Natasha Nitschke (she/her)

Natasha grew up in the forests of Burnaby Mountain, exploring the woods, trekking through creeks, looking for fairies, and foraging for berries. In recent years, she has become dedicated to learning about native plants, biodiversity, and sustainable living. Natasha is grateful to call the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations home.

She graduated from Langara College with a Fine Arts diploma and is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree. Her art practice encourages sustainability and environmental stewardship through found materials and explores how art and ecology intersect. She is passionate about using art to express ideas and serve as a vehicle for change.

Natasha’s passion for working with children began as a young teen when she worked as the neighbourhood babysitter. She has worked in a variety of professional childcare settings for the past five years and has completed coursework in many areas, notably emergent curriculum. Natasha is excited for her first year at TNNS, as she strongly believes that there is no better teacher than nature itself. She believes that through observation and reflection, children will develop awareness and compassion, which will support their sense of citizenship. Being surrounded by nature also means a lot of materials to explore and creative projects for her and the children to create together.
Natasha loves to see new places and connect with people on her travels. She dreams of having a large garden oasis and growing all of her own food with tons of critters running around, but currently cherishes her modest garden plot and balcony. When she isn’t out in the garden with dirt under her fingernails, Natasha enjoys soaking up the sunshine outside with family and friends.