Summer Crider is a cultural studies educator, certified Forest and Nature Therapy guide, and founder of Wild Cypress, dedicated to creating inclusive, healing experiences for Deaf, Disabled, and marginalized communities. With a background in Expressive Arts Therapy, Educational Media, and Cultural Studies, Summer combines academic depth with entrepreneurial creativity as a self-taught business owner, filmmaker, and media consultant.

Raised in the cypress swamps by a family rooted in environmental conservation, Summer developed a deep relationship with silence and nonverbal communication. Their work invites people from all walks of life to reconnect with nature, each other, and themselves—expressing the unspoken and healing through wonder, sensory awareness, and connection.

In addition to leading retreats and educational programs, Wild Cypress has partnered with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT) to support Deaf and hearing guides on their certification path, incorporating culturally responsive approaches to forest bathing—restoring harmony, healing the spirit, and embracing communication beyond words.