Aleksa Nitsis

Aleksa Nitsis is a guest on Turtle Island and a Teacher Candidate in the Master of Teaching program at OISE. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph where she studied International Development. Aleksa is thrilled to be part of a supportive team that values the importance of Indigenous perspectives in education.

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Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

Gazing at the sunset over Lake Ohrid in Macedonia gives me a feeling unlike no other. As one of the oldest lakes in the Balkans, its seismogenic landscape and endemic species provide an ethereal experience for anyone who visits and has the privilege of admiring this stunning body of water.

Katherine Chen

Katherine Chen is a guest on Turtle Island and a Teacher Candidate in the Master of Teaching program at OISE. Katherine has explored various ways to connect children to the outdoors, with the goal of inspiring and encouraging a life-long relationship to the more-than-human world.

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Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

I feel most connected to our natural world when I’m near a body of water. Whether a tiny creek or the Pacific Ocean, hearing the sounds of water moving brings me a sense of calm and serves as a reminder of the numerous connections the web of life has.

Maham Tabassum

Maham Tabassum is a guest on Turtle Island and a Year 1 Teacher Candidate in the MA in Child Study and Education program at OISE. She completed her MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from the University of London, UK. She then served as a Lecturer in Environmental Science for 3 years, advocating for the environment and participating in numerous local projects aimed at ecological preservation and environmental awareness. Maham aspires to bring holistic wellness to her classroom through mindfulness, spirituality and a deep connection with nature.

Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

I feel most connected to Natlar, Pakistan - a small piece of heaven tucked away in the North of my home country. The emerald green, turquoise and teal-shaded lakes, surrounded by lush greenery and icy mountain peaks in the distance, always fill my heart with a calm joy.

Betty Luo

Betty is a guest to Turtle Island as an international student. She is a teacher candidate in the Master of Teaching program at OISE. Having worked and conducted research with young children, Betty developed interests in examining the development of children, as well as how teachers influence young students’ learning experiences.

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Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

Growing up in China and having travelled to multiple countries, Betty enjoyed the different facets of nature in various places. She was amazed by the wavy Northern Lights in YellowKnife, and the vast world of dry sand in the Sahara Desert; she felt the piercing chill of Jungfrau in Switzerland, and the astonishment of sky-high rock mountains in Zhangjiajie. She also experienced different ways that the local communities connect to nature, and how people and nature form distinct cultures together.

Amelia Rutledge

Amelia is a guest on Turtle Island and a first-year Teacher Candidate in the Master of Teaching program at OISE. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Waterloo and hopes to inspire a love for science and the natural world with her future students!

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Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

I feel the most connected to the natural world when I am walking through the trail in my backyard. I am incredibly lucky to live where I am surrounded by forests and a river. No matter the season, it is so beautiful to walk alone or with my family and connect to the amazing sights and sounds of nature.