Emma Bartels (she/her/hers)

Emma was raised in a small town outside of Austin, Texas. She has many early memories of finding wonder in the natural world, such as digging for worms as a young child, climbing trees, and picking berries with her family. She studied early education in college, so finding a job that combines teaching and the outdoors is a dream come true! Emma was drawn to Hidden Villa because of the unique dynamic of a working farm combined with an educational center. She deeply values the space for children to learn in nature and feel a sense of connectedness to the Earth. She also values the early morning fog on the foothills! While at Hidden Villa, you will likely see her taking walks in the creek when it’s flowing, hanging out with the sheep, reading in the forest, and finding neat items to collect. A memorable book to Emma is “Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children” by Thich Nhat Hanh.