Meet our Teachers!
Andrea Wheatley
Director & Lead TeacherAndrea brings a deep commitment to child development, nature connection, and intentional community-building to Moon Valley Wild Learning, shaped by both her lifelong relationship with the land and over a decade of experience guiding children and building people-centered organizations.
Andrea founded Moon Valley Wild Learning from a deep belief that children thrive through connection — to nature, to community, and to trusted, caring adults. Raised on her family’s small ranch in rural Sebastopol, Andrea spent her childhood immersed in the rhythms of the natural world: tending to animals and plants, growing food, and roaming freely outdoors for hours at a time. These early experiences shaped her understanding of childhood as something slow, relational, and deeply rooted in place. Moon Valley is named in honor of the indigenous Coast Miwok and South Pomo peoples who lived with this Land before us, and also her parents for the grounded, nature-connected upbringing they created for their family — a gift Andrea is now honored to share with other children and families in the local community.
Andrea holds a BA in Psychology from University of California, Berkeley and continues her studies in Child Development while also completing her Cedarsong Way Teacher Training certification in nature immersion education. For over a decade, she has worked with children in classrooms, small care settings, and nature-based programs, where she witnessed the profound impact outdoor experiences can have on children’s confidence, emotional regulation, attention, and sense of belonging. Alongside her work with children, Andrea spent more than ten years building teams and community within the tech industry before returning fully to her deepest passion: creating meaningful spaces where children feel connected, capable, and free to grow.
Judy Tobin-Demakas
TeacherJudy brings a lifetime of connection to the land, community-building, and hands-on learning to Moon Valley Wild Learning. She studied Environmental Science at Sonoma State University and has spent decades working as both a Master Gardener and bodyworker, combining her deep understanding of nature with a grounded, nurturing presence. Passionate about bringing more balance and outdoor learning into children’s lives, Judy headed up the Community Advisory Committee to gather parents to plan and construct the greenhouses and planter boxes at Gravenstein and Hillcrest Schools to create a garden-based education program. She later became the school’s garden teacher implementing the “Life Lab” curriculum where the children experienced hands-on lessons in the garden and greenhouse. Judy also served as a member of the Master Gardeners Board of Directors and West County Liaison supporting cultivation of community connection through group gardening and stewardship.
Raised in Daly City, Judy chose to move to rural Sebastopol in the 1980s with her then-husband, George, to create a different kind of life for their family — one rooted in simplicity, nature, and intentional living. Together, they worked to break generational cycles and raise their children with a deep connection to the land, growing their own food and caring for sheep, goats, chickens, horses, puppies, kittens, and bunnies on their small family ranch. In 2025, Judy moved back to West Sonoma County on a beautiful piece of land at the border of Graton and Sebastopol and began envisioning Moon Valley Wild Learning with her daughter, Andrea.
Judy’s approach to life and parenting emphasizes freedom, creativity, responsibility, and long days spent outdoors with feet in the dirt - values that continue to shape the heart of Moon Valley Wild Learning today.