Esther graduated from Oxford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Sciences, where she specialized in primate behavior.  She then spent the next ten years working in the field of primate conservation both in the UK and South America. 

All this changed when she started a family and the needs of her children took over and she became a full-time homemaker. With the encouragement of a friend, she decided to homeschool her kids and so began her new career as a teacher.  She has worked with multiple  families over the years to create different homeschool co-ops, first in California and then in Boston, Massachusetts. She found herself teaching multiple different classes to all sorts of different children, covering topics such as math, history, science, drama and the arts. 

Like all the teachers at the Ecology Learning Center, she also has a love of the natural world and this passion has lead to many adventures: whether that be heading off to Northern Pakistan with the Royal Geographic Society to map uncharted valleys in the Karakoram ranges, hiking off-trial into the Australian bush with groups of students to search for hidden canyons, or traveling by boat into the Amazon rainforest to look for isolated locations to set up monkey rehabilitation sites. 

Esther’s life-long love of learning has been a constant source of joy, and she is keen to share that love with her students at the Bridge Program.

Marty is a licenced teacher with fourteen years of experience. He is endorsed in science, but has also taught English, math, rock climbing and outdoor skills, college agriculture, sociology, and sustainability. Martin homeschooled his own children, who are now ages seven and ten. His lifetime achievements include co-owning an organic farm, building his own house, sailing a twenty-three foot boat to Alaska. He has also run the 100 mile wilderness and hiked from Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. He believes that the best way to learn is through play and experience. Students will engage with their environment to create an awareness of place and purpose. Martin cultivates a supportive and caring learning atmosphere where students gain the confidence to take flight.

Alex teaches English and History. He holds a B.S. in Parks and Forest Resources and an M.S. in Environmental Studies & Sustainability, both from Unity College. Alex is a 12th generation Mainer with a passion for education, literacy, and history. He formerly taught Ecology at Wayfinder Schools in New Gloucester, Maine. Alex is on the Boards of Directors at Unity Barn Raisers, Board President at Unity Public Library, and Secretary at Maine Woods Forever. He has published poetry and essays and spends his free time reading, gardening, and exploring the state of Maine.