Meet Our Team
Our guides are from all walks of life: we have nature therapists, outdoor educators, counselors, meditation practitioners, yoga instructors and more. We are a team of nature enthusiasts and we love finding connection and meaning in nature. Get to know us!
Philip Hosmer
Founder and Executive Director, Certified Ecotherapy Facilitator
Since my earliest memory, I have always been drawn to and nourished by the outdoors. My father instilled in me an appreciation of the simple joys that our natural world offers us: the sound of leaves underfoot in autumn, the warmth of the sun on a cold winter day, the scent of pine trees in the morning, and the mist from a moving creek against your face on a summer afternoon. These elemental pleasures, scientific research shows, are vital components of our physical and mental health. But society has veered sharply away from being outdoors. The average adult spends 93 percent of their time indoors, where they are looking at a computer or TV screen for 10 hours and checking their phone 80 times. It is my mission to bring the healing, restorative properties of the natural world into the lives of others through Nature Worx. I formed this organization drawing on my experience leading several other not-for-profit organizations focused on family support and outdoor recreation. I am excited by the team of professionals we have assembled, and by the positive impact we are making in peoples’ lives.
Lisa Robbins
Outreach and Development Coordinator,
Certified Ecotherapy Facilitator
Connecting with nature is the cornerstone of my self-care practice. Outdoors is where I find moments of beauty, awe, and wonder, as well as a deeper sense of peace and calm. Nature provides wisdom and lessons that help me understand and reflect on my life. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, gardening, and capturing the wild abundance of nature with photography. I try to incorporate things I’ve learned as a life coach and Reiki practitioner into each Nature Worx session, and I find our clients’ observations and enthusiasm so inspiring. Being a Nature Worx guide allows me to combine some of my favorite things: practicing mindfulness, exploring nature, and making genuine connections with others. I'm so grateful to be part of this program!
Jamil Mott
Nature Worx Guide
Maryland Master Naturalist
I am an avid outdoorsmen, mental health advocate, nature therapy practitioner and the Owner/Operator of Satchel & Lahoma, LLC, an outdoor adventure and camping company.
I have used nature and outdoor recreation to teach life lessons, survival skills, mindfulness and wellness, self-care and to expose minorities to the wonders of nature. I also train Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) on Leave No Trace principles and to remain safe, dry and warm while enjoying nature.
I'm also a certified Maryland Master Naturalist through the University of Maryland, a certified Weed Warrior in Baltimore City and a Maryland licensed fisherman.
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Alexandra Dull
Nature Worx Guide
Registered Yoga Instructor
My favorite childhood memories are the times my dad and I spent exploring nature together. Play & adventure were instilled in me from a young age and I have carried these valuable traits with me through my degree in Therapeutic Recreation and as a Registered Yoga Teacher, a retreat facilitator, and a nanny. I truly believe life is better when we spend intentional time connecting with nature and using our senses. While I love spending days at a time in the woods, I find that simply feeling my feet on the grass is enough to nurture my connection to nature. The more time I spend immersed in the natural world, the more I understand myself, others and the world we inhabit. I am honored to be spreading the light & mission of Nature Worx.
Jasmine Wilborne
Nature Worx Guide
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor
I inherited my love of and appreciation for nature from my parents. Together we would explore the local woods in my hometown New Haven, Connecticut. We'd crunch through the fall foliage, go on week long camping trips and enjoy hot days by the beach.
Today, being outside is my favorite place to be when I'm not working. Simple walks in my city neighborhood or sitting on my porch is enough to connect me to the ever present tranquility of this natural world. My hope for all those who work with me is that they can re-discover the universal healing and invitation of nature wherever they are.
Sage Raindancer
Nature Worx Guide
Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
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In the past few decades, my jobs have varied greatly from military police to professional athlete to massage therapist; from cycling instructor to massage therapy instructor; and from waitstaff to dog handler. Over the years, my passion for service and my vocation in alternative therapies combined with my love for the outdoors have led me to the path of becoming a certified nature and forest therapy guide.
Laura Burke
Nature Worx Guide
Certified Wellness Practitioner​
Some of my earliest memories are from time spent outdoors – fishing and camping with my Dad, playing in the yard with mud and sticks, and seeking out any outdoor adventure. That is why NatureWorx feels like home to me – my inner child comes to life outside and I seek to help other people tap into that childlike wonder, which is a tremendous source of pure joy and authenticity. I will never forget the absolute awe and inspiration when I saw Yosemite Valley for the first time. It must have been similar to when John Muir saw its beauty and said “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” You don’t need to visit Yosemite, you can find everything you need in every walk with nature – Sometimes it’s a pretty rock, other times its yourself.
Jonathan Chance
Nature Worx Guide
Born and bred on the west side of Baltimore City, I've always had a deep love of the outdoors and being in nature. I worked for an outdoor organization for three years and was able to see first-hand how much of an impact spending time in nature has on an individual. I would lead 5-12 day backpacking/canoeing trips and run high-ropes challenges. I moved on from the organization hoping to deepen my facilitative skills and find other ways to engage folks in nature.
Jamila Keita
Nature Worx Guide
Certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide
Hi! My name is Evangeline “Jamila” Keita. I’m retired from the “9-5” and chose to teach yoga and yoga nidra (guided meditation) for my “retirement job.”I’ve always been an avid walker and nature lover. During the shutdown, I found “nature therapy.” This led me to complete a course through “The Kripalu School of Outdoor Leadership” and become a KMOG (Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide). I’m really happy to find Phil and Nature Worx.I enjoy this work and introducing others to mindfulness in the outdoors. I’m grateful to be a part of this mission.
Phillip McKnight
Nature Worx Guide
Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher
I have a deep trust in two things: the natural world and mindfulness. The natural world is our provider; it's where we come from and is really who we are. Mindfulness invites us back to the present moment with kindness, leaving behind all stories of the past or future, so that we can experience the world fully and truly. I am grateful to lean on my experiences of being a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program Participant, Peace Volunteer in Jamaica, a bachelor's degree recipient in Environmental Studies from University of Vermont, a Masters of Science recipient from UMBC in Instructional Systems Design with a focus on mindfulness, environmental educator with the Audubon Society and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and a recent completion of walking the 2100 miles of the Appalachian trail to inform my experience. I am thankful to have the opportunity to explore these two loves of the natural world and mindfulness in community with the people we work with as a guide for Nature Worx. The intention? Provide a sense of safety so that we can feel comfortable to experience ourselves and all beings in the natural world with care, so that a natural sense of connectedness and belonging emerges!
Tom Wardell
Nature Worx Guide
Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
I'm a guide here at Nature Worx and was also certified in 2020 as a Nature and Forest Therapy guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). I have Native American heritage in the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and am passionate about Native American culture and ceremonies. My mission is to help guide people back to their ancient connection with the natural world and I'm dedicated to continuing studies in nature connection and
ceremonies.
Makayla Alicea
Nature Worx Guide
Growing up, my family never had any less than 10 pets a time, from goats, to chickens, to rabbits, dogs and cats. That instilled in me a love for the planet, the universe, and all of its natural things. Throughout my childhood, I always had a passion for justice. After I graduated high school, I ran for office, becoming the youngest Democratic Committeewoman for Erie County. I then attended Allegheny College, majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies, and during my time, I co-founded one campus organization and two organizations within my community. I grew as a leader and organizer, and saw how my love for the environment, for people, and for equality intersected.
I moved to Baltimore to do farm work, meet awesome people, and continue organizing. I’m also an avid trail runner, puddle jumper, and craftful veggie eater. I’m humbled by Mother Earth, so I practice protecting her by leading with empathy, by helping my fellow humans, by respecting all of her creatures, and hoping that I make a positive impact when I leave this world.
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Frank Marsden
Lead Interpretive Guide
I am a founding member of the Eden Mill Nature Center in Pylesville, MD. I have more than 40 years of experience as a naturalist, instructor, guide, trip organizer, and nature photographer. I have led wilderness canoeing trips to Algonquin National Park in Canada, taught rock climbing, led caving expeditions and was a skydiving enthusiast with more than 100 jumps. For excitement these days, I like to stand still in the woods and take photographs of the natural world.
Ted Martello
Nature Worx Guide
Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
I've spent most of life walking on Piscataway land. I grew up in Lutherville, Maryland spending much of my childhood exploring a 5-acre patch of maturing forest between my suburban neighborhood and an interstate highway. Whether with family, neighborhood friends or alone in these woods, play included musical performances on the "fungiphone," trail and fort building, hide and seek games, and animal tracking.
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I joined the City's Rec and Parks' TreeBaltimore tree planting initiative in 2015. I eventually grew weary of the "doom and gloom" narrative we hear all too often while engaging new participants. I then discovered Forest Bathing as a most excellent tool in public engagement within environmental and mental health contexts. In 2019, I became a certified guide with the Association for Nature and Forest Therapy.
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I love guiding walks! I focus on creating a safe container and holding that space for the group. I help participants find a present-moment awareness through exploration of the senses and through embodiment exercises. You might say I work in partnership with the forest in this way. I always encourage groups of participants to share and listen from the heart. My favorite part about guiding is that I get to bear witness to the many ways that participants relate to themselves, their natural environment, and other participants.
Dr. Mark S Johnson
Nature Worx Guide
Understanding and appreciating our natural world has been a lifelong personal pursuit. After a brief career repairing office machines, I decided to pursue higher education in hopes of learning more about nature and helping my best to live sustainably with it. After obtaining my bachelors of science in biology at Towson University, I obtained a master’s degree while studying the population ecology of Wood Thrushes at University of Delaware and a Ph.D. at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, exploring effects of military unique chemicals on wildlife models. My passions are birds and biodiversity and I have traveled in the tropics and elsewhere observing and studying them. I currently operate two bird-banding stations that serve as monitoring posts to track migrants.