People

Natalie Spitzer is a doctoral candidate in the Education Policy and Planning program at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research centers around school leader sensemaking and implementation of sustainability and climate adaptation at the district and school level.

Have been seriving Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District for 4.5 years this is coming upon my 5th year.  My conservation office has mainly worked with farmers in prior years creating water quality plans and nutrient management plans.    Currently I am a cosmetologist working at Ulta Salon in the evenings and weekends, a Peer Support Specialist at Goodwill  Industries of Kentucky, and working to get my Enviornmental Education Certification which I will finish up at the beginning of 2025. My hobbies include gardening, forging fungis and plants, fishing, kyaking, hunting, painting, crafting, learning about science because it is ever evolving and changing.  My passion for science started at a very young age of watching my brother do experiments from building volcanoes to blasting small rockets.  Then evolved when I met some great scientists that became best friends of mine.  I was and am able to mentor under them and they have taught me a lot about natural science.  Cosmetology taught me more about the human body then any science class in high school or college I ever took.

The 518-acre Jay C. Hormel Nature Center preserve was established in 1971 and is located within the city limits of Austin, Minnesota. The Nature Center features restored and remnant prairie, hardwood forest, wetlands, meandering streams, and ten miles of trails for hiking & cross-country skiing.

Dedicated educator and mother committed to inspiring curiosity and a deep sense of belonging by connecting children to the natural world.

Jeff Geist is the Director of Community Engagement, Programs and Partnerships at Duke Farms, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation. He leads public programming, partnerships, membership, and volunteer engagement, creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect with and participate in conservation. His work focuses on expanding access, strengthening community relationships, and extending Duke Farms' impact beyond its campus.

Jeff was an NAAEE CEE-Change Fellow in 2023 and holds an M.A. in Environmental Conservation Education from NYU and a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources from Rutgers University.