Jennifer Vestal
What animal Jennifer is most afraid of?
The Ostrich, ever since one bit her at the zoo as a small child!
Forest Therapy Practitioner & Outdoor Nature Teacher
Montclair, NJ
M.A. Science Education
Jennifer grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland where she was raised with a very close connection with Nature. Jennifer is very fortunate to have had two loving parents who kept her actively involved in girl scouts and took her on many camping trips as a child. At the age of fourteen, Jennifer was selected for a scholarship to spend two weeks backpacking on the iconic Appalachian Trail - an experience that changed her entire life for the better. Jennifer later attended the University of Maryland where she received her B.S. in Biology and M.A. in Science Education.
She later moved to New Jersey to pursue her second love, ballroom dance, where she expanded her teaching experience helping children learn to dance. Jennifer continues to deepen her relationship with nature through many avenues including backpacking, hiking, fishing, and foraging. Jennifer feels it is more important now than ever to help children connect to the natural world around them. She knows through personal experience how forming a bond with the natural world can empower a child throughout their entire life and hopes to pass this on to her students.
Jennifer is a certified teacher with basic First Aid and CPR training.