Julie Soske
Naturalist, Co-Founder
Julie finds the most rewarding moments in her teaching career occur when she brings nature and children together and “lets the magic happen.” She believes children possess an intuitive guidance that leads them to make sense of the world around them through wonder and play. Her role is to provide a space for this unfolding. Julie grew up with a menagerie of creatures. Her mother, a female “Dr. Doolittle,” was endlessly fascinated by all living things. Her house was a home for numerous wild birds, snakes, turtles, rodents, fish, and pets in various stages of recovery. A favorite childhood memory for Julie involves sitting in her Grandmother’s avocado tree studying the ants, butterflies, bees, and birds. After graduating from high school, Julie earned her BA and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at California State University, Long Beach and her MA from Loyola Marymount University. She began teaching elementary school in 1985. Becoming ever more fascinated with the relationship between children and nature, she studied under Joseph Cornell (Founder of Sharing Nature Worldwide) and became a Certified California Naturalist. She lives in Ojai where she spends her free time, playing in her garden, walking the trails and practicing Yoga.
Bill Falls
Naturalist, Co-Founder
As a child growing up with two brothers and three sisters, Bill could be found headed off in the family camper each weekend to enjoy the outdoors. His favorite vacation involved his family taking a pontoon boat up the Sacramento Delta, docking at parks to hike and explore along the way. Bill is a self-proclaimed computer whiz, and since retiring from the tech industry in 2016, he has found a renewed appreciation for nature. Bill was instrumental in creating a school nature garden that enables children to explore and learn outdoors. He loves spending his free time running on the beach, hiking trails, watching birds, gazing at the stars and swing dancing. He was fortunate enough to study under Joseph Cornell, the founder of Sharing Nature Worldwide in Grass Valley, California. Bill is a Certified California Naturalist and a supporter of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.