People

Ana Leirner oversees Project Learning Tree’s professional learning initiatives and curriculum offerings. She advances the work of the SFI education pillar by ensuring that people working with youth and communities have the resources, knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to advance environmental education, forest literacy, and green career pathways through the lens of trees and forests. Ana is passionate about leveraging the power of education to create a more sustainable future. Before joining SFI, she worked as a learning designer in various industries, developing courses on topics that included climate and STEM education. Originally from Brazil, she now lives in the Washington D.C. area with her family. Ana holds a Master of Education in Educational Media and Technology from Boston University and a Master of Business Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil.

Sarah Johnson is the founder of Wild Rose Education, an innovative environmental education business providing place-based, learner-centered educator workshop, youth leadership programming and environmental education consulting. Sarah earned her Master of Arts in Education: Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University. Her graduate research involved case studies of science teacher professional development programs at biological field stations across the country. Sarah works to advance environmental education, interpretation, and place based learning while creating authentic and relevant experiences connecting people to their place to ultimately develop a personal land and water ethic. Her contagious passion for working with other professionals to inspire innovative education practices while also building strong relationships across the field exemplifies her capacity for leadership.

Sarah's expertise includes best practices in watershed education, adult learning and facilitation, and interpretation. She serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. She is a member of the NAAEE Guidelines Trainers' Bureau, an Environmental Issues Forums deliberation moderator, Certified Interpretive Guide, Certified Interpretive Trainer, Colorado Certified Master Environmental Educator, Land Ethic Leader, Leave No Trace Master Educator, Climate Reality Leader, and Wilderness First Responder. Sarah is currently based in the Crystal River Watershed in Carbondale, Colorado.

Nina joined NAAEE with a background focused on community-based conservation and social inclusion, from working with mangrove-dependent communities in Madagascar to coordinating a global advisory group to promote women's land rights. After a childhood spent living in Asia and Latin America, Nina is particularly passionate about working across cultures to combine her interests in the environment, sustainable development, and social equity. Nina has a Master's in Environmental Management from Duke University. Through her Master's project, she worked closely with a community-based wildlife management and environmental education project in Gabon, where she conducted community mapping in 10 rural communities to better understand their priorities and concerns related to their natural resources. 

Hi, I am Gabriela, a Humphrey Fellow hosted by Penn State University during the 2022/2023 academic year. My focus here in the US has been Sustainability Education and Policy. Back in Slovakia I lead the Slovak Eco Quality, non-profit organization active in the field of non-formal sustainability education. Currently, I am affiliated with the NAAEE, learning about the amazing national and international sustainability education initiatives and looking forward to utilizing all the inspirational know-how once back to Slovakia.

I currently work to support leadership and best practices at nature centers throughout North America. In my role with the Association of Nature Center Administrators, I create and share content about the issues that nature centers face, and how they can overcome their challenges.

Infant toddler primary teacher & Outdoor classroom committee coordinator at Patagonia's Great Pacific Child Development Center. Ventura, CA

Dr. Hougham is faculty at the University of Wisconsin- Extension where he supports the delivery of a wide range of science education topics to K-12 students, graduate students, and in-service teachers. Justin’s scholarship is in the areas of place-based pedagogies, STEM education, and AL

I am from Melbourne, Australia and moved to the US in 2015.  I love being outside any chance I get.  My favourite hobbies are hiking, moutain biking, kayaking, camping, photography, playing soccer and travelling.  I have been involved in the sports industry and environmental education with camp work.  

Jen has over 15 years of interactive teaching, community engagement, & environmental literacy experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies & Education from Antioch University New England & is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation.

Zach has been managing trail operations for the ATA since 2017 but has been actively involved with the Arizona trail since 2005 as a volunteer crew lead and served on the Board of directors for a number of years. He organized a weekday crew of a dozen dedicated volunteers, now known affectionately as the “Usual Suspects” who did the finish work for much of the Tucson area passages. He is an avid mountain biker, hiker, backpacker, adventurer, lover of the outdoors and past President of the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists, where he helped develop fundraising events and worked with volunteers and land managers to maintain multi-use trails in southern Arizona. He worked as Trails Foreman for the Sandia Ranger District in Albuquerque, NM. He is passionate about protecting the land and our access to it, working in coordination with land managers, both paid and volunteer crews, and trail users to help protect, maintain and enhance the sustainability of the Arizona Trail for future generations.

Terri Gorman is the Pearl Homes and Pearl Neighborhoods Coordinator for Lynnhaven River Now who works with residents and communities on incorporating earth-friendly practices in and outside their homes that impact our waterways and nature. Terri is a Virginia Wesleyan University graduate who completed her liberal arts degree in Sociology and Studio Arts.  Born in the Appalachian Mountains and raised in a rural town in Connecticut, Terri has made Virginia Beach her home for the past 30 years where she enjoys the beauty of Virginia Beach natural areas. She credits her father for teaching her to respect and protect nature and the environment. In her spare time Terri can be found creating art or walking her dog Coco along the Virginia Beach waterways.