People

I believe that the best learning happens when we connect deeply to the places we inhabit. My journey through the Montana Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps, and years in the classroom completely reshaped my philosophy on education. I’ve seen firsthand how nature can spark curiosity and foster a profound sense of belonging. Now, my mission is to make those transformative, place-based outdoor experiences accessible to every single student.

Mountain Watershed Association began its life around a kitchen table. The organization was founded in 1994 to oppose an underground coal mine proposal in the Indian Creek Watershed in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. MWA’s input and organized opposition resulted in the denial of the permit. MWA’s board of directors and dedicated community members realized that to restore the watershed to a viable community, they would have to address the legacy of more than 150 years of extraction and disinvestment in our rural Appalachian region. Since then, MWA has restored more than 70 percent of the Indian Creek Watershed and prevented countless sources of additional pollution in the broader Youghiogheny River Watershed. The organization has expanded to eleven full-time employees, a 17-person volunteer Board of Directors, and more than 2500 members and supporters.

Sheila Williams Ridge is the Director of the University of Minnesota Child Development Laboratory School. Sheila has worked in the field of environmental education since the early 90s and is the mother of four adult children. She has an EdD in Education Leadership, an MA in Education, and a BA in Biology. Sheila teaches courses at the University of Minnesota and Hamline University including Nature-Based Learning in Early Childhood, A Sense of Wonder, Equity and Inclusion in Environmental Education, and Student Teaching Seminar in Early Childhood. She is also co-author of the book, Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget, and several other publications on nature-based learning. She is passionate about encouraging nature-based play and the lasting developmental benefits of a relationship between children and nature.

Favour Eragbie is a leading global environmentalist who is driven by the principle that you can only protect what you know about. She strongly advocates for climate education, climate justice and youth development.

Allieu Christopher Moiwa is Co-Founder and President of Action for Community Resilience Group (ACRG), a youth led organization in Sierra Leone working on water, sanitation, environmental resilience and youth innovation in Bo and Kailahun Districts. He heads ACRG’s Solar-Smart Agroforestry Learning Lab at Njala University, expanded with a 2025 Global E-STEM Awards Excellence Prize. He graduated from Njala University with a degree in community health and biological sciences, and after witnessing preventable waterborne illness during his clinical rotations, he moved into community water and environmental work. He is a Kennedy-Lugar YES alumnus and was awarded the Alumni Impact Award in 2026.

AppaLatina from the mountains of NC. 

New to EE as a professional but have been a student of nature since I was young. 

I am an Interpretive Ranger at Oconee Station State Historic Site in South Carolina, where she brings local history, natural resources, and cultural heritage to life through engaging, hands-on experiences.I am passionate about making history accessible, connecting people to the places around them, and creating meaningful opportunities for visitors of all ages to learn, explore, and build a deeper appreciation for South Carolina’s parks and heritage.

I'm a climate change environmental educator. As a freelancer I'm is focused on climate change, public lands, interdisciplinary watershed studies, geography, and teaching and learning through my gig, Wild Rose Education. I design and facilitate educator professional development workshops, public lands courses, Arctic STEM programs, and a multi-state regional climate change educator cohort. I have created and facilitated numerous environmental education programs including the award winning Youth Water Leadership Program, and Project Learning Tree Canada's Climate Change and Forests curriculum. 

My expertise includes best practices in watershed and climate change education, adult learning and facilitation, and interpretation. I'm a past board president for Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, am 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 Level 2 Instructor, Climate Reality Leader, and Wilderness First Responder. Sarah is currently based in western Colorado Colorado.

I teach science and chair the science department at an all-girls, grades 6-12 school with a castle, woods, stream, and waterfall.   In my science classsroom, I seek to help our students to develop authentic understanding and appreciation of their natural environment and their role in it.  Additionally, I direct a summer program (Middle Grades Partnership) that seeks to build community between partner schools and provide academic enrichment to the participating students.  Our camp theme this upcoming summer will be "connecting with nature". 

I am a passionate Science and Chemistry educator with experience teaching students from Grades 3 to 10. I hold an MSc in Chemistry, along with B.Ed and M.Ed qualifications, and have teaching experience in international school environments. I am particularly interested in NGSS-aligned science education, STEM learning, inquiry-based teaching, and hands-on classroom activities. I enjoy helping students develop scientific curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and environmental awareness through practical learning experiences. I am continuously seeking professional development opportunities to enhance my teaching skills and contribute to meaningful science education.