Everyone Outside is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in central Connecticut
Everyone Outside offers a variety of children’s programs including weekly full day and caregiver & preschooler programs, after-school and weekend programming, and a summer camp. Most of Everyone Outside's children's programs are based at Fire Ring Farm in Portland, CT.
Everyone Outside also provides field trips and schoolyard programs to classes of elementary-age students from Middletown, Portland, Durham, Middlefield, Hartford, etc. Everyone Outside community programs for families and adults are enjoyed by a wide audience. Our monthly Women of the Woods (WoW) hikes are also popular.
All of our public programs are free or have a sliding scale fee structure. Most of our school affiliated programs and field trips are of no cost to the students or schools. We greatly appreciate the grantors, partners and donors who make this possible.
Everyone Outside's mission is to guide people to cultivate a deeper relationship with the natural world near where they live. Our goals are to build a healthy community, mentor people to connect with nature, and inspire them to be passionate caretakers of our earth. We strive to make the benefits of nature connection accessible by focusing on local adventures and making programs affordable.
Meet Our Staff:
Lucy Meigs, Founder and Director, Program Coordinator and Mentor
Lucy started Women of the Woods (WoW) in 2008 and founded Everyone Outside in 2010. She has enjoyed spending time outside as long as she can remember and began leading hikes as a teenager at summer camp in VT. She is passionate about connecting people to the natural world. Lucy is a naturalist and enjoys sharing her curiosity and knowledge about nature with others. Lucy leads the monthly WoW hikes and coordinates/leads school and community programs.
Lucy is certified in wilderness first aid. She also has a PhD in Geology and many years of experience hiking, camping, foraging, and helping others learn to do the same. She also enjoys metalsmithing and making handcrafts from natural materials, especially baskets.
Erin Livensparger, Program Director, Program Coordinator and Mentor
Erin Livensparger joined Everyone Outside in 2018 as a mentor and leader, where she helped create the organization's Farm & Forest summer camp. She brings over 20 years of experience as a social justice and sexuality-focused trainer and educator, having worked in reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood and Title X Family Planning clinics throughout Massachusetts. Erin is trained in Rosemary Gladstar's The Science and Art of Herbalism and holds certifications as an aromatherapist, doula, HIV counselor and tester, reproductive health consultant, reflexologist, and Reiki master. She is also trained in wilderness first aid and serves as a nature connection mentor. Erin is the daughter of Nancy and Bruce, mother to Zephyrus and Kyrinn, and partner to Jeremy Stone. She is passionate about creating spaces of comfort, learning, and connection to the land for families exploring herbal medicine and outdoor education.
Lisa Liesener, Financial Manager
In 2015, Lisa Liesener joined Everyone Outside as a board member, Programs and Summer Camp Director and Educator. She has a background in Environmental Sustainable Engineering and is also active in the Middletown Complete Streets Committee, the Middlesex VITA Coalition and the Middletown Garden Club's Pollinator Pathways Initiative.
Lisa grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and has loved spending time outside all year long from a very young age.
Program Staff
Everyone Outside has several part-time staff who are wonderful mentors and leaders of our programs, operating under the direction of Erin or Lucy. Staff bring a wealth of knowledge and come from backgrounds including classroom education, leading education at nature centers, working on farms and as staff at outdoor schools, and more. They are passionate about connecting children with nature and helping to mentor happy, healthy kids who feel at home in the outdoors.
Board of Directors
Everyone Outside's Board of Directors includes:
Erik Assadourian
Jennifer Billingsley
Jen Kleindienst
Lisa Liesener
Erin Livensparger
Lucy Meigs
Victoria Thompson