Professional Work

Extension Educator, MN Master Naturalist Program at University of Minnesota Extension (August 2024-present)

• Provide leadership and management to identify educational needs, develop and deliver educational programs to address them, and evaluate outcomes and impacts on an ongoing basis

• Design, deliver and evaluate statewide educational programming

• Work with Extension colleagues, external partners, and volunteers to prioritize important Minnesota natural resources issues where volunteerism can create significant impacts and public value

• Collaborate with new, diverse, and historically underserved audiences to develop programs that are customized to the needs of different cultural communities

• Focus programming development, delivery, and evaluation on Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteer service priority issues and use goal-driven opportunities to impact these issues

• Use best practices for adult learning to drive innovation in recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers for training and service opportunities

• Develop and maintain collaborations and partnerships with environmental learning centers, local units of government, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and many other diverse organizations and groups to host and support Minnesota Master Naturalist training and volunteer service

• Collaborate with Extension communications staff to maintain and update websites, social media, and other resources as needed

Schmeeckle Reserve Graduate Assistant at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (August 2022-August 2024)

• Served as teaching assistant/discussion leader for undergraduate courses, including Environmental Education and Interpretation Practicum and Oral Interpretation

  • • Led discussion section for Oral Interpretation

    • Planned and led lectures/demonstrations on effective interpretive techniques

    • Helped evaluate student programs

    • Mentored students in heritage interpretation

• Created, planned, coordinated, and led 2023 Nature Explorers summer day camp

  • • Led two two-week sessions (June and July) for children entering 3rd through 6th grades on different habitats in Schmeeckle Reserve

    • Trained and mentored Naturalist/Educator fellow on interpretive programming and natural history

    • Coordinated 2024 Nature Explorers summer day camps implementing feedback from 2023, including training staff

• Managed Interpreter's Handbook Series sales, inventory, and inquiries

• Coordinated research and education projects in Schmeeckle, including collecting bat monitoring data

• Assisted with planning and running Schmeeckle events, including the biannual Candlelight Hike Festival

• Assisted with office/gift shop, maintenance, and restoration work as necessary 

• Performed other duties as requested

  • • Planed and led interpretive programming for specialty groups and UWSP/Schmeeckle events

    • Assisted with restoration workdays/events, including tree planting events for Earth Day

    • Painted realistic nature images (e.g., plants, wildlife, habitats) on custom cedar signs

Interpreter at University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center (March 2018-August 2022)

• Led pre-planned programs on the ecology of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Study Area for K-12 school groups, camps, and the general public.

• Developed and led new interpretive programs for Young Naturalist program and the public

• Maintained the Center and the natural area as required

  • • Performed routine maintenance on the EIC's rain gardens and Organic Garden

    • Maintained the EIC's Bug Room (August 2018-March 2020)

    • Aided in maintaining the EIC's urban apiary (March 2019-August 2022)

• Assisted with EIC community projects

  • • Dearborn SHINES Project 

      • Cut wood and prepared materials (e.g. benches, garden beds) for installation at Dearborn Public Schools

      • Helped install school gardens, including planting fruit trees, laying landscaping fabric, and assembling materials (e.g. benches, garden beds) on site

    • PolliNation Project

      • Cut/prepared materials for and assembled insect hotels

      • Drew diagrams for PolliNation ID app

• Created virtual content for distance learning

  • • "No Bugs, No Birds!" ArcGIS StoryMap published September 2020

• Co-hosted community webinars on Zoom video conferencing platform

  • • Created and presented three sessions for 2021 MSU Extension Michigan Master Naturalist Program (Rouge River Region)

• Co-coordinated the 2019 Rouge River Water Festival

  • • Attended by ~1,000 5th graders, teachers, and chaperones from nine metro-Detroit municipalities

• Performed other duties (e.g. aerial deer count, maple sap collection) as requested

Examples of Work

Winter Education Intern at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (January-March 2020)

• Led snowshoe/winter ecology programs for visiting school groups (primarily 4th grade)

• Developed and led interpretive snowshoe hikes for the public

• Created content for and posted content to the Park's social media accounts

• Performed other duties as requested

  • • Created interpretive signage for luminary snowshoe hike for the Park's 50th anniversary (February 2020)

    • Co-planned a Park-wide scavenger hunt for the Park's 50th Anniversary 

Examples of Work