Shivani Gogna
School Year Program Manager
Pronouns: She/Her
Favorite Being: Urtica Dioica
Shivani has always felt at home in nature. She spent her youngest years outside — exploring the gushing springtime creek behind her house, building forts in the woods throughout the summertime with her sister, making gigantic leaf piles in the fall, and tromping through feet of snow in the long winters on the land of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishinaabeg, and the Haudenosaunee people.
While she has always enjoyed working with youth, her landing in the Snoqualmie Valley in 2015 was the beginning of her calling towards youth nature mentoring. She began working for WAS in 2018, first as a Youth Program Instructor and now as the Manager of our School Year Youth and Adult Programs.
Shivani sees nature connection as one of the most accessible and powerful tools for building healthy communities, and she is committed to delivering high-quality WAS programs to our students. She loves wildcrafting, jumping in cold water, playing music, and hanging out with her family. If you follow the sound of laughter, you might also find Shivani – she loves to laugh!
Grace Vogler
Pronouns: She/Her
Favorite Being: Monotropa uniflora (Ghost Pipe) and Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom)
Grace spent the last several years in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, where her personal journey of rewilding grew alongside her work with children in outdoor settings. She has supported youth through afterschool programs, garden education, wilderness trips, and summer camps. Drawn to root this work in community and deepen her learning, she enrolled in the Youth Nature Instructor Training (YNIT) program at Wilderness Awareness School. Grace’s love for the plant and animal beings around her fuels her passion, often expressed through nature journaling, plant medicine, and quiet time in the forest.
Ruth Sawyer
Pronouns: They/Them
Favorite Being: For now, I choose camas
Ruth grew up in Sacramento, CA, and has lived on two continents and both coasts! They moved to Washington state in 2010. For most of their professional life, Ruth has primarily worked in experiential education. They have taught topics as varied as boat-building, environmental justice and advocacy, trail construction, outdoor survival, sailing, leadership, and marine science. They love to sing, dance, wander the landscape, practice martial arts, listen to birds, study plants, and play guitar and ukulele.
Wyatt Drennan
Pronouns: He/Him
Bio Coming Soon
Thomas Moxley
Pronouns: He/Him
Favorite Being: Western Red Cedar
Tom fell in love with the PNW in 2004 and has called it home ever since. His passion for mentoring and a love of the outdoors led him to WAS to attend The Immersion and Youth Nature Instructor Training. His interests include navigation, backcountry medicine, friction fire, and scouting. He’s excited to finally be part of the WAS team and get outside with awesome people.
Kevin Miller
Pronouns: He/Him
Favorite Being: Stellar’s Jay
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Kevin is a “WASling,” having participated in Wilderness Awareness School programs since he was 7-8 years old. He brings over a decade of experience working Wilderness Awareness School youth programs, including both summer camps as well as school year programs. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Whitman College, and his graduate degree in elementary education from the University of Washington. When not helping kids develop connection with each other, themselves, and the natural world, he works as a private dyslexia interventionist. He enjoys libraries and reading good books, sit spot, and spending time with family and friends.
Allison Feller
Pronouns: She/Her
Favorite Being: Orca
Allison grew up with a love for being outside and has found her way back to that passion through outdoor education.
Her outdoor experience has included working on a ski safety crew, education farm programs, river rafting, and plenty of time hiking, camping, and exploring the Pacific Northwest. She currently works in outdoor early childhood education and loves helping kids build confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging in nature.
Allison believes some of the best learning happens when we’re willing to explore, ask questions, and get a little muddy. When she’s not working with kids, you’ll likely find her on a trail, planning her next outdoor adventure, or exploring with her dog, Lady Boo.
Apollo Andrews
Pronouns: He/Him
Favorite Being: Cougar
Apollo has been attending Wilderness Awareness School as a student since before the age of four. Growing up in the program inspired him to volunteer as soon as he could, and volunteering for five years inspired him to instruct! He believes that some of the most important learning and connection happens out in nature, and he wants to help provide the same wonderful experience he was given as a child in the programs to the next generation of WAS students!
Apollo has worked in childcare for six years and has previously worked as a summer staff instructor for WAS.
Apollo is particularly passionate about tracking, bird language, fire making and survival skills. When he is off the clock you could find him hiking, painting, swimming or spending time with his cats.
Evan Shapiro
Pronouns: He/Him
Bio Coming Soon
Grant Guenter
Pronouns: He/Him
Favorite Being: Aplodontia Rufa/Mountain Beaver
Grant spent his childhood digging holes and making tunnels through the underbrush behind his house. He attended Wilderness Awareness School summer camps until he was old enough to volunteer, then became a volunteer and summer staff member. His experience includes three years interning at Soaring Eagle Nature School in Canada, over a decade volunteering at Wilderness Awareness School programs, wilderness skills training at The Immersion, Youth Nature Instructor Training, and working at Rites of Passage Journeys.
Grant is passionate about crafts, knife skills, wild edibles, cool animal facts, martial arts, and survival skills.