Mary Beth Factor is an environmental education professional with 15 years of experience helping connect people with nature through formal and nonformal education programs. Her career has included residential environmental education, conservation outreach, teacher support, communications, and nonprofit administration.

While working for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Mary Beth served as the statewide coordinator for Discover Nature Schools, Missouri's conservation education program for K–12 schools. Discover Nature Schools provides standards-aligned curriculum, professional development, and outdoor learning opportunities that help educators integrate conservation and environmental literacy into the classroom. In this role, she coordinated statewide partnerships, wrote and updated conservation education curriculum aligned to Next Generaiton Science Standards and Missouri Learning Standards, managed field staff and teacher trainings, presented and exhibited at national and statewide conferences, and supported thousands of Missouri educators implementing hands-on experiences in subjects such as forests, wildlife, water resources, and outdoor skills. Through the program, students across Missouri gained meaningful experiences that fostered stewardship and a lifelong connection to the natural world.

Learn more about Discover Nature Schools and access teacher resources at https://education.mdc.mo.gov/school-programs/discover-nature-schools

Mary Beth's passion for environmental education began through residential environmental learning centers. She began as a graduate naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. As a naturalist, she facilitated immersive outdoor learning experiences for students from across the Midwest, teaching topics including forest ecology, geology, climate change, team building, and environmental science. Living and working in a residential setting strengthened her belief in the power of experiential education and the importance of fostering connections between people and place.

She later continued this work at Trees For Tomorrow in Eagle River, Wisconsin, where she served as an Environmental Science Educator, leading field investgiations and teaching students about forestry, aquatic ecology, wildlife, and natural resource conservation. She worked closely with school groups and helped create memorable outdoor experiences that encouraged curiosity and environmental stewardship.

Today, Mary Beth serves as Administrative Assistant for the Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA), where she supports organizational operations through communications, website management, membership records, database administration, and assists in the coordination of statewide initiatives. She enjoys helping environmental educators and partner organizations succeed behind the scenes and remains committed to advancing environmental literacy and outdoor learning opportunities for all.