Teacher Ben

My name is Ben and I am looking forward to being your teacher this year! I graduated from Southern Oregon University with my B.S in Environmental Sciences and my passion for teaching is a newfound love. I am always looking for mushrooms, identifying all the flora and fauna and adventuring with my 3 kiddos. The river makes me happy and my family and I have canoed & kayaked in the Klamath Basin, Bend area and close to home. I love to hunt for wild game, teaching my children respect for nature and responsible hunting as a natural food source. I have a passion for off grid living and learning and look forward to each new day with a smile.

Teacher Melissa

Hello, My name is Melissa and I find peace and calm in the forest. Sharing the forest with my 4 children alongside my husband Teacher Ben and friends brings me the most joy. I live off grid with my family, as we save up to buy our dream land where we will one day farm, school, and live life to the fullest! I like to backpack and hope to take a big trip with my little ones by my side too! I used to be a jammer for the Southern Oregon Roller Girls back in the day and sometimes I think of returning to the derby scene. I went to school for my BS. in Elementary Education and am a first generation graduate. I am the oldest of five and have always had a passion for learning and teaching.

Teacher Taylor

Taylor Bacon serves as Director and Owner of Freckled Fawn Nature Schools of August 2026, where she also leads as a Pre-K teacher alongside her team. She brings a strong foundation in marriage and family studies and child development, paired with years of hands-on experience working with children in both educational and outdoor settings.

Taylor has spent the past six years working with youth in a variety of roles, including leadership positions within outdoor-based summer camp programs. Her experience as a camp director, director’s assistant, and cabin leader has shaped her ability to lead with both confidence and care, creating environments where children feel supported, capable, and deeply connected.

Raised in Southern Oregon, Taylor developed an early appreciation for nature and the role it plays in building confidence, independence, and self-awareness. That connection continues to guide her work today, as she creates meaningful opportunities for children to explore, take risks, and grow through real-world experiences.

As both a mother of two young daughters and an educator, Taylor brings a nurturing, adaptable, and relationship-centered approach to her work. She is passionate about creating spaces where children are encouraged to be curious, discover their strengths, and develop a strong sense of self.

At the heart of Taylor’s work is a clear and meaningful vision: to create an environment that serves as fertile ground for children—where they feel deeply loved and supported, and are given the confidence to dream boldly, grow fully, and joyfully become who they are meant to be.

Teacher Lydia

Lydia Montuy brings both professional experience and a deeply personal understanding of childhood to her role at Freckled Fawn. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in linguistics, with a focus on developmental psychology and early language acquisition.

Her background includes two years of preschool teaching, where she developed a strong foundation in play-based, hands-on learning. In addition to her classroom experience, Lydia is a mother of four and has spent the past several years homeschooling her children—further shaping her belief that meaningful learning grows from curiosity, exploration, and real-life experience.

Lydia is passionate about creating environments where children feel supported, engaged, and free to learn at their own pace. Her approach is rooted in connection, joy, and a deep respect for the natural ways children grow and discover the world around them.

She is committed to walking alongside each child with intention and care, fostering both confidence and a lasting love of learning.