Zoey Pickel (she/her) hails from the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Alberta. Ancestrally she is Romanian Jewish & derives much strength from this! Born in Calgary, she spent her youth camping, hiking and climbing in both sun and snow. Every spring her family would pull her out of school for a month, drive down to western USA and explore the epic national parks of the desert. You could say she got the travel bug at a young age! Work with youth also became an early passion through babysitting and tutoring since 11 years old. 

A strong wanderlusting wind soon blew Zoey in all directions across the globe. She pulled fresh vegetables out of the ground on organic farms, carved fresh powder at ski resorts, wandered barefoot around India and volunteered extensively in Nepal at both a monastery and remote Himalayan school. “WOAH, I need to keep teaching and learning forever!” she thought, so Zoey dove straight into the magnificent waters of Victoria to get her Bachelor of Elementary Education. She embraced all that the island has to offer from getting salty in a kayak, doing a teaching practicum in a nature-based program at Fernwood Elementary on Salt Spring Island, and discovering the softness of laying in a bed of moss. 

Since finishing her degree in 2020 Zoey has been experimenting with many pedagogical modalities, from international schools to starting a tutoring business and getting loads of dirt time at Thriving Roots. When Zoey isn’t super enthused about teaching and being in nature you can find her dancing up an absolute storm with friends, identifying clouds, practicing her didgeridoo skills and nibbling on new types of seaweed. She is known for her enthusiasm & ability to see learning opportunities in just about everything!