Meet the Team
Our Founder Beth Wilkins and how Bedrock Play came to be
Bedrock Play was founded by Beth Wilkins in 2019 but her entire personal and professional life has been pointing to supporting children with PLAY as a foundation. Beth and her husband Ben have been married for nearly 25 years and have raised three sons together.
While her kids were younger, Beth worked for 14 years as a teacher in Waldorf early childhood settings, where play is revered as the most important work of the child. She was drawn to deepen her work with children and seven years ago, she finished both the Level I training of Spacial Dynamics® and a degree in occupational therapy from University of Southern Maine. After graduating, she realized she did not want to work in a traditional pediatric occupational therapy setting that treated the symptoms children were experiencing. But rather, she wanted to work to support parents and children to build the foundations that might prevent the need for future occupational therapy services. She felt called to become a play advocate: educating parents, teachers and students about the positive impact of play on children’s development.
She knew that even though play has been considered a human right by the WHO and should be prioritized for all kids, it was becoming increasingly rare to see children in spontaneous, unorganized play situations with other children, especially outdoors. As a parent, she knew first-hand the pressures created by the rise of technology and the rise in organized activities to keep kids busy and supervised. She was looking for a way to use all her experience to counteract these societal pressures and help protect a child’s right to play.
In 2018, after discovering Angela Hanscom’s book “Barefoot and Balanced,” Beth trained with Angela Hanscom at TimberNook - an all-outdoor, play-based program for children, located in New Hampshire.
After training, Beth connected with a wonderful family in Gorham with the most beautiful piece of woods behind their house (you can see more about our Forest Campus here), and TimberNook of Greater Portland, ME was launched in the fall of 2019 (which was rebranded as Bedrock Play in 2025) as the first TimberNook program in Maine. We continue to run TimberNook programming in Cumberland county, as well as offer other classes and services to the community.
“Beth Wilkins is an incredible individual with passion and vision to orchestrate positive learning environments for children, whether in the woods, classroom, or on a playing field. She thinks a great deal about how to facilitate imaginative play, creative problem-solving, and risk-taking without dictating or prescribing any activities or compromising safety. She is gentle, patient, observant, and caring. Kids feel safe and included with her, while adults are put at ease by her quiet confidence, optimism, and steadfastness.” - Program Parent
Erica Baiguy
Erica Baiguy is a licensed and registered occupational therapist who has a strong passion for outdoor play. She has cultivated this passion through multiple work and personal experiences throughout her life. Over the years, Erica has enjoyed working as an outdoor experiential education facilitator, a bicycle tour guide (in Maine, VT, and Scotland), a K-5 education technician, a pediatric occupational therapist, and an adaptive sports coach for veterans. All these experiences contribute to the knowledge and passion Erica brings to Bedrock Play. She enjoys working with children of all ages to facilitate their participation, confidence, and enjoyment when playing outside. In her private time, Erica can be found outside kayaking, swimming, biking, or walking in the woods with her dog and two grown children.
Jill Blackstock
Jill brings a variety of experiences as well as a deep passion for the holistic development of children to her role at Bedrock Play. With a foundation as a former preschool teacher, Jill transitioned into the realm of occupational therapy, earning a Master’s degree in the field in 2017. Since then, she has worked as an occupational therapist in the school system here in Maine and become a mom to two kids of her own. This blend of experiences has shaped Jill’s understanding of childhood development and fuels her commitment to creating enriching environments for kids. As an advocate for play and nature, Jill resonates deeply with Bedrock Play’s philosophy, finding joy in witnessing the transformative power of unstructured play in the great outdoors.
Pauli Wood
Pauli Wood has a BA from Naropa University in Psychology of Health and Healing and a MA from Boulder Graduate School in Holistic Health and Wellness Counseling. After having two children, Pauli became a certified Early Childhood Montessori teacher who spent more than a decade teaching in a Montessori environment. Pauli then spent a few years teaching in other holistic environments that included sensory rich, hands-on experiential learning with lots of outside adventuring. She then connected with Beth in 2019 as Beth set up her outside play space and spent a couple of years thrilled to participate in this outdoor endeavor year round! Pauli now works as a middle school Education Technician in a public school during the school year but loves returning to the outside play space for summers to continue to witness the love of the children for outside play nourished in this great space!
Katherine Uschmann
Katherine is a school-based occupational therapist and mother of three children. She holds a deep reverence for nature as a teacher, healer, and inspiration for us all. She is honored to work with children as they use their imaginations and develop new skills in the beauty and simplicity of the Maine woods. In her personal time, Katherine practices karate-jujitsu and enjoys reading and drawing.
We are so proud to be offering programs to families and children. We are passionate about supporting the children who attend our programs. We find that educating parents on how to incorporate play into their child’s life (and their own). has proven to drastically improve their lives and success long-term.
Are you interested in having your child join us at Bedrock Play?
Are you interested in having a Field Trip at Bedrock Play?
Would you like to learn more about the Bedrock Play Philosophy and how we work?
Are you interested in joining our team as an employee, volunteer or field work student?
Would you like to connect more with Beth, get some coaching or have her speak or lead a workshop at your organization/community/school?