Youth Program Instructors
“If a child is to keep alive their inborn sense of wonder…they need the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with them the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”
Ramzy Berbawy — Lead Instructor for School-year and Summer Youth Programs
Ramzy’s naturalist journey began stargazing on a football field, sparking a deep passion for the outdoors. He’s since worked on small farms across the Olympic Peninsula and Methow Valley, where he deepened his connection to the land. Ramzy has completed the Wildlife Tracking Intensive with the Wilderness Awareness School and is currently continuing his studies through CedarRoot’s Wildlife Tracking Immersion.
Ramzy is now in his fourth year as a youth nature studies instructor with CedarRoot and is also involved in adult programming. This year, he will co-lead CedarRoot’s new multi-month Wilderness Skills Immersion, sharing his extensive knowledge and mastery with those eager to dive deeper into learning these ancient and essential practices. His hands-on approach and passion for nature inspire his students, equipping them with practical skills and a lasting connection to the wild world around them.
Scott Brinton — Lead Instructor for School-year Youth Programs
Scott has over two decades of nature education experience. He has mentored hundreds of students in practical wilderness skills and nature awareness. He co-founded the Riekes Nature Studies Department in California, has taught Environmental Science for Peninsula College, and taught Islandwood’s graduate students in the Natural History and Ecology program. Most recently, Scott founded CedarRoot to help continue natural history and rural skills education.
He is passionate about applying ecological lessons discovered in nature to areas of regenerative design, sustainable development and agroecology. Education: B.A. in Agriculture and Alternative Energy, The Evergreen State College; M.A. in Natural History and Education, Prescott College. Certifications: Current Wilderness First Responder and Level 3 Track and Sign certificate, trackercertification.com.
Thuja Noba — Instructor for School-year Youth Programs
Thuja grew up on Duwamish territory, in what’s now known as West Seattle. Her love for nature connection began through permaculture studies and naturalist training at Fairhaven College in Bellingham. A life-changing immersion in regenerative farming followed, leading her to study and work on farms across the country.
Over the past three years, Thuja has been with the Wilderness Awareness School (WAS)—first as a student in their nine-month adult program, then as staff working with youth, and later training to mentor adults in nature connection. She’s also spent the last two years with Rites of Passage Journeys, supporting transformative experiences that help people reconnect with land, self, and community.
After two years away, Thuja is thrilled to return to the peninsula and join the Cedar Root team, continuing the work she loves.
Michelle Fox — Saplings Instructor
Michelle has spent over four decades inspiring and learning alongside children, with the past 15 years devoted to nature education. With an Elementary Teaching Credential and a passion for creative, immersive learning, she’s brought joy and connection into bilingual classrooms, Spanish immersion, preschool, and art, always rooted in curiosity and a deep love for the natural world. She founded TreeSong, a nature education nonprofit in SW Washington, and spent ten years there as director and lead youth instructor.
Now settled on the Olympic Peninsula, Michelle is thrilled to be CedarRoot’s Program Director and lead instructor for Saplings, continuing her heartwork of guiding people of all ages into deeper connection with the natural world.
Melissa Kyle — Saplings Instructor
Melissa brings a wealth of life experience to her work with children. Raised on the Gulf Coast of Texas, she began her career in film and TV in New York and California before discovering her true calling in nature education. During the pandemic, she completed her Texas Master Naturalist training, which deepened her passion for guiding young people into a meaningful connection with the natural world.
Melissa designs immersive, play-based experiences that connect children to nature and place, honoring the land’s environment and cultural history. She believes that the outdoors provides the best classroom—where children grow at their own pace, build confidence, and develop creativity, critical thinking, and stewardship.
Summer Sondey — Lead Summer Camp Instructor
Summer was born and raised in the farmlands and forests of Southeast Michigan where the magic of a childhood immersed in the natural world gave her a deep passion and commitment for life lived close to the earth. After graduating from 14 years spent at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor, she took the leap far away from her home and found herself landed and in love with the Northwest. Alderleaf Wilderness College was a great introduction to the diverse ecosystems of this area and after completing their year long wilderness immersion course, Summer chose the Olympic Peninsula and began to set roots.