Denise Taddonio

Forest Therapist & Outdoor Nature Teacher
NY State Licensed Teacher, Certified Autism Specialist, Forest Therapy Guide

Denise grew up with a fascination for nature from a young age. Denise believes that children are wired to be explorers who hold the power of their discoveries for their use in the world of their own future. Denise considers it our responsibility to nurture children’s innate abilities, allow them the freedom of extracting information from their experiences with nature, and to provide them with opportunities to form a deeper understanding of the people and things that compose the natural world, that we all share.

Knowing that learning never stops, Denise continues her own explorations by partnering with children and guiding them in multi-sensory explorations of our physical world. “It is nature that really fires things up to make sense of our world.”

Originally from New York City, Denise graduated from Marymount College with a degree in foreign languages. Denise continued her professional studies at Brooklyn College focusing on educational theory and neurodevelopmental diversity. She believes her early interest in foreign languages was the portal through which she continues her lifelong focus on the complexities of thinking and learning. In her spare time, Denise continues her language and naturalist studies, forages in forests, struggles with gardening in Zone 3b, develops wilderness sculptures and forest discovery walks, and thinks about and plans new opportunities for children and their families to deepen their connections with nature and each other.

Denise is a certified Autism Specialist, Certified Autism Travel Professional and holds a N.Y. State Teaching License. Denise is also completing her practicum to become a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.