Lisa Burris

Lisa Burris is the Executive Director of Turn Back Time. She has five children and is the adoptive mother of two children with special needs. It is through her children that Lisa first recognized the fantastic effects that nature has as a great equalizer and healer. It is from this reckoning that Lisa has created the concept of the nature based education program for children of all abilities, building the infrastructure and business plan to make that a reality.

Lisa started the farm preschool back in 2012 with just three kiddos, a red shed, and a vision. She says it has been a true pleasure to watch as the program has expanded from there. In May 2017, Lisa received a Masters certificate of completion from Antioch University for Nature Based Education and Forest Kindergarten through their Early Childhood Education Department. Lisa holds a degree in Human Resources and has 30 years of experience in the field, as well as in business, administration, accounting.

Lisa has worked with children as an Applied Behavior Therapist and is a trained foster parent with the state of Massachusetts. When she isn’t working on the farm she enjoys spending time with her husband, 5 children and 3 grandchildren and is an active member in her church.

Katie Baker

Kathryn Hunt Baker is Assistant Director at Turn Back Time. She is an early childhood educator with a passion for emergent curriculum and play-based learning. Throughout her early career Katie was blessed with strong role-models who excelled in understanding the developmental needs of young children. She prides herself in her ability to guide children in their individual growth and her knack for designing spaces that encourage engagement in learning. She has achieved a MEd in Foundations of Education, a BS in Early Childhood Education, an AA in Liberal Arts, a Masters Certificate in Nature-Based Education and is a licensed teacher in the state of Massachusetts. Katie has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over a decade and owned and operated The Neighborhood Playroom, a nature-based daycare program in Leicester, MA.

Katie lives with her husband and two sons in Leicester Massachusetts.  While at home, Katie enjoys perennial and water gardening, watching wild birds, and reading with her children. The Baker family loves to explore New England in their camper, and spends much of their time at their family homes in Maine. Katie is a life-long learner and is often engaged studying her interests and taking classes at Antioch University.

Veda Bleau

Veda Bleau is diving whole-heartedly into nature-based education by pursuing her Master’s in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education at Antioch University. She graduated from Holyoke Community College and Worcester State University and has taught in both private and public school settings in Western and Central Massachusetts. Passionately teaching underserved and at-risk kids developed her professionally, but finding Turn Back Time’s nature-based early education program has allowed her to bring her unique perspective and skills to the table in a holistic way, forming genuine connections with kids in all the exciting ways nature can provide. Veda is committed to working with nature to discover endless opportunities for kids to learn and grow, and provide a strong emotional and social foundation for overall confidence and relationship building. Veda is enthusiastic, vivacious, loud and committed. She is a talented and passionate cook, fiber artist, and outdoor enthusiast who loves to immerse herself in the New England seasons by camping, kayaking, hiking and snowboarding. She runs The Bleau Pig with her husband, Brad, selling their artwork, custom clothing and vintage treasures they score from scouring flea markets, thrift shops and old barns.

Rachael Novia

Rachael Novia is a Spencer local with a degree in Early Childhood Education from Quinsigamond Community College. She’s taught 3rd grade in Sturbridge and interned at Montessori School in Auburn during college, and spent 15 years working as a chef. Rachael has found fulfillment, joy and purpose watching students thrive in a nature-based setting and loves to smile, laugh, and find challenging, beautiful adventures. She adores the honesty of children and passionately teaches them to be creative, courageous and persistent. The sparkle in a child’s eye when they achieve whatever they’re trying is her greatest reward. She is a mother whose daughter is her whole world and best friend, and as an avid Jeep enthusiast, Rachael runs a New England-wide Jeep Charity Ride group every other weekend.

Katrina Smaltz

Katrina Smaltz is TBT’s Kinderkamp teacher, Social Media content creator and administrator. Katrina is a Reiki Master and earned some college experience in Dementia/Alzheimer’s Education. She has worked with populations across the lifespan, spending 7 years working with the elderly in nursing homes, and now finds working in nature with young children soul-filling. Her experience working with the elderly provided Katrina with skills that translated smoothly into the nature-based education environment, and joins her love of nature and hiking with her commitment to a compassionate and open mind. Creative, resilient and outgoing, she approaches her work with optimism, empathy and honesty. Katrina is a photographer, homesteader, traveler and cook. Originally from Sterling, she married her kindergarten sweetheart and currently lives in Paxton with their two daughters.

Beth Preston

Beth Preston is a Preschool Teacher, Garden Educator and Farm and Animal Care Coordinator at Turn Back Time. A Hubbardston native, Beth graduated from Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg and attended Assumption College in Worcester. She worked for many years in restaurant management and as a Title Examiner before taking time to raise her family. She settled in Holden with her four children and volunteered in their classrooms, PTA events and Youth Football Snack Shack which fostered her love of young children and their excited, natural sense of adventure. Beth encourages independence in her students by being positive, encouraging and level-headed. She loves facilitating her students’ connection with the world around them and helps kids recognize their own unique strengths and abilities through nature exploration. Working at Turn Back Time fits perfectly with her love of the outdoors and her firm belief that spending time with nature has a therapeutic effect on humans. When she’s not working, she farmsteads at her home where she has goats, chickens and a donkey. She loves landscaping and has a vegetable garden and a greenhouse. Her quiet time is spent reading or going on long hikes.

Amy Elizabeth Soucy

Originally from Monson, Massachusetts, Amy Elizabeth Soucy has her BA in Psychology and a double minor in English Literature and Spanish. She taught 4-8th grade Spanish and is proud of her efforts to build community in the school by coordinating a weekly story time when her 8th-grade students would read stories in Spanish to their preschool buddies. She is currently working on her Early Childhood Certificate and is inspired by the endless source of materials the natural world has to invite kids to explore, wonder and learn. Quiet, amiable and nurturing, Amy is committed to engaging kids in the natural world and fostering a sense of well-being, wonder and environmental stewardship in this increasingly digitalized, fast-paced world. Married with four teenage kids, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, hiking with her three dogs, playing in her garden and aquascaping.

Rachael Drinker

Laura Piccirillo

Laura Piccirillo grew up next door in Spencer, Massachusetts. She is Turn Back Time’s Certified Lead Preschool Teacher and holds a BS in Biology with a Chemistry minor. She interned at WPI in 2019 and worked on turning food waste into biofuel. She then worked as a Veterinary Assistant at Spencer Veterinary Hospital and is a self-described “cat fanatic.” Laura is compassionate, brave, talkative and friendly and she deeply enjoys connecting with, learning from, and conserving nature. Laura loves watching her students’ eyes light up as they grow and learn from nature. When she’s not working, Laura is a Girl Scout troop leader for her daughters. She also loves to forage for food and make herbal remedies. She is a mother of three human children and has 4 fur-baby cats and 2 dogs, in addition to foster cats and kittens!

Emilia Luna-Kelley

Emilia Luna-Kelley is a Paxton native, graduating from Wachusett Regional High School in 2019. Her past experience working as a nanny, camp counselor, infant/toddler and preschool teacher has prepared her for her current position as TBT’s Garden Park preschool teacher. She also had the opportunity to work at TBT as a summer farm camp counselor in 2023. Reliable, nurturing, calm and adventurous, Emilia celebrates each student’s individuality, boundaries and development, understanding that each child reacts differently to the world outside of their home. She prides herself on her patience and ability to see and meet each child where they’re at. Emilia believes that a safe, outdoor learning environment for kids is important for their growth, and she is exhilarated and gratified after an amazing school day at TBT. When she’s not at work, she loves traveling, cuddling up with a good book, all things Harry Potter, and hanging out with family and friends.