Rachel Parker transitioned from working with children with severe disabilities to founding the Ferncliff Nature Preschool, the first licensed nature preschool in Arkansas. Burnt out by traditional education’s limitations, she pursued outdoor play-based learning, inspired by a forest kindergarten video. Collaborating with Ferncliff, she launched the preschool in 2016, leading more than 185 students in nature-based education. In May 2024, Rachel was named Outstanding Environmental Educator by the Arkansas Environmental Education Association.