when on the farm a sort of grace comes in and invites you to drop into your body and go a little more slowly, the flowers and animals all of a sudden have more sway than bright shiny screens, in fact you wonder what could be more delicious than making a flower burritos with a small child out of nasturtium leaves and calendula flowers?….
Or teaching someone how to use a few tools and some leather to make a purse?
Or coming up with a mural to adorn the chicken coop?
Each day I am tired in that good deep way that I remember from my own childhood…
The joy I feel when with kids in nature is the same joy I used to feel before I knew how fast the world wanted me to go… it’s an honor to witness each child that comes here unfold whatever they choose to and lay it down then Run giggling to the goats or swings..and a gift that parents trust us with their gold while it still shines so brightly ❤ KT
A steward of Full Moon Rising Farm Anne has taught children of all ages for over thirty years. She has a Master Degree in Education, a Primary Montessori degree and taught in two Waldorf Schools as well. Having raised her two boys to adults, she continues to nurture a menagerie of animals and plant life. During the school year she welcomes families for farm visits as well as runs a private practice as a Licensed Massage Practitioner. Latest passion-native pollinators and honeybees, with a bit of travel mixed in.
Ruby Jones is an interdisciplinary artist, focusing primarily on mixed-media sculpture, drawing, and jewelry. Her sculptures deal with themes relating to the environment and ecological relationships, incorporating found and organic materials with cast clay, metal, and plaster. She was raised on south Whidbey and has strong ties to the more-than-human organisms that also inhabit this beautiful place. In her free time, Ruby likes to go on adventures with her little dog Wiley. She is also an avid home chef and gardener. Learn more about her at http://www.rubyraejones.com/
Jeff Petersen is an artist who lives and works in San Francisco, California with his wife and son. His education is rooted in Art and Design and since that time has become an accomplished painter, illustrator, and muralist. He brings his knowledge of various materials and art practice to the Full Moon Camps. Visit his website to see more.
Kate is a magical being hailing from a small beach town near Melbourne, Australia. She first came to the U.S. for an education in acting where she went on to perform as an actress in theatre with an emphasis on Sam Shepard plays. During this time she also became a certified massage therapist in San Francisco where she now practices and lives with her husband and son. She brings her bountiful energy and creativity to the Full Moon Camps.
Studied industrial arts in college and during this time was involved in assisting youth programs in nature. In my forty years as a general contractor working on varied buildings projects, I have had many great opportunities to mentor many young men and women on my crew. I see more and more the importance to teach, encourage and empower our youth. I am excited to bring my woodworking and blacksmithing skills to Full Moon Rising Farm this summer.
Joan Green is an environmental artist and art teacher who connects people to the earth and their creativity, through reusable materials. She is influenced by Expressive Arts, Eco-Psychology and the Reggio Emilia approach to being with children. She is an artist in residence with The Climate Science Alliance – Climate Kids program, which educates children about climate change. In 2016 she was an artist in resident at Cabrillo National Monument, where she made art from debris that washed up on the shores of San Diego. Joan has more than 10 years of experience creating with children and the community. She is passionate about giving people the time and space to enjoy nature as they freely create. Read more at www.greenartlabs.com
Havilah Rand has over 25 years of experience as a musician, songwriter and educator. She has recorded five full-length albums and toured the U.S.and beyond. In 2006, Havilah received her Master’s Degree in Teaching and has taught in both public and private educational settings for the last seventeen years. She developed Young Songwriter Programs as a way to integrate her passion for creativity and music into her work as an educator. Since 2012, Havilah has led summer camps, after-school workshops and academic enrichment programs throughout the United States and Europe. In 2016, she was nominated for the prestigious Austin Music People’s Esme Barrera Award for Music In Education and Activism. She has won numerous awards for her songwriting and had several songs featured in films. In addition to songwriting and performing, Havilah teaches 7th and 8th grade and is an avid birdwatcher and hiker.
Lawrence hales from Northern New South Wales, east coast Australia, where he spent more than 25 years, teaching skydiving and scuba diving as his profession, while raising 4 daughters, with 3 arriving at once, yes triplets! Now he travels the world, driven by his passion and vision of reconnecting people with the natural world so they can remember their magic, aliveness and deep belonging they were born with. He loves bringing back the old ways of creating relationship with the living world and awakening your wild awareness. Through his playful way of relating and love for all things Wild, he will help you to see and move in ways you didn’t think possible, while teaching you ancestral skills he draws from the Stalking Wolf lineage. He believes these skills can help us to learn more about ourselves and how to live in this modern world, they can help us to feel more connected and supported.
Leigha Smith is a Natural light photographer raised in NW, currently living in Southern California where she works as a professional photographer. Her family has lived on Whidbey for over 35 years and Leigha considers it her second home, making yearly visits to the Island. After years of sending her daughter to Full Moon Rising, Leigha is excited to bring her expertise and passion to our campers this summer to encourage and foster their vision and creativity behind the lens. @leighasmithphotography
Chris Burt loves to play! As Plato explained: “You can learn more about an individual during a
hour of play than in a year of conversation.”
Since 1989 Chris has enjoyed serving youth and adults in parallel careers, both as a public
school middle, high school and university level teacher and as a USCG licensed charter boat
captain for marine science expeditions. He has a Washington State Teaching Certificate, a
Masters Degree in education with an emphasis on experiential learning, and has extensive
experience with developing adventure based learning programs for private and public schools throughout Washington. As a licensed sailing and powerboat captain he has worked
professionally for 26 years on numerous vessels from San Diego to the Arctic Ocean.
Chris has lived on a small farm on Whidbey Island for over thirty years, is a proud father of two daughters, and can be found exploring the woods and beaches with his German Shepard named Sampson.
Karen grew up in the culture and art of Chicago. She relocated to the San Bernardino mountains to raise her daughter and homesteaded there for over 50 years before moving to Whidbey Island. In that time, she has raised all types of farm animals including horses, learned animal husbandry with the guidance of local veterinarians and acquired survival skills from generations of local families. She has studied with and been mentored by Cahuilla and Navajo elders and practiced basketry in the style of the mountain Cahuilla. She has studied alternative building methods, land scape design, and native plants for 26 years.
Karen had a leather business on the side where along with coats and clothing she designed and made chaps, saddlebags, and working equipment for local ranchers. She has a daughter and grand daughter who are both skilled in arts and crafts.
Nowadays you might see her on Whidbey Island where she gardens, makes baskets, and raises goats.
Sawyer is a Senior Environmental Studies major at Lewis & Clark College. Growing up in the woods of Whidbey Island, he has cultivated a strong connection to the land. A veracious crafter, he enjoys tinkering on vintage cars and building with wood, steel, and leather. Sawyer was a camp counselor with Full Moon Rising Farm for six years, and has been guest instructing for two years.
Torrey Green (she/her), is a recent 2023 graduate of SWSD. Torrey will be studying Women’s Studies and minoring Political Science in NYC starting the fall of 2023. She moved to South Whidbey from San Diego, CA in the fall of 2020. She spends most of her time engaging in making change through environmental justice and gender equality advocacy work in a student-led organization based on South Whidbey, called United Student Leaders (USL). She loves to walk on the beach, paint, play guitar, and swim.
Torrey has been a camp counselor for Green Art Labs for more than 7 years, and has been spending summers at Full Moon Rising Farm since 2017. Torrey has been facilitating art with children for countless years in workshops, classes, and camps. She loves spending time at Full Moon Rising Farm, and facilitating scavenger hunts, meditations, and nature-based water coloring with kids.
My son has been attending Coyote Camp for three (soon to be four) years, and each year has brought a unique experience full of time in nature and new learning opportunities. He’s always excited to return! Anne and her team do an incredible job creating a safe, welcoming environment for all kids—whether they have outgoing personalities or need a little extra time to adjust.
...Full Moon Rising has become a
wonderful summer tradition in our family and we are so grateful for it!"
The weeks of camp my kids spend at Full Moon Rising Farm are not only a highlight of their summer, but of the year. With 3 kids of varying ages, personalities, and interests, FMRF camps have consistently been their most loved and favorite summer experience...
