OUR TEAM

All Mountain Kids Staff are trained in First Aid and CPR (at a minimum) and have passed a criminal background check. Staff Training includes learning Mountain Kids safety protocol, and our mission, philosophy and activities.  

Katie MacaulayKatie Macaulay; Founder & Executive Director

Katie Macaulay is the Founder and Director of Mountain Kids! She feels strongly about enabling kids to leave hectic schedules and technology behind in order to wonder, learn, and play in nature. Katie earned her degree in Education from the University of British Columbia and studied the Art of Nature Mentoring at the Wilderness Awareness School. However, some of her most formative learning occurred during her participation and subsequent leadership with a Canadian Peace Corps program. In Guyana, Katie initiated a Big Brother-Big Sister program for street children, taking them out into wild nature. This challenging and ultimately rewarding program led her to value experiential learning and wish to make a difference in her own community. Katie taught middle school for 10 years, has accumulated more than 30 years experience leading children in outdoor settings, and has led Mountain Kids! for the past 16 years. During this time, she has developed programs in partnership with the Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS), Communities in Schools and Reading Quest. Since 2020, Mountain Kids! has received Outdoor Equity Fund grants to get underserved kids out to play and learn in the mountains. Katie lives in Santa Fe surrounded by wild nature with her husband, two kids and furry friend, Rockie. 

Gwendolyn Lyons; Program Director

Gwen was born and raised in Vermont, and has spent the last six years living in Prescott, Arizona. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and recently completed a Master of Arts in Outdoor Education Leadership at Prescott College. Gwen has a wide range of experience working in the field of outdoor education with various nature centers and environmental education organizations up and down the east coast; she also taught middle school science Vermont. Her desire to be outside the classroom was the driving force behind her decision to leave traditional education. Graduate school brought Gwen to Prescott, Arizona, and she fell in love with the southwest. She spent time working as an outdoor education facilitator, and volunteered for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue Team as a member of the Backcountry Unit for three years. Gwen gained administrative and logistical experience working for an adventure guiding company as the Operations & Logistics Coordinator in Seward, Alaska. Gwen is excited to get back into the outdoor education field as she joins Mountain Kids as the Program Director. She and her dog, Mushu, are keen to explore the Santa Fe area (and beyond) through various outdoor pursuits, including hiking, backpacking, camping, paddle boarding, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Teya Broad-Wright; Summer Field Instructor

Teya grew up in Florida and spent every summer since she was six in New Mexico, trying all the summer camps in the Santa Fe area. She and her brother discovered Mountain Kids! in 2014 and religiously signed up for the camp every year since. Since she set foot in the mountains surrounding Santa Fe, she absolutely fell in love with the enchanting wilderness and looked forward to returning every year. She has crawled over every inch of the Santa Fe ski basin, whether she was mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, or skiing. Once Teya outgrew her camper status, she became a Counselor-in-Training, and in 2024 returned for her first year as a Mountain Kids! Counselor. Teya couldn’t be more thrilled to join the family, and is looking forward to her second year as a Counselor. Teya is a huge fan of backpacking and hiking, playing games, climbing, and running. She’s looking forward to another summer full of laughter, adventure, and endless fun with Mountain Kids!

Danny Brosnahan; Summer Field Instructor

Danny was born and raised in San Francisco. He went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he studied modern languages and literatures. He has worked in many different fields ranging from real estate to politics to academia. Most recently he has been a server and teacher, both in San Francisco and Santa Fe. Danny grew up backpacking with his dad in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which instilled in him a love of the outdoors. In his spare time he enjoys hiking and swimming and recently started to rock climb (just indoors so far!). What he likes more than anything, however, is to play and be silly and have fun and he looks forward to this summer with Mountain Kids!

Cloé Godret-Miertschin; Summer Field Instructor

Cloé was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has always loved the natural beauty of her home state. Growing up, she spent her summers hiking and camping in the Jemez Mountains nearly every weekend, and mountain biking in the foothills of the Sandias. In the winter, she enjoys snowboarding, splitboarding, and snowshoeing (anything that gets her outside and into the snow). She is currently an undergraduate student at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she’s studying Sports Medicine and Biochemistry. Being in Houston for most of the year makes her miss New Mexico and its endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. With fewer mountains to explore in Texas, Cloé has taken up triathlons to stay active and challenge herself in new ways. Cloé is incredibly excited to spend time back in the mountains and can’t wait to share outdoor adventures with all of you!

Mairah Webb; Summer Field Instructor

Mairah spent her childhood immersed in the outdoors. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, all of her core memories are surrounded by nature. She currently attends UNM studying international studies with a focus in arts and culture. As an artist in many ways she enjoys connecting to others through creativity. Working with children is her way to make an impact on future generations. While attending summer camp growing up, she still remembers the impact her counselors had on her. She enjoys creating a space where children feel secure and free to express themselves. She believes as much as there is to teach, there is always more to learn. Mairah loves hiking, lounging in nature, swimming, rock climbing, and just general frolicking. She is very excited to spend the summer outside! All day! Everyday!

AJ Check; Summer Field Instructor

Growing up in Michigan, AJ developed a deep love for the outdoors through countless camping and hiking adventures. Surrounded by forests, trails, and the beauty of the Great Lakes, he learned to appreciate nature in all its forms.Seeking a different climate, AJ ended up in New Mexico, where the desert landscapes and mountain ranges rekindled a childhood passion for skiing. He has worked Ski Patrol at Ski Santa Fe for the past three winters. During the summer months of those years AJ travelled to work at a camp in Maine, where he led numerous outdoor trips, including several river expeditions and two memorable summits of Mt. Katahdin, the state’s highest peak. Whether it’s paddling down winding waterways or trekking up rocky trails, AJ is always excited to share his love for adventure and help others connect with the wild places that inspire him.

Jessi Fuchs; Summer Field Instructor

Jessi grew up in Reno, Nevada, and has always loved exploring the diverse high desert landscape. After moving to the east coast for school, she realized how much she needed the mountains nearby and settled into Santa Fe three years ago. Ever since, she has spent time backpacking, hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, and biking whenever she gets the chance. Jessi has a background in public health and health education, and has worked as a chess coach with elementary schoolers. She is very excited to be running around outdoors this summer exploring New Mexico with Mountain Kids!