Our Team

Teacher Allegra has been sharing the magic of nature with students since her first semester at Bard College, where she taught gardening to local students. A lifelong seed planter, she balanced agriculture work and adjunct instruction with a career in the fashion industry as a textile development technician until starting her family. Since then, she has focused her career on teaching environmental education and gardening, with a focus on permaculture, restorative practice, and seed stewardship.

Allegra loves a whole child approach to education, including encouraging emergent, student led, hands-on learning. She is trained in Quaker pedagogy, place-based education, and nature-based teaching. In her free time, Allegra loves hiking, foraging, thrifting, herbology, and farm to table cooking. She enjoys watching Arcane and listening to all kinds of music. Her favorite rehabilitated and released pets include a Leopard Frog and a DeKay’s Brownsnake. Allegra finds her joy in sharing nature with others, especially young people. She is a proud mom to a sixth grader, four rescue cats, and an ever growing collection of house plants.

Carlee is a New Jersey native and loves all things nature. From a young age she loved to be outdoors, from climbing trees and building forts, to swimming and making mud potions. This love for nature turned into passion to conserve it in high school. After taking a marine science class and learning about the affects of climate change, she knew she wanted to keep following that path. Four years later, she graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. From there, she worked for Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space as a Land Steward Intern where she restored meadows and forests by tackling invasive plant species. Her next adventure took her all the way to Maine where she worked as an Ecology Educator at The Ecology School. This position awakened her to the world of outdoor education, in which she fell in love with. Now working as an educator at Fernbrook Farms, she is so excited to continue her teaching career, explore a new place, and meet new people! 

Carlee is extremely passionate about conservation and educating about the importance of nature. In her free time she can be found on a hike in the woods, cooking a plant based meal, snuggling with her two cats, or on her hammock reading a book.

Ms. Lauren is a lifelong nature lover who first realized her passion for environmental education while leading nature hikes for other students at Cornell University. She soon joined Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology and began educating people of all ages about birds and the natural world. After graduating with her degree in sustainable agriculture, Lauren spent several years as a field ecologist, travelling the country to assist scientists with their conservation research in forests, prairies, and farm ecosystems.

By 2020, Lauren was ready to put down roots and return to environmental education full-time. She moved to Jersey and co-established the Saplings program at Fernbrook that fall, eventually taking over as director in summer 2022. She is certified nature-based educator through the Eastern Regional Association of Forest and Nature Schools.

Lauren adores working with the preschool age. She uses her own nature knowledge and sense of playfulness to unlock wonder and curiosity in her students. She loves seeing them challenge themselves and start to make those learning connections. Her favorite things to do outside are birdwatching and insect catching.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys cooking, contradance, and relaxing at home with her cat, Max.

Born in Morocco as the daughter of a Navy veteran, Lydia came to New Jersey as a toddler. She spent her childhood raising animals and riding horses in Cream Ridge, NJ. After attending Ocean County College, Lydia accepted a position in the banking industry where she managed Money Markets and Certificates for over 14 years.

As an officer in the Pinellas County Homeschool Association, she assisted in the selection of curriculum, the teaching of children from grades K – 7, and the managing of finance for that association.

For the past 23 years, she has been active in various county 4H programs to include:

• Pinellas County Cooperative Extension
• Burlington County Farm Fair Volunteer Recruiter
• Burlington County Sheep Club
• Burlington County Goat Club
• Hunderton County Sheep Club
• Hunderton County Veterinary Club

Lydia maintains a volunteer leadership position with the Burlington County 4-H program, where she holds a seat on the Leaders Council as Treasurer, provides out of school educational experiences for Burlington County youth in grades K through 13, teaching members to learn life skills, explore their world, and learn more about themselves.   Thus, becoming competent, caring, and contributing citizens.

She came to Fernbrook Farms 13 years ago as a Shepherd to the animals. In addition to caring for each of their diverse needs, Lydia also attends to the animal’s varied and individual health requirements, including diet, threat of disease, animal handling, and human – animal contact on a daily basis.

Lydia, also tends the Children’s Garden, assists in educating in the garden and simply enjoys being part of the Fernbrook family.

Anita has a background in organic vegetable production. She began her career at Fairgrown Farm in Hopewell, NJ. When the opportunity arose to be a Crop Production Manager for Rolling Harvest Food Rescue. She couldn’t turn it down. She was able to grow food for donation to our community in need. She worked with countless volunteers, interns and school groups. She loved educating students about sustainability and food systems. Farming taught her so much about herself & her purpose for education.

In 2024, Anita made the decision to return to college and finish her degree in Education Studies. Returning to school and changing careers led to a new position. She became the full time building substitute at Stony Brook Elementary in Hopewell, NJ. She brought her farming background to the school garden. Encouraging students to be a part of the space during Earth Day and helping to run the Green Team club. Stonybrook was an invaluable experience and built her confidence as an educator.

Anita views being a Saplings teacher as such a privilege for her to help little ones build confidence in nature. Anita’s emotional intelligence and nurturing nature make her such a patient and encouraging teacher. She loves tending to our garden, visiting our farm animals, and story time.

Jessie is a lifelong New Jersey resident with a deep appreciation for the state’s diverse landscapes–from the Pine Barrens and coastal marshes to the more hilly region up north. Their love for exploring these natural spaces has fueled a passion for environmental stewardship, conservation, and community-based learning.

They graduated from Drew University with a double major in Environmental Studies and Sustainability and Political Science, along with a minor in Environmental Justice. Their studies focused on the intersection of environmental policy, equity, and community-based stewardship, laying the foundation for a career rooted in both education and advocacy.

Jessie recently served as a Watershed Ambassador in the Assicunk, Crosswicks, and Doctors Creek Watershed through AmeriCorps and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. They led watershed education programs for students, conducted stream monitoring, and organized community cleanups and environmental stewardship trainings. Prior to that, they worked with Branch Brook Park Alliance in Newark, researching and writing an environmental education curriculum for the park. Additionally, they volunteered with Grow it Green in Morristown, where they harvested organic vegetables and assisted with soil health research–deepening their understanding of food systems and sustainable agriculture.

Now, Jessie is excited to bring their energy and experience to Fernbrook Farms where they look forward to inspiring young learners to connect with nature and feel empowered as stewards of the land.

When they are not teaching, Jessie loves hiking new trails across New Jersey, going to concerts, geocaching, and trying out new coffee shops.

Erin is a graduate of Monmouth University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program, with a strong foundation in the human-nature connection and a deep commitment to nature-based education. Her academic background is complemented by hands-on experience through internships at OASIS TLC and Monmouth University’s community garden.

At OASIS TLC, Erin supported adults with developmental disabilities in a farm-based setting, assisting with seeding, planting, and harvesting. This role deepened her dedication to inclusive, outdoor learning and reinforced the values of her social work education. Prior to that, her work in the university’s community garden sparked interests in sustainability, organic growing, and the therapeutic value of working with the earth.

Erin has also shared her passion for the outdoors as a certified stand-up paddle-board instructor, leading tours, teaching about marine ecosystems, and running children’s camps.

Outside of work, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and reading on her deck at home. Erin is excited to share her enthusiasm for environmental education and stewardship as an educator at Fernbrook Farms.

Lin has always been drawn to the outdoors and all things adventure, from surfing at the shore to snowboarding in the mountains. Her love of animals began early with horseback riding and has grown into caring for her six beloved pets today.

She first pursued marine biology and environmental policy before discovering her true passion for teaching while working at a learning center. This led her to earn a degree in Education, and she is now continuing her studies in Psychology. She is especially interested in connecting education with nature and creativity, helping students find joy and curiosity in the world around them.

At Fernbrook Farms, she is excited to combine her passion for the environment, animals, and teaching in a hands-on, meaningful way. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, painting, and finding new ways to bring creativity and the outdoors into her everyday life.

Noah is a NJ native, and grew up exploring all that New Jersey has to offer. It is where his passion for the outdoors grew from a young age. He traveled to the Midwest for his Bachelor’s degree in Biology which he received at Saint Mary’s in Indiana. That passion for the outdoors continued through college. He learned about the wildlife in Indiana while hiking and exploring. Noah has a special affinity for owls whose sounds he can mimic.

School wasn’t easy for Noah with his ADHD, but he learned to cope with it, by being outside in nature. The great outdoors helped him learn focus, how to slow down, and how to appreciate the world around him. He hopes to bring that knowledge, understanding, and adaptability to the children he teaches here at Fernbrook Farms along with the fun adventures, games, and science experiments he’s picked up through his years of working with kids and his own education.

Krystal is a New Jersey native with local roots. Growing up in a small town, she spent most of her time outside where she played and explored within the flora and fauna of her local section of the Rancocas Creek. With this being her childhood, Krystal was groomed to become the nature advocate that she is today.

Following a passion for nature, she has a 10 year career in animal education. Her start in educating dog owners/families on how to understand and nurture such a primitive relationship to humankind, led to a more unique experience working and building relationships with various other species of animals. From hoofstock, to birds, to reptiles, to mammals, even to large predators, Krystal has a unique background in teaching the public about animals and their habitats.

Currently, her love for building relationships with the natural world has led her to her newest role in engaging children to learn how to do the same. Being a kinesthetic learner herself, she aims to teach through hands-on interactions no matter the lesson. She also enjoys seeing the benefits of play-based learning and can be quite the storyteller to pique children’s imagination.

In her spare time, you can find Krystal somewhere in Brendan T Byrne State Forest where she hikes with her dog, husband and newest addition, their daughter Beverley.

Shellby was born and raised in Southern California, where she developed a lifelong love for the outdoors. As a child she was almost always riding her four wheeler, camping, surfing, riding her bike, or making mud pies in the front yard with her seven siblings! At twenty-six she still does almost all of the same activities, although she hasn’t been in the mud kitchen in quite some time!

Shellby moved to New Jersey with her family when she was ten and has lived in the Garden State ever since! Her favorite thing about New Jersey is its vast biodiversity! She attended Rowan College of South Jersey, earning a degree in Early Childhood Education with a focus on Special Education. Teaching young children has always been her passion, and she is dedicated to creating a learning environment where curiosity, creativity, and confidence can flourish!

When she’s not teaching, Ms. Shellby finds a lot of joy in nature photography! Her favorite things to take pictures of are flowers and bugs. She is super excited to kick off the school year and can’t wait to grow and learn alongside her students!