People

I develop educational programming that brings environmental monitoring programs to local communities. Science education allows me to embrace a role that combines making environmental education accessible and connecting educaiton to relevant ecological research efforts. I have had many different roles as before becoming an environmental educator including being a collections assistant for a natural history museum and a field assistant to ornithology researchers.

I am currently work for ODC Network as a nature-based preschool director at Dragonflies Discovery Preschool in Holland, MI. I have worked as a naturalist and early-childhood nature-based preschool teacher previously. I have a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education and love teaching children, staff, and families about the outdoors!

I grew up immersed in forests and developed an early appreciation for environmental literacy that continues to shape my work today. My background includes studies in natural sciences and human development, as well as experience in both formal and informal education settings. I have worked with learners of all ages (from infants to adults) through roles as a substitute teacher, early childhood educator, and prevention specialist. Currently, I work with the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania, where I integrate environmental education with the region’s rich cultural and industrial history.

I serve Westgate Community School as the Environmental Education Coordinator. Westgate is a K-12 charter school that focuses on whole child education. EE lessons and service learning projects are incorporated weekly with support of on campus chickens, goats, barn cats, gardens, and bee hives.

My work as an environmental scientist focuses on water quality, aquatic organism health, and stream convservation and restoration. Part of my work includes educating the public and preK-12 audiences about the American eel, a fascinating fish native to our Pennsylvania watersheds. 

I currently serve as a Farm to School Educator with the School Food Project as an EE Corps/AmeriCorps member. In this role, I support students in building a place-based understanding of food and nutrition. Teaching students where food comes from naturally intersects with the collective health of the non-human world and humans, community well-being, and equity. Through our programming, we honor farmers in surrounding communities while exploring how local food systems support the three pillars of sustainability: environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and social equity. These lessons aim to foster stewardship while empowering students to reframe how they understand and relate to their environment.

 

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.