Meet Our Team

Lauren Kessler Lolo

Lauren Kessler aka Lolo (Founder, Nature Programming Facilitator, Retreat Facilitator, Yoga Instructor)

B.A/B.Ed/Certified Forest School Practitioner/First Aid/Certified Yoga Instructor

Lolo

As an outdoor educator, teacher, and lifelong nature enthusiast, Lolo is passionate about the ways time outside can reconnect us with ourselves, with one another, and with the living world around us.

Growing up, Lolo spent much of her free time exploring the outdoors and pursuing activities such as skiing, biking, hiking, camping, and gardening. As she grew older, she came to realize that her love for the outdoors was more than a hobby. It was a fundamental part of who she is and how she understands and moves through the world.

With a background in education and more than a decade of experience as a public school teacher, Lolo has spent her career creating spaces where people can learn, explore, reflect, and connect. Today, her work is expanding beyond the classroom and into the forest, where she brings together her experience as an educator with her deep connection to nature.

Lolo believes that nature has a way of inviting us to slow down, pay attention, ask different questions, and reconnect with what matters. The forest provides inspiration and space for learning, movement, reflection, conversation, and simply being. Whether she is facilitating a retreat, guiding a seasonal gathering, practicing yoga, or sharing time on the land, Lolo’s hope is to create experiences that feel authentic, grounding, and meaningful.

She is deeply grateful to share this work with people who are curious, open, and ready to explore what becomes possible when we step outside the usual rhythms of everyday life.

Al Kessler

Al Kessler (Admin, Support, Maintenance)

Red Seal Electrician/First Aid/Maintenance

Al is our “behind the scenes” support Master! Al helps to ensure the smooth running of Wild Things Forest. Al brings experience in maintenance, construction, and property management. He may join programming from time to time as he loves to play and be silly, learn, and explore outside too!

Al is an avid outdoorsman. He thrives and is the best version of himself when he gets to work and play outside! When he isn’t taking care of our beautiful land, you might find him mountain biking, skiing, dirt biking, snowmobiling, tinkering in the shop, or chowing down on his favourite food: hamburgers. Al also has a love for going slow in nature. He has become connected to some of the frequent animals guests on the land and he has even been known to hug a tree or two!