Shannon is the director and owner of Rooted In Play Outdoor Learning. She is a proud mama and super-passionate about nature, play, and early childhood development. She has studied a variety of topics, including child psychology, music, swimming and linguistics, and received an AA from SUNY NCC in 2008. She managed a brand-delivery & operations team for a highly successful and international retail brand, and has a vast background in customer relations. Some of her core memories come from family camping trips, travelling and playing in her cul-de-sac with friends during her early childhood years.

Shannon has always felt very connected to the natural world, and her journey of becoming an outdoor educator began when she and her daughter joined an outdoor learning program called Tinkergarten in 2019. This outdoor play experience fostered such a deep and noticeable bond between her and her child, that she applied to become a teacher within the program. She completed the training program and became certified in 2020 and has been teaching classes in her community since Fall 2021. When she’s not teaching classes, you’ll likely find her exploring the mountains, making chalk art on the sidewalk or cooking-up something yummy in the kitchen. She has experienced so many wonderful and challenging moments, and hopes to inspire other humans to learn, grow, and always make time to play.