Mikaela Koyl
Founder
Hi, I’m Mikaela! I’m a nature enthusiast, outdoor explorer, boy mama, and proud teacher here at Yonder Years Nature School. My classroom doesn’t have four walls—it’s filled with trees, trails, and all the little wonders you can find when you slow down and look closely.
I love helping kids connect with the natural world, whether that’s flipping over rocks to find critters, learning the names of wildflowers, or building forts out of fallen branches. My goal is to spark curiosity and give children the freedom to discover, play, and feel at home outside.
When I’m not teaching, you’ll usually find me hiking, spending time with my family, trying out a new hobby, or with my nose in a good book. I believe every day is a chance to learn something new from nature—and I feel lucky to share that with my students.
Teaching here isn’t just my job—it’s something I truly love. I can’t wait to share the wonders of the natural world with your child and watch them discover just how cool and full of surprises it really is.
Values
Yonder Years is an inclusive group in which each Childs beliefs, backgrounds, and physical abilities are respected. We believe there is something to learn from everyone and we can achieve more collectively than we ever could individually. We also believe that everything from the tiniest thing on earth to the biggest has purpose and was beautifully created.
Mission
Our goal at Yonder Years is to encourage children to cultivate a deeper love and connection to nature while creating a space to learn as a community. We believe in encompassing and providing space for kids to learn as individuals while instilling resilience, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.
“Teaching Children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.”
“Nature and children are natural playmates; they’re both wild and messy, unpredictable and beautiful.”