Staffing Philosophy
Thorne believes that well-qualified, passionate, caring, and committed staff are essential for the success, safety, and quality of our nature preschool program. All staff have the necessary early childhood qualifications but also have experience and training in mentoring children in nature.
Leadership
Lorene Wapotich
Preschool SEnior manager
303.499.3647 x 106
lorene@thornenature.org
Lorene Wapotich (she/her/hers) is passionate about guiding children and their families into deeper relationship with nature, greater knowledge of self, and the cultivation of multi-generational community through long-term, nature connection mentoring. She has worked in the field of outdoor experiential education for nearly 30 years and has witnessed the profound positive impact that direct hands-on experience in nature, unstructured play, and emergent child-centered curriculum has on children’s social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual development. Lorene is the Founder and former Director of Feet on the Earth Programs, a local nonprofit that provided Boulder County families with exceptional nature-based programming for 10 years. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Education from Prescott College, with an emphasis in Wilderness Leadership and Natural History Education, and a Masters of Education from Lesley University, with a concentration in children’s development, nature-based education, and rites of passage. In addition to her extensive training and experience as a nature-based educator and naturalist, Lorene has studied and practiced wilderness survival skills, the 8 Shields Cultural Mentoring model, outdoor emergency medicine, is a Certified Clinical Herbalist, and is Large Childcare Center Director qualified.
Lauren Barth
Preschool Coordinator & EDUCATOR
laurenb@thornenature.org
Lauren (she/her/hers) joined the Thorne team while in high school as a volunteer and returned for the summer after finishing her major in Recreation Outdoor Education with an emphasis in outdoor leadership and youth education. Lauren also has an ECE certification through Front Range Community College and over six years of experience working with outdoor youth education programs. Lauren believes that the connection to nature at early ages is not only developmentally beneficial in the experience of free exploration, but it also helps build a connection to the spaces around us as stewards, leading to a better environmental future. In Lauren's free time, she can be found making jewelry out of retired skis, rafting, climbing, biking, running, and hiking with her dog Peri.
Our Teachers
Julia Birdsell
Lead Teacher
juliab@thornenature.org
Julia (she/her/hers) joined the Thorne team in the fall of 2023. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at the University of Minnesota in 2022. Julia grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and spent most of her time at Lake Michigan or camping up north where she found her love for the outdoors. Julia developed her passion for nature-based education while interning at a forest school in high school, and the passion grew when she student-taught at an outdoor preschool in Minnesota. She believes that integrating nature with young, creative minds produces the most productive and impactful learning environment.
SILJE HAYES
LEAD TEACHER
silje@thornenature.org
Silje Hayes, pronounced Sil-yuh or Sil for short, (she/her/hers) is a graduate of Colorado State University with a BS in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. She has worked with children in many different capacities over the years, starting as a summer day camp volunteer at 17. Since graduating from CSU, Silje worked with children at outdoor summer day camps, as an EcoWeek Instructor at the CSU mountain campus, as a paraprofessional in Poudre School District, and most recently by guiding outdoor field trips for students in the Denver Metro area. She is beyond excited to be working with Thorne Nature Preschool. It is her belief that children who develop a love of nature will become lifelong stewards of the earth and Thorne Nature Preschool helps children to love the outdoors.
Hattie Gilburt
PRESCHOOL Teacher
hattie@thornenature.org
Hattie (she/her/hers) graduated from CSU in 2023 with a bachelor’s in Human Dimensions in Natural Resources. Since then, she’s worked for the forest service and been an outdoor educator for Thorne during the summer. She’s proud to be a part of the Thorne team as one of the Preschool Teachers. Her love for the outdoors and her passion for teaching young children go hand in hand at Thorne.
Erica Carpenter
ASSISTANT PRESCHOOL TEACHER
erica@thornenature.org
Erica (she/her/hers) joined Thorne as a Summer Camp Instructor in 2024 and now works as an Assistant Preschool Teacher. Erica grew up in Connecticut and spent her childhood catching frogs, playing amongst the trees, and iceskating on frozen ponds. After receiving her B.S. in Forestry from the University of Maine, she moved out to Colorado to work for the U.S. Forest Service as a Forest Ranger at the Maroon Bells. Erica began her childcare career in November of 2023 at a daycare and transitioned to nature- based education at the start of the following summer. Erica has a deep passion for finding the magic in nature and instilling the importance of caring for our Mother Earth within our future land stewards. Erica currently enjoys camping, crocheting and hiking.
Michelle Villagran
Assistant Teacher
michelle@thornenature.org
Michelle Villagran (vee-uh-grahn) (she/her/hers) grew up in Southern California, exploring the deserts, ocean, and mountains throughout the year. She graduated from the University of Redlands with a BS in Environmental Science, was a trip leader for the college’s Outdoor Programs, and was a Co-President of Jane Goodall’s nationwide environmental education program, Roots and Shoots. She spent the next six years teaching outdoor environmental education, first in Southern California, then locally in Colorado at Cal-Wood Education Center. Since leaving Cal-Wood full-time (you can still find her doing evening programs occasionally), she has worked in early childhood education, first in a childcare center and then as a private caretaker. She is so excited to be part of the Thorne team and combine her ten years of working with children, with her love of Nature and understanding the importance of growing up outside.
“This is our second year at Thorne Nature Preschool and the teachers are what make this program a success.”
-Thorne Nature Preschool Parent
