Our Team
At Saplings, we believe that strong relationships with families are essential to student success. We welcome ongoing conversations and encourage caregivers to connect with us about their child’s learning at any time throughout the year.
Our educators celebrate, document, and display student work to make learning visible so families may share in the learning journey, and students may gain the skills of self and peer evaluation. Through collaborating to create an evolving student gallery as the year progresses, students can begin to understand the connections between projects, revisit their ideas, and learn to remain open to renovating their thoughts and responses as they go.
HEATHER FRASER
BA, BCYC, RECE, MEd
Program Director & Forest School Educator
A dedicated educator, program director, and mother of two, Heather Fraser brings a deep passion for outdoor learning and a lifelong connection to nature to her work. With extensive experience across early childhood and school-age programs, she is committed to fostering meaningful, place-based learning experiences that cultivate curiosity, resilience, and community.
Heather holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria, and an Early Childhood Education Certificate. Her leadership in the field is grounded in the belief that learning thrives in relationship—with people, places, and the natural world.
As the Founder and Program Director of Saplings, Heather leads a team of educators in creating innovative, nature-immersed learning environments where children grow through exploration, inquiry, and play in all seasons. She continues to pursue professional learning in outdoor education and early years leadership, ensuring that Saplings remains at the forefront of progressive, nature-based education in British Columbia.
When not at Saplings, Heather can often be found gardening with her children, hiking local trails, or exploring the coastlines that inspire much of her work. Her vision is to nurture in every child a lasting love of nature and a compassionate connection to the living world.
Pronouns: she/her
CECILY HERAS
BA, BEd, MEd
Head of School, BC Certified Teacher & Forest Educator
In my work as an educator and a mother of three, I draw upon strong personal relationships with both the people and the places around me. Having completed undergraduate studies at UBC and a graduate degree at SFU, I have developed a particular interest in critical and visual literacy, ecological sustainability and education, imaginative educational practices, formative assessment techniques, and in-depth learning and thinking skills. I strive to support students in becoming aware of their own knowledge, thoughts, and motivations in order to share their ideas and creativity with confidence.
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I passionately believe that education should help students gain a sense about the goings on in our world, how it is, and how it came to be this way. I also believe that establishing a connection to nature is one way to help humanity to realize a sustainable future for all. I hope to cultivate a love of learning, based in freedom and intellectual security to give students a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of the interconnectedness of everything.
Now rooted in the beautiful North Shore, in my spare time, I can be found in the garden.
Pronouns: she/her
Our Board Members
Heather Fraser
Belva Stone
Shannon Emery
