Our Overnight Adventures Team
Meet our wonderful staff, each bringing their own unique knowledge and experience to Nature's Classroom Institute. All are CPR and First Aid trained, background checked and will undertake ongoing NCI training to ensure they deliver the best learning experience possible.
Wisconsin Team

Outreach Director
Carrie Benzinger
After joining our Montessori School in February 2018, Carrie also joined the NCI Lake Geneva WI team in October 2018. Carrie grew up in the Milwaukee area, is married, has 3 sons and currently lives in the Mukwonago area. She enjoys cooking, baking and spending time with her family. Carrie is interested in everything Nature’s Classroom Institute (and Montessori School) offers students and is eager to learn much more about the entire program. She loves working with our Wisconsin schools to handle all of the logistics for them. If you would like to book a field trip to Camp Lake Carrie will be your contact.

Education Director
Jack
Jack has an interest in the connections between natural and human history sparked by the glacial-industrial landscape of their native Cleveland, and a love for teaching that began as a college student, where they taught classes on building giant puppets. When not working, they enjoy opera, collecting vintage perfume, and the occasional foray into research geology, studying the rock record of ancient earthquakes. Jack’s favorite part of teaching at NCI is working with so many different and amazing students as the landscape changes through the seasons.
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Assistant Director
Eve
Living in Scotland, Eve spent a lot of time in the Highlands hiking, camping, fishing and swimming with her family/friends as she grew up, which sparked her fascination with nature and our human relationship with Earth. The mysteries of our oceans drew her to study Marine Science at the Scottish Association for Marine Science. Combining her love to travel with her career plans, Eve began work with NCI last year and loves getting to share her passion and explore different ecosystems with students everyday.

Environmental Educator
Sachin
Sachin is an experienced camp leader and educator with more than 10 years of experience. He has done his Masters in Plant Science and Bachelors in Education. He loves to be in nature and interact with young minds in the outdoors. His zest for knowledge, research and outdoor education has led him to shores of Madagascar to study bisprospects of forests, Taiwan for Burn Foundation camp training, and now to USA as an Environmental Educator. He has published papers in plant science journals.

Environmental Educator
Cailey
Cailey Erickson has had a affinity for animals her whole life. Through her schooling at Carroll University of Wisconsin, she discovered her love for wildlife rehabilitation/conservation and decided to pursue her interests in an Environmental Studies minor and Animal Behavior major. She loves to take mindful walks in her neighborhood and spend time with her rescue cat, Evey. You can often find her lost in a book or listening to music and podcasts.
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Environmental Educator
Ashley
Ashley has always had a love for nature and the outdoors since she was born, growing she could often be found reading up about nature or out exporting it. While she always enjoyed it she didn't realize it was her passion until her freshman year of college where she then changed her major and finally realized her calling in life. Since that reminder of the love that had always been there she's since graduated from college and begun her journey as an educator able to now inspire students to love nature as those who had inspired her once did.

Environmental Educator
Katriana
Kat is joining us from northern Indiana with a Biology degree, and a concentration in Ecology and Environmental Biology! Kat discovered her love for working outdoors her senior year of high school, and has been pursuing such work ever since! In her spare time, Kat likes to read, bake, and grow houseplants - and, of course, go outside!

Environmental Educator
Alyssa
Alyssa is joining us from upstate New York where she is finishing her degree in Wildlife Management. She is passionate about expanding ones connection with nature and loves working with kids. Alyssa has worked in various environmental outreach programs to build appreciations, spread knowledge, and guide relationships with all nature has to offer. She loves hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, traveling, and expanding her own understanding of the natural world.

Environmental Educator
Wayde
Outside of education, a large portion of my professional experience in conservation, animal medicine, and other areas has been gained through hands on experiences and skill building that I am excited to share through our program. I hope to engage and empower students with knowledge they can apply to their own backyards, schools, and communities and I am most excited for students to experience the summer outside in Mukwonago with forests, prairies, and streams.

Environmental Educator
Carson
My name is Carson Dean Northcutt, and I come from Ft Worth, Texas. I graduated in 2021 from the University of North Texas with a B.A. in History. There I also studied Social Studies Education and Spanish, with which I’ve been practicing since 2016 and have been proficient for 4+ years. My goal as an educator is to engage learners and support their individual learning processes so that they feel proud and responsible for their own education.
For fun, I enjoy cooking food, practicing yoga, making art, spending time outside, reading books, studying foreign languages and traveling.

Environmental Educator
Edward
Edward has been hiking, kayaking, and camping in Wisconsin, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest with his father since he was a boy. He got interested in environmental education after receiving a degree in Conservation and Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has been working in the Washington State Park system for the past two years.
Texas and California Team

Outreach Director
Mirko Sever
Mirko has lead the growth of the NCI Environmental Education programs in California and Texas since 2017. Inspired by his grandmother’s strength in overcoming her struggles of being an orphan and leading a life without a formal education, Mirko developed a passion for providing an equitable avenue for all children to have a space where they can engage in learning in a safe, supportive and experiential environment. As Director of Outreach, Mirko is excited to meet and welcome your school to NCI – our adventure beings now!

Education Director
Baylee
Baylee was born and raised in Lake Tahoe, CA where her love for nature and wildlife developed at a young age. Her passion for animals followed her to Oregon where she graduated with a degree in Zoology from Oregon State University. After graduating, Baylee moved to Costa Rica where she worked on biodiversity surveys in Tortuguero National Park. After this internship, she decided to pursue conservation through the lens of education. This is when Baylee pivoted from Wildlife Conservation to Environmental Education.

Environmental Educator
Jordan
Born in New York City, Jordan went to school at SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry in Syracuse, New York, where he was surrounded by people just as passionate about the natural world. Studying Conservation Biology, Jordan understood the importance of strong environmental education for youth, firmly believing every child deserves an experience in the wild. Jordan’s main focus in university has been studying herpetology – the study of reptiles and amphibians.

Environmental Educator
Josh
Josh went to school at the University of North Carolina, where he got his bachelors in Marine Biology and worked as Lab Coordinator for the Plastic Ocean Project non-profit group. He also attended the University of Alaska Southeast, where he attained his certifications for Scientific diving, rescue diving, and cold water survival training. When not educating, Josh enjoys taking hikes in nature, reading, and gaming. He is Passionate about environmental conservation and research, and is eager to share this passion with the next generation

Environmental Educator
Adrianna
Adrianna is joining NCI this spring after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Environmental Science with concentrations in Conservation Biology and Environmental Systems & Society. She has worked with children in various settings, including coaching gymnastics, tutoring, and teaching environmental summer camps in Lake Tahoe. She enjoys yoga, hiking, and sharing her excitement and appreciation for mother nature when teaching.

Environmental Educator
Nate
Nate is joining us this Spring season after graduating from SUNY-ESF in upstate New York with a major in Environmental Education & Interpretation. He has loved the outdoors and everything about the natural world since his childhood in Michigan! He has a special interest in paleontology and has been an active birdwatcher since 6th grade! He also loves to travel, connect with students, share a good laugh, and make friends and learn from all different kinds of people and he is so excited for a chance to do all of these things at NCI!

Environmental Educator
Emma
Emma is a dedicated wildlife conservationist who received her bachelors in Environmental Design, with a focus in Landscape Architecture at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dedicated to the preservation of the planet, she is particularly interested in ecological sciences and environmental education, and hopes to one day open up her own nature center and education program. As a Florida native, she enjoys kayaking and various water activities, along with wildlife photography, travel, and the arts.
Florida Team

Outreach Director
Austin Wood
Austin has been with Nature’s Classroom Institute since 2016, he has worked across all NCI states and believes he has the most important job in the world, reconnecting our future leaders to nature! He has brought his passion for education and the outdoors to Florida and soon Maryland. Austin started with us in Texas and then helped with the first California season. In 2018 Austin then moved to Florida to help develop the program in the sunshine state. D.C Field trips are next on his agenda as he continues to help the growth of NCI.

Education Director
Britta
Britta first discovered her love for nature while exploring the woods and creeks in her Texas hometown. Her passion for environmental education has led her to teach children in multiple, diverse ecosystems all over the world. Britta has been with NCI since 2015 and loves having the opportunity to ignite students' passion for learning, year after year. Since working with NCI she has also gained experience in the adolescent Montessori Classroom setting.
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Environmental Educator
Katie
Katie has been traveling & teaching an environmental program all over the world from New York, South Africa, Nepal, Costa Rica and recently Mexico where she has spent the last 7 years. She is an environmental activist and has worked with different farm2table organizations and environmental NGOs over the years. In her free time loves spending time with our ultimate life force, the ocean. Katie is dedicated to inspiring the youth and all future generations to come to understand that the health of the planet is just as important as our own.

Environmental Educator
Stina
Florida raised, Stina has spent a lot of time enjoying the various green and blue spaces this state has to offer. She has always found a sense of comfort and purpose while working with youth, and for the past 9 years Stina has spent time programming for various Serious Network summer camps, and is excited to join the NCI team this Spring! In her free time she enjoys ropes courses, hiking, paddle boarding, baking, and spending time with my dog.

Environmental Educator
Maria
Maria is joining us this Spring season from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she earned her degree in biology with a main focus in Marine and Ecological Biology. She has enjoyed the ocean from an early age and loves to teach environmental education to all age groups. She also enjoys kayaking, fishing, and snorkeling, and she cannot wait to explore the diverse ecosystems of Florida while providing educational programs with NCI!

Environmental Educator
Brooke
Brooke grew up in Northeast Florida, where you could often find her beach combing or splashing around in the waves. She studied marine science at the University of Florida and has since gone on to teach it on California’s coasts and in the Florida keys. Goals in life include building a home made of earthen materials and perfecting her morning cup of coffee.
Maryland and DC Team

Outreach Director
Austin Wood
Austin has been with Nature’s Classroom Institute since 2016, he has worked across all NCI states and believes he has the most important job in the world, reconnecting our future leaders to nature! He has brought his passion for education and the outdoors to Florida and soon Maryland. Austin started with us in Texas and then helped with the first California season. In 2018 Austin then moved to Florida to help develop the program in the sunshine state. D.C Field trips are next on his agenda as he continues to help the growth of NCI.
Wisconsin Summer Day Camp Team

Environmental Educator
Wayde
Outside of education, a large portion of my professional experience in conservation, animal medicine, and other areas has been gained through hands on experiences and skill building that I am excited to share through our program. I hope to engage and empower students with knowledge they can apply to their own backyards, schools, and communities and I am most excited for students to experience the summer outside in Mukwonago with forests, prairies, and streams.

Environmental Educator
Carson
My name is Carson Dean Northcutt, and I come from Ft Worth, Texas. I graduated in 2021 from the University of North Texas with a B.A. in History. There I also studied Social Studies Education and Spanish, with which I’ve been practicing since 2016 and have been proficient for 4+ years. My goal as an educator is to engage learners and support their individual learning processes so that they feel proud and responsible for their own education.
For fun, I enjoy cooking food, practicing yoga, making art, spending time outside, reading books, studying foreign languages and traveling.
We would love you to explore the idea of working at one of our many sites as an Environmental Educator.