Founder/Director/Co-Conspirator
Hi. I’m Gigi and I’m a wholesome radical. I’m a ramshackle Mary Poppins with whimsy, charisma, and a deep revolutionary streak. I really do believe in good manners, please and thank you, while we burn the system down.
I was blessed with a bonafide magical childhood, straight-from-the-source. Imagination was celebrated in my family and this gave me a huge boost of early confidence that the world was Good. That life was spacious and trustworthy. It gave me a sense of self that felt like Home.
What a gift to have this abiding place of holy, vibrant peace available within. This is my wish for every child: to know this place inside them. It is my passion to keep the blaze of possibility and wonder alive in a child so that this haven of wildness is right there, always, reminding them who they are.
I prove this wild truth to children by loving each one of them with mad delight. I join them in the adventure of their life, more as a co-conspirator tracking a mythical creature than a ‘teacher figure’ with bottomless bundles of boredom to burn through.
Rocking the boat of standard issue parenting and revamping education have been my modus operandus since I started having kids 18 years ago. It's been a trailblazing venture and a holy quest right from the get go.
Now I have four awesome kids who have been every-kind-of-schooled, and a gaggle of hundreds more who are forever the children of my heart. Fairy Godmothering is a life-long gig, and I take each child into my heart with a permanence that I can't quite comprehend. It just is.
It’s just that wonderful. This sacred vocation of working with children.
At the emerging Waldorf Independent School of Edmonton I spent many years in passionate servant leadership; as a board member for school growth and development, a grade 1 helper, school videographer, parent association leader, welcome/gratitude committee, and my crowning joy -- as the Parent-Tot Teacher. Working with young ones and their caregivers at once was a special time. Here I 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. At this time I also took in 4 years of Anthroposophy under the intimate guidance of Gene Campbell, my distance learning mentor from the Rudolf Steiner Centre.
This journey has led me to pioneer some ambitious and original children's programs and communities. Imagine a Waldorf-inspired Tenderheart Wonderforest for sensitive souls. Or an Emilia-Romagna style after-school club where we cook together, craft together, play and pray together. I started Ramshackle Play, Parent by Magic, and Toad Spool Press, all companies devoted to advancing the kingdom of magical childhood, and I wrote and published two children's books, "A Whole Other Magic" and "Being With Wonder."
Now I run Wildhaven. My magnus opus. My wholehearted pursuit. Wildhaven is the fulfillment of my life’s work, and even though it takes absolutely everything I have, I love it with a fierce and effortless passion.
I invite you to linger and dream with us. Watch what we have been up to, and catch the magic.

Wildhaven Guide
Hello! My name is Venus, and I will be one of the growth and creativity guides at Wildhaven! My mission in life is to create and be a part of spaces that uplift, inspire and encourage kids to stride confidently in this world. Since the age of seventeen I have been deeply oriented to community and connection. My last few years have been spent cooking, farming, foraging, hosting celebrations and most importantly -- unlearning everything I was taught in school! Every day in my travels. I was given the supreme gift of seeing the world through the wondrous eyes of kids. In every village, big or small, kids have been (without fail) following me around like little duckies in a row. Naturally, I sank into a deeply intuitive role of teacher, sister, and friend. It has been one of my greatest joys to work with kids and co-create the momentum of shared leadership.
I've been fortunate to cultivate my own curiosity, finding joy in storytelling, creative writing, and playful exploration alongside my greatest ally – this wonderful Earth. Sharing that joy is my heart's calling. I found in my 4 years of being surrounded by the gaggle of kids, embodying the spirit of play freely gives permission to kids (and adults) to play, let loose and be free to create and explore possibility. It offers us the truth of knowing that anything is possible! In this life, my deepest joy blooms when I see freedom at play. Wildhaven fully embodies that same richness I pray to see in this world, and it's an honor to be a part of it in this way.

Wildhaven Guide
They may actually be a Narnian…
Deeply raised in the Waldorf ways of beauty, wonder, and magic, Callie brings their calming presence and intuition into the Wildhaven fabric.
They have just completed her Theatre Diploma from VIU and have been working in an outdoor preschool and after school club. They love to marvel and connect, play and create, treasure hunt and read, hike, and craft.
After many a year of attending Camp Narnia as a child they crossed over and became one of the camp counselors, bringing that same magic to life for others.
Callie is thrilled to be apprenticing in the Wildhaven Way as a full time assistant. Their grounded exuberance helps children feel safe and find their place in the haven.

Wildhaven Guide
Lara Doucette’s creative magic with children takes centre stage in her life, along with her passions for health, nutrition, drama, acting, and her core lived value: authentic connection.
She brought her sky-high standards for wholesome, organic cooking to Wildhaven last year and ran a motley crew of sugar-free bakers in our Sanctuary kitchen. No one can speak more flamboyantly about cellular biology and make you fall in love with the science of your own body!
This year she is excited to layer in more chemistry, nutrition, self care, diet, homeopathy, and of course the wonderful math and sharing that happen in the kitchen. She is already dreaming into this years’ potential drama productions, improv sessions and dinner theatre (how lucky are we?!)
Lara just completed The Circle training for leaders who work with youth, to deepen and expand her favourite work of building connection, creating safe spaces, and guiding self-awareness. She is relishing the chance to lead regular small group learning circles and saddle up beside the youngsters one on one.

Wildhaven Guide
Hi all! My name's Lucas and I am passionate about cultivating community. I want to create the conditions for raising humans capable of moving confidently and playfully through our time of accelerating upheaval.
Every realized human being is a walking paradox. Community-focused people who are nonetheless grounded in their own wild and fantastic individuality. Powerful visionaries who don't hold their ideas too tightly. Unconditional givers who know where their boundaries lie. Active thinkers and contemplative doers. I encourage kids to lean in to the latent contradictions of their brilliance.
Wildhaven's radical acceptance is exactly what it takes to awaken the unique gifts of each child. It's true human education, open to the unfolding, in tune with God. I'm real grateful to be a part of it–to give my own gifts in such a special container. I have had a strong philosophical streak since my first words, and I delight in introducing others to the ocean of ideas which fills me with such excitement and awe.
At Wildhaven, I'll be providing a strong masculine presence, a brotherly sort of role model. Like Gigi, I was the eldest of four, so this kind of leadership comes naturally to me. My focus is one-on-one connection, and I'll be delving deep into shared explorations of math, science, philosophy, history, and the spirit, with those so inclined. I want to instill in each child a sense of life's possibility: the awareness that they have a grand role in the scheme of things, and the power to imagine and create the kind of world they want to live in. It's this precious gift of autonomy that our school system most stifles, and it is accordingly the rarest and most valuable of things. I am so grateful for the chance to play, to build, to guide, and to serve.

Literacy Tutor
Hello, I am Sammy and I am deeply passionate about nurturing young readers and fostering a love for literacy.
As a former primary school teacher, I have dedicated my career to helping children develop strong reading and writing skills, with a particular emphasis on phonics. But beyond teaching the fundamentals, I am a firm believer in the magic that fills a child's world—the wonder, curiosity, and boundless imagination that make childhood so special.
My vision is to empower every child to become a confident, enthusiastic reader while keeping that magical spark alive. Through personalized instruction and engaging activities, I strive to make reading a joyful and rewarding experience for all.