Wildhaven Staff
-
Founder/Director/Guide
Gigi is here to serve. With Mary Poppins poise and passion she has been changing children’s lives for decades.
It is a fierce love that guides her in her vocation as a school builder and fairy godmother figure.
Rocking the boat of standard issue parenting and revamping education have been her modus operandus since she started having kids 19 years ago. It's been a trailblazing venture and a holy quest right from the get go. As a ‘wholesome radical’ in the trenches, she is relentless in her pursuit of student-empowered, joy-based, life-long learning.
Her own four children have been every-kind-of-schooled along the way, in keeping with the quest! They have each turned out brilliantly creative, kind, generous, and independent, and are grateful for their magical, unique upbringing.
At the emerging Waldorf Independent School of Edmonton Gigi spent many years in passionate servant leadership; as the board member for school growth and development, the grade 1 helper, school videographer, parent association leader, founder of the welcome/gratitude committee, and as a teacher of the Parent-Tot program. She still cherishes that season of deep wonder and community where she learned the art of effortless authority and pin-drop reverence; how to capture young and old with a "living moment unction" of original storytelling, gesture, verse, and play. Gigi spent four years studying Anthroposophy under the intimate guidance of Gene Campbell, distance learning mentor from the Rudolf Steiner Centre.
From Waldorf she went on to pioneer her own ambitious and original children's programs and communities: a Waldorf-inspired Tenderheart Wonderforest for sensitive souls, an Emilia-Romagna style after-school club where families cooked, crafted, played and prayed together. Gigi started Ramshackle Play, Parent by Magic, and Toad Spool Press — all companies devoted to advancing the kingdom of magical childhood, and wrote and published two children's books, "A Whole Other Magic" and "Being With Wonder."
The culmination of her 20 year fascination and relentless pursuit of best practices with children is Wildhaven.
-
Guide
Isa is a wandering soul with roots in Spain and Portugal, now blooming on Salt Spring Island. She has spent the past years weaving her love for nature, movement, craft, and language into playful, nourishing spaces for children to learn and grow.
Isa teaches Spanish through creative, hands-on experiences, blending language with music, art, and games to help children connect with new words in joyful ways. Her approach invites kids to explore and express themselves freely, guided by curiosity and connection.
Her background is a colorful tapestry: yoga and children’s education in Spain, theatre studies in Ireland, herbalism with Rosemary Gladstar, and dance therapy training. She has supported local public school classrooms, led nature-based camps, and offered arts-infused Spanish classes here on the island.
Isa loves crafting with her hands—crochet, sewing, salve-making, and working with plants—and she delights in helping children discover the magic of creating things from scratch. Music and movement are always close by, with guitar, song, and dance as natural parts of her teaching rhythm.
Inspired by her travels through Peru and Chiapas, and grounded in a deep connection to Mother Earth, Isa brings warmth, creativity, and heart.
-
Wildhaven Guide
Theodore Lowry is a mentor and storyteller based on Salt Spring Island,. He's worked within the 8 Shields model through Fianna Wilderness School, with children aged 4 to 12. He supports children's learning through story, nature connection, personal attunement and encouragement, and creative expression. He cut his teaching teeth volunteering at a grassroots school for underprivileged children in Bengal, India, where he also guided student-led filmmaking projects.
Theodore is an oral storyteller influenced by both the Gaudiya school of bhakti-yoga in India, as well as European traditions. He draws guidance from mentors such as Martin Shaw, Dougie Mackay, Sharon Blackie, and Leah Lamb from the Sacred School for Storytelling. His facilitation is shaped by a commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in the region now called British Columbia. Through story-making and nature-based practice, he helps young people discover their own sense of belonging and imagination.
