Kiki first began working with youth as a staffer at the Lair of the Golden Bear family summer camp in 2019 and 2021. Amongst the great pines of Stanislaus National Forest, they witnessed the connections that formed through intentional space holding outside – singing over fires, playing games, and sharing meals.
They continued to work outside with youth as an intern for a nature connection education program, Outside Now, in California. Here, they deepened their appreciation for the way nature and thoughtful mentorship held space for the wonders of the child mind to unfold. Through this experience, their passion for supporting youth in intentional ways grew.
With a degree in Psychology, they like to incorporate mindfulness, deep listening, creativity and play into their leadership style. In their free time, they most enjoy exploring hiking trails, climbing trees, eating fresh fruit, practicing hot yoga, and sharing meals with friends and family.
Kerrick was raised in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas where he studied at the University of Texas. After some travel, he moved to the Rogue Valley of Oregon with a vision to farm and support youth. He completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Cultural Anthropology with Honors in 2004 at Southern Oregon University, and devoted over a decade supporting youth and their families navigate local and state social service programs. During this time, he and his partner cultivated a food forest at their home and founded Verdant Phoenix as an educational mini-farm in 2016.
Verdant Phoenix Farm became an expression of a way of life for Kerrick. He is interested in the relationships between humans, soil, microbes, plants/trees/shrubs, food, culture, time, and the web of life. As these elements inform his horticultural practice, Kerrick enjoys supporting landscapes, gardens, farms, and their people who are interested in belonging to the land.