Founder

Nature Guide

Shawna holds a BA in Childhood and Special Education, graduating magna cum laude from Daemen College, NY. She earned her Masters in Curriculum & Instruction, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Scranton, PA. Shawna has studied at the Rudolf Steiner Institute in VT and is a certified yoga instructor for both children and adults. Shawna has facilitated national outdoor classroom management training with FoodCorps. In her last year teaching an elementary inclusion classroom within Moore County Schools, she received a “Growing to Greatness” award presented by the school board. Shawna has worked at a local farm cooperative where she was a standing board member. She has guided an outdoor classroom and garden at a local montessori school, and sat on strategic boards for both 4H and her local library. She is also Wilderness First Aid certified through NOLS. Shawna is whole-heartedly a homeschooling mother of two children. In 2017, Shawna co-created the Nature School at Ladybug Farm, fusing her passions for educating children, writing curriculum and gardening to create the unique programs at Ladybug Farm.

Founder

Every day there is something that needs tinkering, fixing or building on the farm. Jared is a self-taught craftsman that uses his handy and creative abilities to keep Ladybug farm going and growing. A self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, Jared is a stubborn DIYer, that finds ways to make things come together. Jared studied premedical sciences and received a BS degree while attending Daemen College where he and Shawna first met. He also holds an AAS degree in business administration and studied integrated pest management at Purdue University. Founding Ladybug Farm and building a homestead was certainly not in the picture when Jared earned his ryt200 and taught hot yoga for several years, but that’s the craziness of life! While managing Ladybug Farm Jared has been working behind the scenes to create LBF Carpentry.

Summer Camp Nature Guide & Prior Lead Forest Guide, Forest Kindergarten

Krystie grew up in the desert of Arizona. In the summer she would spend time with her grandparents up North among the ponderosa pines in Presco, AZ. Between the two, she grew a passion for all different outdoor activities, from catching horned toads and learning the benefits of yucca to playing in creeks watching the dragonflies and tadpoles. Later, she attended Northern Arizona University and studied anthropology. She and her husband then made several military moves over the next few years. After receiving her degree in anthropology while living in Washington state, they moved to Colorado, where her love of the outdoors and a new passion of early education soon would form. While in Colorado, she began teaching in a play-based learning preschool and fell in love. Now living in Moore County for the past five years, she is a homeschooling mother of two children and has played an integral role in the development and growth of the Nature Immersion programs at Ladybug Farm.

Nature Guide, Forest Homeschool & Summer Camps

Claire has always had a love for animals and the outdoors. With a background in therapeutic horsemanship, she was a program director at an equine center for seven years. Now she coaches riding with her business, Solid Foundations Equestrian LLC and is a nature guide in our Forest Homeschool program, leading the children daily in Wild Math small groups. Claire enjoys exploring the woods near her home with her husband, children, and dogs.

Summer Camp Leader

Emily grew up hunting with her family and found peace in the great outdoors. She has shared her passion of archery in our Wilderness Survival Skills Camp and has led summer camps each year since our premier camps in 2019. Around the farm she assisted with the building of a child friendly greenhouse, assisted with goat births, offers assistance with our programs, as well as countless other projects behind the scenes. Professionally, Emily graduated from St. John Fisher University with her BSN and moved to North Carolina as part of her ICU nursing career.

Lead Yoga & Mindfulness Guide, Forest Kindergarten

Kelly is an educator, a yoga practitioner, a military spouse, and mother. Kelly holds a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education, a 200 hour yoga teacher certification, continuing education in the areas of youth yoga and mindfulness, meditation and sound healing, and has years of experience as a special education teacher in a variety of settings. Kelly is the founder and owner of The Connection Corner in Southern Pines, a wellness space for youth and families. Kelly loves to travel and explore outdoors, practice yoga with her daughter, read, and daydream! Kelly has been our Lead Yoga & Mindfulness Guide for our Forest Kindergarten program since the onset of our programs.

Mini Monet Lead Art Guide

Ashleigh is a plein air artist and private school art teacher that guides our Mini Monet painting series for children. She is a lifelong student of art with her favorite subjects including landscape and architecture, with her preferred mediums being pastel and watercolor. She has a studio at the Artist League of the Sandhills in Aberdeen.