Kathy quit her full-time job in July 2011 to become a stay-at-home/homeschool mom to her two children. On November 7, 2022 tragedy struck and Kathy, Gwyn, and Rowyn were in a car accident that took the lives of Gwyn and Rowyn. One of Kathy's saving graces is that she was able to homeschool Gwyn and Rowyn for almost 12 years and explore, learn and grow with them. It is because of Gwyn and Rowyn that Kathy found her passion for environmental education.
Kathy has been teaching, organizing fieldtrips, and supporting the homeschool community since 2012 through various homeschool groups. Kathy is passionate about getting children outside and immersed in nature which she has been doing with her own children since they were just a few days old. It is this passion that has driven her to create ECO, so that all children can become immersed in nature and learn more about the natural world around them.
Kathy is an AZ Certified Environmental Educator, NAI Certified Interpretive Guide, USNPN Certified Phenology Leader Outdoor Wildlife Leader, Conservation Leader, Master Naturalist (in GA and AZ), GA Master Birder, National Geographic Certified Educator, Audubon Volunteer, Keep Nature Wild Ambassador, Friends of the Tonto volunteer, and Treekeeper with Trees Atlanta. She is certified in Project Wet, Project Wild, Project Learning Tree, Aquatic Wild, Wilderness First Aid and CPR Certified. She has completed over 2,000 hrs of professional development training in the subjects of science and outdoor/environmental education. Kathy was awarded the Outstanding Environmentall Education Program award in 2021 by AAEE and the Educator of the Yaar award in 2022 by AZGFD.
She is also a public speaker and has presented at conferences and webinars about environmental education. You can view her credentials here.
When she is not teaching, and running her businesses, Educating Children Outdoors and USA Homeschool Fieldtrips, she enjoys volunteering, birding, blogging, hiking, geocaching, creating art, traveling, and watching movies. Read more about the Balman family's homeschool journey on their blog, Kathys Cluttered Mind.