Rosalind "Roz" Hanchett, Director

An enthusiastic champion of both nature and education in this wonderful community, Rosalind “Roz” Hanchett founded Robin's Nest Nature Preschool in Peterborough in 2013 and has served as its director ever since. With experience teaching children in grades one through five, Roz values education of the whole child through play, individualized support, and an integrated curriculum. Roz received her Master's degree in Elementary Education from Simmons College. She taught in Massachusetts for six years, and volunteered in a Head Start preschool for two years in Boston before teaching reading and writing to first through third graders at Mountain Shadows School in Dublin. Many of her years teaching were spent working in special education with children on the autism spectrum, and those with reading and math disabilities. Roz lives with her husband, son and three daughters.

Abby Mattson

Abby deeply values the strength of community and natural beauty of the Monadnock Region where she was raised. With 13 years’ experience in Early Childhood Education (ECE) – beginning as a teacher’s assistant and substitute teacher at the Dublin Community Preschool, taking classes at River Valley Community College and participating in other ECE environments – Abby’s greatest joy is working with children. With an equal love for the outdoors, and an understanding of the relationship between unstructured time in nature and the health of the body and mind, Abby appreciates what Robin’s Nest provides not only for the children but also for their teachers: a truly magical place that teaches kindness, nurtures independence, and instills a deep love of nature. In her personal time, Abby can be found hiking, exploring, kayaking or doing yoga.

Emma Adams

Emma has loved babies and kids from a very young age and always knew she wanted to go to school for education. That passion led her to spend a gap year after high school as a live-in nanny in New York City. Emma spent the year observing how kids were raised in the city and traveling the world with the family. She then returned to New Hampshire to study Elementary Education at Keene State College. After graduating, Emma moved to Houston, Texas and worked in the public schools as a para with special education children. But her deep appreciation for the beauty of the New Hampshire woods, rivers and fields brought her home once again, where Emma knew she wanted to raise her own children. Emma is able to pass this love and appreciation for nature on to the children of Robin's Nest. Emma enjoys hiking with her family, swimming in local lakes, and being an active member in the Peterborough community.

Erin Moore

Continuously learning about nature and enthusiastically sharing it with children makes teaching at Robin’s Nest a dream for Erin. With three kids of her own, Erin spends her time outdoors adventuring, hiking, swimming, or biking. She has worked in special education in public schools and ran a home-based daycare when her children were young. Her degree is in Speech Language Pathology. Erin’s interest include cooking, sewing, animals, yoga and health. She loves working with preschool-aged children and finds much joy in being a part of the Robin’s Nest Nature Preschool family.

Kiki Post

Kiki has been lucky in her schooling. When she was little in Holland, she got to walk to school with her sisters and later, bike when she was in High School (as did most of her peers). This continued as she went to college for fine art in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Along with encouraging art appreciation in nature at Robin’s Nest since 2014, Kiki finds joy in the natural world daily. An avid gardener, you might see Kiki with a group of kids weeding the gardens or planting bulbs. At home, she can be found nurturing plants to maturity and then sharing them with friends and family. Appreciating the surroundings and observing the seasonal changes is a love Kiki shares with the Robin’s Nest children as they have mastered the ability of living in the moment.

SPECIAL TEACHERS

A number of additional community members share their expertise to bring art, dance, music, yoga and experiential learning to the Robin's Nest outdoor classroom.

Phil & Julie Brown / Bird Studies

Phil Brown is a lifelong bird enthusiast and trained naturalist who has traveled extensively in search of birds and natural places, but equally enjoys exploring close to home. He is a frequent field trip leader and instructor for NH Audubon, where he manages wildlife sanctuaries across the state. He is also the Hawk Watch Coordinator for the Harris Center for Conservation Education. Phil has led many birding and nature tours from New England to the tropics for groups including Merlin Wildlife Tours, Holbrook Travel, NH Audubon, and the Hawk Migration Association of North America.

Julie Brown is the monitoring site coordinator for the Hawk Migration Association of North America, where she counts birds, she tracks population and migration trends, she even plans raptor tours. Julie grew up in coastal Massachusetts and was drawn to nature at a young age. She attended the University of Maine.

Jocelyn Brown / Nature Art

Jocelyn is a native of Ashburnham, MA and current resident of Peterborough, NH, where she lives with her partner Ben Conant and pup, Tela. Jocelyn received her bachelor’s degrees in both Fine Arts and Art Education with a minor in Glass from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and is a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. She instructs and creates glass art at Terrapin Glassblowing Studio in Jaffrey and is also the visiting art instructor at Robin’s Nest Nature Preschool in Peterborough. Last, but certainly not least, Jocelyn is a Reiki Master and teacher, certified in the Usui lineage.