People

I have been in the field of environmental education and interpretation for 18+ years for various state, federal and local agencies as well as non-profits. I currently work for the City of Indianapolis Parks Department at Garfield Conservatory. I was a naturalist educator for 9 years, before becoming the assistant manager, now going on about 3 years. We host field trips and public programs throughout the year and engage with the public daily. My education specialities include: native plants; ethnobotany; our food systems as it relates to plants and the peoples producing them; gardening and birds. Although, I love all aspects of environmental education and interpretation to a degree. I was recently on the board of our local Audubon Chapter, but now I have joined the Environmental Education Association of Indiana as a member of it's board. My goal on the board is to help bring about professional development opportunities for formal and non-formal environmental and science educators in Indiana.

I'm a student who works as a nanny with young children with a basis of emergent and nature-based teachings.

I am the Forestry Education Specialist for the Indiana DNR Division of Forestry and Indiana State Coordinator for Project Learning Tree. My goal is to provide quality, accessible activities and resources to Indiana educators, students, and families to explore our state's diverse, productive, and resilient forest ecosystems. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, gardening, and birding.   

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.

Lucy is an associate teaching professor in the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (RPTM) Department at Penn State University.

Cheron H. Davis, Ph.D. is a professor of reading education at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Recognized as one of the top 25 leading women in higher education by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and as Florida Project Learning Tree’s Educator of the Year, Dr. Davis is a practitioner at heart and maintains healthy, robust relationships with classroom teachers throughout the U.S.

Dr. Davis's initiative, ECO-READ (Empowering Conservation through Observation, Reading Education, Application, & Discovery), integrates STEM and literacy education with a focus on environmental education within HBCU teacher preparation programs. ECO-READ aims to enhance both teaching practices and environmental literacy among preservice teachers by bridging the gap between environmental education and literacy.

Dr. Davis’s research investigates the complex intersections of literacy, identity, and pedagogy within HBCUs. Grounded in critical literacy theory and sociocultural frameworks, her scholarship examines the belief systems, self-efficacy, and reflective practices of preservice teachers in early literacy and interdisciplinary contexts. Her current projects integrate environmental and reading education through the Eco-Read initiative, a federally supported effort to explore how experiences with ecological literacy shape teacher preparation and student engagement in STEM-rich environments. Dr. Davis examines the mechanisms by which culturally responsive pedagogy, disciplinary literacy, and social justice–oriented teacher education converge to foster equitable reading outcomes. Her research agenda advances a transformative vision for literacy teacher preparation, particularly within HBCU ecosystems, emphasizing sustainable instructional models that bridge the cognitive, cultural, and environmental dimensions of learning.

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet is a 7-week online course rooted in Thich Nhat Hanh's profound teachings. 

Learn more at: plumvillage.org/zasp

Sowing the seeds of awe in the hearts and minds of young learners is the greatest thing I can do. My mission to impact positively on the world through young people has spanned 30 years as a high school teacher and continues today. I am passionate and positive about our future because I know the mindset of young people is radically different than the mindset of our current ruling generation. My job to help instill a deeper understanding and respect keeps me going every day.

I am an educator and program designer passionate about creating learning experiences that connect people, place, and community. My work spans nature-based education, experiential learning, educator development, and collaborative program design.

I am currently a graduate student at UNCW pursuing my MS in Environmental Science and MAT in Middle Grades Education. My background is in biology with a concentration in microbio and marine science, as well as in experiential education primarily through rock climbing and other adventure-ed programs.

Rikki Heath supports teachers and non-formal educators by ensuring they have the tools to teach about Oregon’s forests. At OFRI, she helps provide free educational materials, transportation reimbursement for forest field trips, professional development for educators, and career events like Envirothon for high school students.

Before OFRI, she spent 11 summers with the U.S. Forest Service in roles including botany, firefighting, and leading Oregon Youth Conservation Corps crews. She holds a master’s in education with a focus on environmental education from Concordia University and a bachelor’s in kinesiology and education from Lewis-Clark State College.

Originally from Central Oregon, Rikki enjoys spending time outdoors, especially running and rafting with her family.

Katie has been active in the field of environmental education for more than 20 years. She currently works as an environmental and outdoor learning consultant, partnering with the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) to strengthen environmental education networks and support national initiatives that build capacity across the field. Previously, Katie served for 17 years as Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE), where she led environmental literacy planning and implementation efforts and helped advance environmental education through statewide partnerships, policy, and collaboration. Her work continues to focus on building the people, partnerships, and systems needed to ensure everyone has access to high-quality environmental and outdoor learning opportunities.