Show Notes

Linda Engelhart spent the first years of her life on a small farm. There were grape vines, fruit trees to climb, pea patches and strawberry fields to raid, a creek and a pond teaming with life nearby. In her mind, there was absolutely no reason to stay indoors. Ever. Her earliest memories are of climbing to the tippy tops of the trees and jumping off the rooftops of the farm buildings. Having developed a close relationship with trees at an early age, it was only natural that her interests would also include the other animals that shared the habitat.

Linda minored in Biology and majored in Classical Humanities at Kent State University. As an undergraduate, she found it difficult to choose just one area of concentration. She initially studied Latin and Greek to help with her biology studies, but decided to major in the classics because she so enjoyed history and ancient languages. She then completed her Montessori certification for the primary level and was hired at Ruffing Montessori School, a distinguished school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. They sponsored further training for the elementary level at the internationally renowned Montessori Training Centre in Bergamo, Italy.

While in Bergamo she met her future husband, John. He had also just arrived – in a taxi with his duffel bag – for Montessori studies and needed help with translating. She volunteered, introduced him to gelato, and the rest is history.

Linda earned an M.Ed. from Endicott College, with a focus on children and their relationship with the natural world. She is especially interested in nurturing biophilia in young children as she sees that as critical to the future stewardship of our planet. Her master’s thesis on children and nature was nationally recognized and published by the American Montessori Society.

Over the decades, Linda has designed educational programs, taught primary, elementary, and middle school, and served as a school leader. Additionally, she has mentored Montessori teachers and presented at local, national, and international Montessori conferences. Currently semi-retired, she continues to work part-time on the faculty of The Institute for Educational Studies as a seminar facilitator and mentor.

Linda and John raised their daughter, Catie, in the mountains of Colorado. They share a home with two dogs, Star and Cosmo. Linda enjoys serving on the board of The Evergreen Naturalists and Audubon Society and volunteering at the Evergreen Nature Center.