Maggie has dedicated many years to teaching across age ranges and subjects, particularly through homeschool cooperatives. Teaching has been a lifelong passion and joy for her, rooted in her formal education training and enriched by extensive experience. Recently earning her Early Childhood Education certificate, Maggie's heart is especially close to working with younger students, and she has a natural gift for inspiring curiosity and wonder in early learners.
Beyond traditional academics, Maggie is also a skilled natural horsemanship instructor. Over the years, she has seamlessly integrated her expertise with horse-assisted learning and recently earned certification in Horse Powered Reading and Math. Her work with horses provides children with unique, hands-on experiences that build confidence and foster holistic growth.
Maggie is known by colleagues and parents as a passionate educator with extraordinary creativity and enchanting storytelling abilities. She transforms any learning environment into a world of magic and imagination, where children embark on adventures and work together to solve mysteries. Maggie utilizes the power of stories to inspire and engage, often incorporating whimsical elements into her lessons—from puppet shows to interactive storytelling sessions. Her infectious enthusiasm and ability to spark curiosity create an environment where children feel free to explore their own creativity, fostering a lifelong love of learning.
A lover of the outdoors, Maggie believes deeply in the value of nature-based learning. Her Waldorf influence blends beautifully with her forest school approach, creating a nurturing environment where children can learn and play within nature’s classroom. Maggie’s commitment to fostering resilience, creativity, and a love of learning has made her an inspiring and dedicated educator in every community she serves.
Liza has had a passion for teaching children since her own positive experience growing up in an outdoor education school, right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She knows first hand how impactful it is to learn in an environment that has connection to nature, encourages body movement, team building, and fostering a love of learning. Guiding/ mentoring/ teaching comes naturally to her, she delights in solving how to get through to each individual student and easily gets them engaged.
Kaitlyn has over 15 years of professional childcare experience and has taught in enrichment programs as well as developed her own social-emotional learning program for children. Her experience includes nannying, teaching, counseling, coaching, parent education and support, program evaluation and consultation.
Kaitlyn has worked with a diverse range of families from different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and belief systems. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and attended graduate school for Professional Mental Health Counseling before taking an extended leave of absence. She has since decided to offer her services to families outside of the standard system of mental health care, by offering support to parents and children on a sliding-scale basis. Kaitlyn is trained in mediation, play therapy, nonviolent communication, trauma-informed care, ages and stages of development, positive discipline, respectful parenting, and attachment theory.
Kaitlyn is passionate about providing calm, confident leadership for children. She is deeply committed to ensuring all of her work is relationship-centered and grounded in an understanding of child development and focused on fostering holistic wellbeing.
As a mentor with Three Poplars, Kaitlyn melds therapeutics with outdoor exploration. Natural settings stimulate the senses, allowing children to explore, play, and connect with their surroundings. Kaitlyn enjoys teaching mindfulness practices, using sensory integration and connecting with the earth to learn how to cope with stress and regulate our emotions.
Nicole and Mark have generously offered use of their magical land in Marshall, near Alexander/Leicester. This property includes a creek, rolling hills, forest, and gardens. Nicole and Mark's belief in this program and desire for their land to serve the community has been such a blessing after Hurricane Helene. We are so thankful for their hosting us in this space where we are creating something beautiful.
Tom is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast. From a young age, he embraced the call of the wild, spending countless hours exploring trails, rivers, and mountains. This love for the great outdoors guided him to Montreat Anderson College in North Carolina, where he pursued Outdoor Education and became a guide for the college's Outdoor Discovery Program.
His commitment to fostering connections with nature extended to his role as a Scoutmaster and instructor for homeschool co-op outdoor education programs. He believed in the transformative power of nature and actively worked to instill this value in his own children, teaching them the importance of learning from and engaging with the world around them.
In addition to his outdoor education work, Tom became a professional hoof trimmer and a natural horsemanship instructor, further enriching his understanding of the animal-human bond. He taught an equestrian program at a local forest school, where he emphasized the importance of hands-on learning and experiential education.
Driven by a vision of reconnecting people with nature and their roots, Tom has dedicated himself to creating an affordable program that allows families to experience and learn from the outdoors. He believes that true education comes not just from books, but from immersing oneself in the natural world, where students can develop a genuine connection to their studies through hands-on experiences. Through his multifaceted approach, Tom continues to inspire others to rediscover the joys of nature and foster a sense of community that celebrates learning and exploration.
With a deep passion for the outdoors and a knack for creating streamlined systems, Abby brings both organizational expertise and a love for nature to her role as Office Administrator for TPC. With a background in administration and a strong commitment to fostering transformative outdoor experiences, Abby plays a crucial role in keeping the program running smoothly behind the scenes.
Abby is dedicated to ensuring that all logistical aspects are handled with precision, allowing Mentors to focus on the core mission: providing holistic learning experiences in nature. Her ability to create effective systems and processes ensures that everything from registration to program implementation is seamless, organized, and accessible.
An avid outdoors enthusiast, Abby believes in the power of outdoor education to foster personal growth, teamwork, and a deep connection with the environment. Whether managing office duties, assisting with program planning, or coordinating events, Abby supports the detailed work necessary to make our programs possible.
Audrey is a passionate, creative force who’s both tough and tender-hearted. A versatile artist, Audrey plays the ukulele and piano, writes stories and poetry, and has a knack for photography, design, and content creation, all of which she channels into amplifying the mission of the Three Poplars Collective.
Her early experience remodeling mobile homes with her dad taught her resilience, critical thinking, and a can-do attitude. Though she studied marketing at NC State, she quickly realized her hands-on nature needed more than classroom learning. This led her to work in Asheville’s vibrant restaurant scene, where her love of hospitality took her from fine dining at Biltmore Estate to slinging tacos White Duck.
When the pandemic hit and restaurants closed, Audrey co-founded The Pickled Crane with her sister and partner, blending their talents into a unique collective of food and art. She’s proud to have created their famous peanut sauce and spring rolls along with managing their photography and marketing.
Audrey’s passion for propelling people with purpose and her commitment to helping others shine are at the heart of everything she does.