About Naomi Rice, Chief Operating Officer
Naomi Rice has been working in the education and therapeutic fields since 2002. She has worked for the Lovaas Institute to administer ABA therapy for autistic children, Arbor Quest (a tree climbing non-profit that brings disabled children into the canopy), and Tree Climbing USA. Up until the birth of her third child, she was a chiropractic assistant at Five Points Chiropractic in Athens, GA and is a leading instructor with WildRice Adventures.
Naomi has been climbing trees with rope since she first attended an open climb with Tree Climbing International in Atlanta in 1997 and shortly thereafter signed up for a basic class. She has participated in various treetop canopy wilderness expeditions which include: Lewis Island canopy exploration climbing virgin cypress trees in south Georgia's swampland and a Panama tree climbing expedition, which has allowed her to explore the rainforest canopy to heights of 200+ feet in a rural jungle setting.
She is a volunteer instructor for Georgia Department of Natural Resources conducting a variety of outdoor courses that include Kate’s Club, Girl Scout units, American Heritage Girls scouting programs, and GA Becoming an Outdoors Woman. Naomi’s volunteer efforts have also allowed her to be part of resource management projects such as non-native invasive plant removal, establishing river cane breaks and native grass seed harvesting.
Naomi had extensive training in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC program during high school and was awarded expert shooter, winning many awards at shooting competitions throughout the state. Serving as cadet Colonel, she has leadership training which translates to all areas of her life now. She loves empowering other women to feel confident shooting firearms, whether for target practice, safety or hunting.
Besides all this, she has a natural love of the outdoors and of tree climbing, and delights in sharing that with others. She believes that tree climbing is a unique experience that everyone should have the opportunity to explore. She loves teaching other women about the joys of the outdoors and assisting them in refining their skills and comfort level.
Above all this, she is a wife to her awesome outdoorsy husband Jody and homeschool mother of their six children. She enjoys teaching her kids everything that WildRice Adventures teaches and more, instilling in them a love and knowledge of the outdoors. She also is the owner of Beyond the Plant: essential oil wellness and education. She enjoys teaching others about the therapeutic effects of essential oils provided to us by the plants that grow in the earth, as well as discussing natural solutions that are available to us.
