directly through tracking and bird language.  These are fundamental life patterns and can be found just as readily within one’s own mind as on the landscape.  When I think about how blessed I am to have this awareness, I am reminded of how the legacy of nature connection has been passed down from generation to generation and how fortunate I am to have been mentored by an invaluable link in this chain, a man named Mac Stewart.  Mac Stewart was a coyote mentor who was so artful in his approach he could sneak around all my walls and reawaken my innate curiosities. 

Kens Nadler

Program Mentor

I was born nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara, CA. Whether crafting people out of backyard mud or twirling through make-believe worlds amongst the tangerines, I grew up with the absolute certainty that Mother Nature could serve as a potent playmate, teacher, and friend. I extend gratitude to Goleta Family School, my curly-haired parents, and a budding backyard for revealing to me Earth's inherent wisdom. I went on to further tend my relationship to the wild by earning an undergraduate degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Women’s Studies. My path led me to intern with NARETOI in Kenya through "Women Empowering Women, " where I was deeply humbled to climb mountains and learn beside an incredible cross-cultural group of Maasai and American women. The belly laughs and connections echoing from the Kenyan mountains showed me the possibility of utilizing outdoor adventure as a platform to build equity, solidarity, and allyship amongst womankind. This remains a core mission of mine. I am a lover of giggles, honeybees, poetry, avocados, and little wave surfing. I am humbled to be a part of Outside Now and to walk dirt trails with all types of people, as we explore together what it means to be a child of this beautiful Earth.

Adam Nichols

Program Mentor

I was fortunate enough to have an upbringing full of positive and meaningful experiences in nature. An early memory is staring out at swaying golden grasses in a high mountain meadow from a makeshift playpen in Blanco Basin, CO. I enjoyed walking in the fall foliage around Deerfield, IL, the crisp air reddening my cheeks and making my nose run. I hiked and biked the fire roads and rolling single track of beautiful Mt. Tam outside of San Francisco, CA. There were endless summer days frolicking in frothy waves on the beaches of San Diego, rugged backpacking trips deep into the backcountry of the High Sierras, and epic days playing in the Tahoe snow on skis and snowboards. In recent years I have slowed down a bit, and my relationship with nature has taken a gentle and welcome turn. Yes, I still appreciate and enjoy activities in nature, but I have also developed a deeper appreciation for the simple moments of nature connection that happen every day. Nature is always there, and I seek her out, check in with her, learn from her, and evolve.

Dina Overland

Program Mentor

I’m a perfect example of how a deep connection to the natural world can flourish after you’re an adult. I wasn’t raised in or around much nature (honestly, I was a “city girl” for a long time), but everything shifted for me when my son was born. He wanted to be outside almost from the moment he arrived and, as my husband and I accommodated him, I realized how much I too preferred and benefited from being outdoors. I now know that nature is like medicine to me: calms my mind, soothes my senses, and brings me immense joy. I’ve learned that nature holds the answers to all of life’s lessons, too, like how to deal with transitions, how to sit and be still, how to feel empowered in your being, and how to flourish exactly where you are. Connecting our children to the natural world ensures future generations will reap these benefits and develop a great love and respect for our beautiful earth.

Victoria Pond

Program Mentor

Growing up as an aspiring academic, I have been on an incessant quest for truth. I was always searching for an answer to a question I didn’t even know yet. When I fell into the hands of Nature, I knew I found it. The answers to all my burning questions always seems to reveal themselves when I go out to hike, surf or adventure in nature. Although I am still a lover of books and poetry, I find the most valuable learning comes from time spent in the presence of our natural world. We are all a part of it and to prompt our remembering of how to live in harmony with this place we call home, is what motivates me in all that I do. It is my belief that a commitment to caring about the wellbeing of each other and the environment is a radical medicine that can heal almost any aching heart. Learning to be one with this Earth and the beings on it has been the greatest gift and I am inspired to be a part of the Outside Now community, cultivating deep relationship with each other and our Home. 

Kara Quinn

Program Mentor

I am a lifelong nature enthusiast! I am my happiest when I am outside, and I believe any time spent in nature is time well spent. As a child, I grew up camping along the coast with my family and enjoyed countless walks in the Sierra Nevada mountains with my grandparents near their cabin. You’ll often find me hiking, camping, or just being outside near my home while exploring the natural beauty around me. I recently moved to the coast from the Central Valley with my husband and two children, and I am thrilled to be able to share this beautiful location with them and begin making more memories outside!  My background is in early childhood education. Being with children and passing along my love and respect for nature is something I am passionate about.

Nancy Rae

Enrollment Coordinator

I grew up at a time when children spent most of their free time outside. I have fond memories of exploring the creek next to my house, climbing trees, and playing in the snow in the cold Midwest winters. My family and I camped every summer on cross-country vacations, and we spent lots of time hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

As an adult, I enjoy connecting to nature through hiking, kayaking, sit spots next to the ocean, or just listening to the birds chirping in the forest behind our house and watching the deer and wild turkeys raise their young in our neighborhood. Connecting to nature in these ways provides me with a meditative respite from my otherwise, very busy life as a mother, homeschool parent and O.N. administrative team member.