People

I am a former secondary school teacher with 26 years of experience. Alongside my teaching career, I am also a proud parent of two children and grandmother to two adorable grandchildren. Nature has always held a special place in my heart, and I find immense joy in exploring and appreciating its wonders.  Consequently, I have found my true calling as an enviromental educator.

In addition to my family and career, I am happily married and share my home with two lovable dogs, a rescue cat, and two charming donkeys.  Whenever I get the chance, I indulge my passion for photography, capturing the beauty of nature through my lens.  Reading is another treasured pastime that allows me to escape into different worlds and broaden my knowledge.

My name is Jennifer Badger. I work for Woodland Discovery in Concord NC. Woodland is an all outdoor facility. I have preschool classes and lead a STEM class for older kids who homeschool. I am married to Chris and I have one son whose name is Lee. 

Natalie Rodriguez is the Partnership Coordinator for the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuarine Partnership (APNEP). She has extensive experience in scientific communications, stakeholder engagement, and program coordination and evaluation. Before joining APNEP, she worked at RTI International and MDB, Inc., where she supported large-scale training and technical assistance programs for federal partners on topics ranging from environmental toxicology to forensic science. Natalie holds a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, with a certificate in Community-Based Environmental Management, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Florida State University.

I am a chemistry teacher at Commodore Perry High School.  We are a small rural school that has k through 12 in one building.  I have the opportunity to teach the students for multiple years and watch their growth to adulthood.

I am an educator in School & Youth Programs at the Virginia squarium and Marine science center in Virginia Beach. I live in Sandbridge, Virginia, and I’m also volunteering at our Back Bay wildlife refuge. I have recently completed a course with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and I think the MWEE 101 will be a great learning opportunity for me to incorporate practices, new information, and conservation efforts in our programming for students.