Linda and her family have made Evergreen their home since 1992 when Linda was recruited to help expand the elementary program, and later the middle school program, at Montessori School of Evergreen.

Born in a rural town in Ohio, Linda spent the first years of her life on a small farm. There were grape vines, fruit trees to climb, pea patches and strawberry fields to raid, a creek and a pond teaming with life nearby. In her mind, there was absolutely no reason to stay indoors. Ever. Her earliest memories are of climbing to the tippy tops of the trees and jumping off the rooftops of the farm buildings. Having developed a close relationship with trees at an early age, it was only natural that her interests would also include birds and other animals. Linda’s earliest obsessions were with baby birds and turtles, and she was soon known as the “turtle girl” in her neighborhood. Her father, a bird lover, encouraged her interest in the natural world by building and hanging multiple nest boxes and birdfeeders in their backyard.

Linda earned her B.A. in Classical Humanities with a minor in Biology, from Kent State University. As an undergraduate, she found it difficult to choose just one area of concentration but eventually decided to major in the Classics… just to be different.  She then completed Montessori certification for the primary level (preschool) and was hired by Ruffing Montessori School, a distinguished school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  They sponsored further training for the elementary level at the internationally renowned Montessori Training Centre in Bergamo, Italy. While in Bergamo she met her husband, John. He had just arrived – in a taxi with his duffel bag – for Montessori studies and needed help with translating. She volunteered, introduced him to gelato, and the rest is history.

Linda went on to earn an M.Ed. from Endicott College, with a focus on children and their relationship with the natural world. She is especially interested in nurturing biophilia in young children as she sees that as critical to the future stewardship of our planet. Montessori education places a strong emphasis on the environment and her master’s thesis on children and nature was nationally recognized and published by the American Montessori Society.

Linda has designed educational programs; taught primary, elementary, and middle school; and served as a leader in Montessori schools over the years. Additionally, she has coached, and mentored Montessori teachers and presented at local, national, and international Montessori conferences. Currently semi-retired, she continues to work part-time on the faculty of The Institute for Educational Studies, an online M. Ed. program, where she mentors students and facilitates graduate seminars. 

Linda and John have a daughter, Catie, who has returned to Colorado from graduate school at UMass, Amherst. They share their home with two furballs–a doodle named Stardust and a whippet-mix rescued pup named Cosmo–and carry on the tradition of having multiple nest boxes and bird feeders in their yard. In her spare time, Linda enjoys hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, playing the guitar and volunteering for the Wildlife Watch, at the ENC, and in Evergreen Audubon’s Explore More programs.