People

I am a student at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, majoring in wildlife ecology and minoring in captive wildlife as well as environmental ed. I grew up in eastern minnesota, volunteering at the local humane society, working with the watershed district and landscaping nursery. I love hiking, camping, and going on adventures. 

Jen Bruening is the Education Manager for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. She develops and facilitates interactive and inquiry-based programs for K-12 grade students. She brings a positive and compassionate perspective to her work and always strives to be as inclusive as possible.

Jen is a Native Arizonan and grew up in Cave Creek. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences, with many credits from Scottsdale Community College. Her professional experience includes10+ years as an Environmental Educator, 8+ years contributing to wildlife research and local conservation efforts, and 2 years as a Registered Behavior Technician, working with individuals with autism.  She has worked with diverse populations throughout Arizona including those with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and underserved communities. Previous organizations include the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Phoenix Zoo, Liberty Wildlife, and the National Audubon Society.

When she is not collaborating with Stewards or interacting with students, she spends her time hiking, birding, kayaking, or simply just sitting in nature with her dog.

Paraprofessional going back to school to be a teacher.

Emily Schaller's appreciation of the natural world started during her childhood in Connecticut playing in the mud with her brother, hiking in the woods with her dad, and picking flowers and berries with her mom. She was a dedicated Girl Scout for 10 years, which helped instill in her a love of exploration and a sense of civic responsibility. 

She pursued her interest in connecting people to the natural world and inspiring action to sustain it by earning her MS in Ecological Leadership and Education from the Audubon Expedition Institute of Lesley University. This unique program included 3 semesters of living and learning outdoors while traveling across different bioregions of North America in a retrofitted school bus. This transformational experience provided her with a deeper knowledge of herself as well as the role she could play in building connections between people, their communities, and their place. 

She has since developed and delivered a variety of environmental education experiences for all ages at Naturebridge Yosemite, Teton Science Schools, and the University of Michigan's Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research (CEDER). Emily currently supports professional learning programs offered through Shelburne Farms' Institute for Sustainable Schools, focusing on education for sustainability, climate education, and food systems education.

Preethi Mony is a specialist in the field of environmental education, program evaluation and grants and has a wide range of experience from developing resource matierials, conducting programs with children and adults, as well as evaluating programs and grant reporting.

Growing up in the busy metropolis of Mumbai, she quickly recognized the importance of the social aspects of conservation in protecting the natural world. She has worked with organizations in India and the US to help with environmental education program planning and resource development. She has over 20 years of experience working with zoos and museums to evaluate programs and exhibits and recommend strategies to improve the overall visitor experience. Over the last 2 years, she has worked at a local community college to support grant work (federal, state, and private) as well as to inform data driven decision making in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. She brings all of these experiences to her current role of EE Grant and Program Manager at NAAEE.

Preethi holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University. She earned her M.S. in interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida, and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the University of Mumbai, India.

I am a student at UW- Stevens Point and I am taking a Environmental Education course to get my EEI certificate.