People

New York City Region

Famous for its energy, culture, shops and tourist sites, New York City is also the home to many state parks. These open space jewels provide the perfect oasis in the city that never sleeps. 

Hi, my name is Kaitlyn! I am originally from West Virginia, but now call North Carolina home. I have always loved nature and learning. Now I want to teach others how they can love and appreciate nature too. 

Megan Fink serves as the Partnerships & Policy Manager for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Working in the field of Environmental Education for over a decade, Megan brings a robust, place-based, outdoor education background to the NAAEE team. She has built enduring working relationships across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Mid-Atlantic region. As a graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Science and Biology, Megan began her career as an Environmental Educator at the North Carolina Aquariums before joining the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in 2011. Through several program management positions with CBF she led students, teachers, school administrators, and environmental professionals on ecological, cultural, and historical investigations of the Bay. She also managed a statewide leadership program for high school students, teaching them how to become environmental advocates at the local, regional, and national levels.

Megan earned an Executive Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech’s Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability in 2020. In 2022-23, she served as Education Director for the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park, supervising 15 Environmental Education Programs and expanding their reach to 14,000 participants annually. She also initiated and managed a project to launch a brand-new, nature-based preschool and served on the Maryland State Department of Education’s Workgroup to develop statewide Outdoor Preschool licensing standards. 

Throughout her career, Megan has designed programs that inspire participants to act on behalf of their local natural resources and enhance people’s understanding of and connection to the natural world through compelling environmental education experiences. In her spare time, she can often be found hiking, gardening, paddling, and spending time with her loved ones, including her dog, Ruby, splashing around the Bay watershed!

I'm Shakita Holloway, a horticulturist and emerging environmental educator at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. I hold a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology with a focus on Archaeology, which sparked my deep interest in land, culture, and sustainability. My work centers on land stewardship, soil health, and culturally rooted education.

I’ve managed farms and learning gardens, interned with the Soil Health Institute, and currently support conservation and public education projects at NCBG. I’m pursuing a Certificate in Soil Science from NC State and plan to continue toward an M.S. and Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology.

I’m passionate about making environmental education accessible to historically excluded communities, including through supporting my neurodivergent nephew’s homeschooling. My goal is to create inclusive, educational spaces that center native and agricultural plants, composting, and stormwater awareness—especially within Black and marginalized communities. I hope to eventually build a nursery and seed-saving project that honors cultural heritage, restores soil, and teaches land stewardship.

Marine science educator with a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and over five years of experience designing and delivering hands-on, NGSS-aligned, phenomena-based curricula. Skilled in tidepool monitoring, intertidal species identification, and field-based education, fostering curiosity and ocean stewardship among diverse students. Proficient in project coordination, data analysis, and digital tools such as Google Workspace. Committed to advancing community science programs to connect audiences to California’s coastal ecosystems.

An environmental educator working in informal settings like Zoos, aquariums, and natural history musuems-Currently working with programs an informal education at the North Carolina Zoo. 

Bronwen coordinates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) B-WET program, a competitive grant program based at the NOAA Office of Education that funds outdoor experiential environmental education in schools throughout the United States. Bronwen came to NOAA in 2008 as a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow. She holds an MS in marine resource management from Oregon State University and BA in biology from New College of Florida.  Before joining NOAA, Bronwen spent two years as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Samoa, where she worked for a community-based marine protected area. This experience led to an understanding of the importance of working within social and cultural frameworks when trying to motivate the public to respond to complex environmental challenges, an interest that is well-served through her work in education at NOAA.

I’m a rising senior at UC Berkeley with a strong commitment to climate communication and youth environmental education. I use journalism, podcasting, and digital storytelling to amplify climate solutions and instill hope for a more just and sustainable future.