Meet Our Team

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.

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. 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!

Over the past few decades, I’ve had a diverse career path; I'm a military veteran as well as a former professional athlete and massage therapy instructor. 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.

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 introducing others to mindfulness in the outdoors. I’m grateful to be a part of this mission.

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!

I grew up with a deep-seated appreciation for nature, especially our marine world -- my dad a bayman and my mom a biologist. We were often fishing, scalloping, clamming, cleaning beaches, and counting mushrooms! I grew up through and later worked at environmental education camps which sparked my life’s work of helping people restore their relationship with the land and reconnect with their inner knowing. I am committed to growing a culture of care as a nature therapy guide, educator, and land steward. For the last 13 years, I have worked in and sometimes combine outdoor & STEAM education, program administration, trauma-informed practices, and community health work. I manage learning gardens and teach Earth skills as a Farm and Forest School instructor at Pearlstone Retreat Center. I weave together Earth medicine with body wisdom through meditative and somatic based nature practices both as an instructor and Nature Worx guide. I am passionate about connecting people with Mama Earth and dedicated to creating safe spaces where folks can connect with themselves and each other through curiosity, presence, and play.

Nature is home, our original place of belonging, and I believe that reconnecting with the natural world is essential to remembering who we truly are. As a mother, caregiver, preschool teacher, and forest school guide, I feel deeply called to support others in finding their own connection with nature. My journey into nature-based education began before the birth of my son, but becoming a mother deepened that commitment and inspired me to pursue formal training. I went on to earn a graduate certificate in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education from Antioch University, expanding both my personal and professional understanding of how nature can nurture us at every stage of life. Before shifting into nature-based work, I taught special education in public schools, an experience that continues to fuel my passion for accessibility and equity in outdoor spaces. At Nature Worx, I strive to create inclusive, welcoming environments where all children and families can explore, belong, and thrive in connection with the natural world.

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.

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.

My strong belief in the importance of connection has been the driving force in my life since childhood. Connecting to nature and to each other improves all aspects of health; physical, emotional and spiritual. As a child, I loved family camping trips from coast to coast and summers on the coast of Maine and developing a deep love and respect for the great outdoors. My wife and I fostered this connection to the natural world in our children with local hikes and enjoying the outdoors in Mexico, Italy and several national parks here in the US. I worked as a teacher, counselor and Pupil Personnel Worker in Montgomery County for 36 years and obtained Confidence Course certification in the MCPS Outdoor Education Program. My coursework with the Chesapeake Bay foundation sparked an interest and love for the delicate ecosystem and our watershed. As a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor I work with clients from age 8-80 and much of that work is focused on the power of connection and a therapeutic focus that includes time outdoors, in all seasons and all types of weather. I believe John Muir said it best; "In every walk with nature, one receives far more than (s)he seeks"

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 led 5-12 day backpacking/canoeing trips and ran high-ropes challenges. I moved on from the organization hoping to deepen my facilitative skills and find other ways to engage folks in nature.

Hello! My name is Stephanie. My connection to nature-as-therapy began as the youngest child in a family-in-repair. My mother, following her artist-father’s example, taught me to honor nature’s beauty—calling my attention to sunsets, the smell of flowers, and geese flying south for the winter. I took her cue further, immersing myself fully in nature. Outdoor play became my freedom as a sensitive child, and nature was healing—a swing to calm my nerves, a leaf pile to laugh into, or the rain against my legs making me feel alive. I’ve always understood nature’s power to connect us to ourselves in a world growing distant from real, authentic connection. I believe nature plays a key role in healing both individually and collectively—humankind’s survival is linked to Mother Nature. I’ve worked in various environments, wearing many hats, including certified yoga teacher, special education teacher, life coach, and gardener. At Nature Worx, I’ve helped people reconnect to themselves using mindfulness, resiliency-building techniques, and mindful movement. My goal is to teach people how to access their inner healer using the free and natural resources of nature, and their own body, mind, heart, and breath.

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. 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 an 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. 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.

I have served as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide since 2019. Since then, I have worked with several environmental organizations, bringing this practice mostly to the Latino community of the DMV. I believe Forest Therapy is a gift from God because of all the physical and spiritual benefits I have experienced. As a form of gratitude and reciprocity with nature, I’ve undertaken several conservation projects. One of them is a program to plant native trees in my community, together with the organization Defensores de la Cuenca. I feel very proud to walk around the neighborhood and say to my children, “Do you see that tree? I planted it.”

Nature has always been my greatest teacher and healer. She reminds me to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with the rhythm of life itself. As a Nature Worx guide, I love creating gentle, mindful experiences that help others ground their energy, open their hearts, and rediscover the beauty and balance that exists all around us - and within us. Through my work with The Soul Lift, I’ve witnessed how sound healing, energy work, and mindful connection can bring profound peace and clarity. Guiding in nature allows me to weave those same principles into each session - inviting others to release stress, find presence, and remember their innate connection to the Earth. When I’m not guiding, you’ll often find me exploring local trails, walking my dogs, collecting stones and feathers, tending to my plants, or simply sitting in stillness, letting nature’s medicine do its quiet work. I’m honored to be part of the Nature Worx community and to share in the healing and wonder that unfolds in every session.

My deep connection to nature began in childhood, growing up in Louisiana, where I spent time exploring swamps, climbing trees, and caring for animals from my parents’ pet store. I studied wildlife management in college, taking breaks to sail the Caribbean and work on sea turtle conservation in Guatemala, Louisiana, and Costa Rica, which fostered my love for Latino cultures and conservation. ​ After earning my degree, I lived in Guatemala for five years before returning to the U.S. in 2001 to work for Louisiana State Parks. I then pursued graduate studies in Texas, earning an M.S. focused on improving recreational forest lands for Latino communities and a Ph.D. in conservation education. I spent 12 years with the USDA Forest Service as a conservation educator and diversity specialist, working in Texas and Washington, D.C. ​ In 2018, I discovered nature and forest therapy practices and realized their importance in conservation. I left the Forest Service in 2020 to focus on elevating these practices globally, believing that nurturing our connection to nature can inspire healing. My love for trees led me to become a certified arborist in 2023, and I now enjoy caring for trees and encouraging others to do the same. ​ Currently, I live in Texas on a small farm with my husband, where we tend the land daily. I’m honored to join the Nature Worx team, dedicated to fostering connections between people and the earth for planetary health and well-being.