Ryan

I’m Ryan, an educator and nature nerd who bikes pretty much everywhere and spends free time between archery elk hunting, ultimate frisbee, underwater hockey, live music, and community singing. I care a lot about permaculture, climate justice, and creating a home that feels welcoming, grounded, and low-drama. If you like nearby trails, shared meals once in a while, and respectful co‑living, we’ll probably get along.

I am a long-time Denver human (born here with ancestors from Wisconsin via Ireland and Michigan via Holland) who’s happiest when life is a mix of community, creativity, and time outside.

Professionally:

I’ve been teaching and facilitating ecological literacy for over 25 years with young people ages 3–18, and working with adults in school leadership and community organizing for the last 15. I hold a Colorado Secondary Science Teaching License (since 2004) with an English Language Learner endorsement, a Master of Science in Ecological Teaching and Learning (2011), and I’m a director/coach certified with the Colorado Department of Early Education (2021). Right now, most of my energy is going into Mycelium Cooperative, a multi-generational, regenerative futures learning community that blends outdoor education, justice, and cooperative economics. Personally:

I’m very much a “wilderness and city both/and” person. Some of the things that light me up:

Archery elk hunting and time in deep wilderness Biking as a way of life (not just recreation) Ultimate frisbee and underwater hockey (yes, it’s a real thing) Wandering through nearby nature spaces just to see what’s blooming, moving, or changing Live music and community singing Fiber arts and slow, hands-on art making

I’ve thought of myself as “re‑wilding” practitioner since I was about three years old. I care a lot about the interweaving of life and organizing for climate justice in the middle of the human‑induced Sixth Mass Extinction. That shows up in how I garden, how I teach, and how I try to show up as a housemate: paying attention, communicating clearly, and doing my best to live in a way that supports more life, not less. Day-to-day, I’m pretty grounded and low-drama: I value clear agreements, shared care for the space, and a home that feels welcoming, calm, and alive.