Nature Exploration Essentials

Jacob Rodenburg, nature sommelier, is an award-winning educator who believes in the importance of connecting children to nature. He is the executive director of Camp Kawartha, a summer camp and outdoor education center, and an instructor in environmental education at Trent University. An educator of three decades, Jacob has published articles on children, nature, and the environment; has taught more than 100,000 students; and is co-author of The Big Book of Nature Activities. He lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

Drew Monkman is an award-winning environmental advocate, and former board member of the Camp Kawartha summer camp and outdoor education centre. A retired elementary school teacher, Drew’s interest in integrating nature activities and environmental education into all areas of the curriculum led him to oversee the development of an outdoor classroom which went on to become a model for many similar projects throughout North America. In addition to writing a weekly nature column, Drew is the author of several almanac-style environmental books including Nature’s Year and Nature’s Year in the Kawarthas.

Katherine Martinko is an editor and writer with a decade of experience in digital news publishing. She was a senior editor at Treehugger, an internationally respected environmental lifestyle site. Katherine previously wrote for Discovery Network’s Parentables website and maintained a popular parenting blog. Many of the thousands of articles she has written over the years explore the importance of raising “offline” kids, teaching them to become resilient and independent, and being wary of the profound effects of too much screen time on developing brains. Katherine is an honors graduate of the University of Toronto, where she studied English and history. She speaks four languages, is a classically trained violinist, an award-winning public speaker, and a community leader who spearheaded a major refugee resettlement effort in her own small town. Katherine lives with her husband and three children in Port Elgin, Ontario.