People

Colleen Hartman, CPBT-KA is the Director of Ambassador Programs and Education at the Carolina Raptor Center. She has been working with a variety of species of raptors since 2014. Colleen is responsible for the care and management of the collection of avian ambassadors at the Carolina Raptor Center as well as implementing the most up-to-date training practices. She has experience working with birds of prey in dynamic show settings as well as training foundation behaviors for husbandry and educational presentations. Colleen has been hosting raptor training and husbandry seminars since 2016 and has aided other facilities in their understanding and application of raptor behavior, training, husbandry care, and overall welfare through the teaching of formal classes, workshops, and consultation work.

I am the Vice President of a youth led initiative by name New Visions Agriculture, and I have a bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering. Since 2022, I have been involved and led environmental initiatives , awareness and education from renewable energy training, to climate action and sustainable agricultural practices.And have empowered over 400 youth from 8-35 years on climate action and environment through workshops and training programs.

I'm currently based in Milwaukee working on urban environmental education and celebrating biodiversity with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. I am an environmental educator working with the next generation of conservationists.

I have been a teacher in multiple capacities since 2008, but really struggled with the limits of classroom teaching in public education. While I often took kids on outdoor field trips, I wanted to go bigger, and create a true outdoor school program. With the support of my school Director, our Charter school developed a full-time, free-to-public Forest Transitional Kindertgarten with a Forest Days programs for our upper grades. I am now the Forest School Coordinator at Wildflower Open Classroom, where I manage the TK program (we have a 3 teachers in the field), and teach the Forest Days program.

As the former Director of Technology, Mary served as the project lead for NAAEE online technology, including the NAAEE website and eePRO, the hub for professional development. Mary had been on NAAEE staff since 1999 and her extensive background in technology, website development, outreach, multi-stakeholder collaboration, security, systems support, and project management experience consistently provided the highest level of support to NAAEE’s team, leadership, and members. 

Mary is now acting in an advisory role, continuing to support the work of the association.

Former Wildlife Educator for Frederick County Parks & Recreation for 12+ Year
Maryland Piedmont Master Naturalist
Middle School Science & Team Lead at Lucy School Environmental & Arts-Based Education

Dedicated environmental educator with over 5 years of experience. 

I'm currently doing an intership and squam lakes association in New Hampshire, my major is in adventure education and I have a minor in biology. I educate the public about minimizing their impact in natural areas to preserve it beauty and what happens/what to look for when a landscape is experiencing disturbance.