Pigeon Point Staff
The Naturalist staff at Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools have extensive training and teaching experience in the Outdoor Education field. They have a passion for teaching children in the outdoors and a commitment to creating a learning atmosphere that is fun, safe, educational, and inclusive of all learning styles. All staff members are certified in both First Aid and CPR.
Hawk – Program Director
Hawk (she/they) grew up in San Mateo county and as far back as they remember has always loved exploring the redwoods and tide pools of California’s coast. After earning a BA in Creative Writing from Sonoma State University they deepened their love of nature through working as an Earth Educator in a couple different programs. They are a strong proponent of Jon Young’s Coyote Mentoring approach when it comes to engaging and educating students of all ages and walks of life and they are a passionate advocate for the healing power of spending time in nature. When they’re not at work you can find Hawk hiking with their German Shepherd, Zelda, trying out new recipes, and blaring all the greatest pop punk hits of the early 2000s
You can email Hawk at hawkins@exploringnewhorizons.org
Water Strider – Outdoor Educator
Water Strider (she/her) grew up locally, bouncing from the peninsula to Monterey through childhood and graduate school. She learned early on the clarity and learning nature provided, and after earning her degree in Art Therapy and becoming a licensed MFT, she chose to reconnect to these roots. She has worked supporting young minds in hospital settings, outpatient counseling clinics, and now from the Pigeon Point lighthouse. Water Strider is passionate about emotional learning, mindfulness, empathy, self expression and self-exploration. When not at work, she likes to connect with loved ones, make art, travel around California and bake her infamous Snickerdoodle cookies.
Plankton She/Her – Outdoor Educator
Plankton (she/her) grew up in Berkeley, California but the central coast of California is where she feels most at home. After acquiring a M.Sc. in Biological Oceanography and a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Plankton has spent 9 years working in education, both in and out of the classroom. Her favorite ENH activity is hiking to see the elephant seals at Año Nuevo, which was where she went on her 3rd grade field trip that inspired her to study marine biology and become an outdoor educator! You can often find her watching birds and walking her dog by the ocean – usually at the same time!