People

The first thing you should know about me is that I really don't like to talk about myself. That said, I'm a gardener, a mom, a home cook, a florist, a hiker, an avid coffee drinker and a life long learner with a passion for the environment. The more I learn or the older I get, not sure which, the more I want to share my love and passion for protecting our home. Not just the physical home that I live in, but this whole connected Earth that we share with countless other creatures. It's a daunting task, but I am one determined old lady who believes that if I can sway even just a few minds into protecting all that is around us, the ripple of that will be felt for generations to come. Wish me luck!

I am an educator for at least 50 years in both public school and non-profit organizations.

Founded in 2011, Bow Seat is the world's largest environmental youth program for the creative arts. We provide an innovative space for youth to connect, create, and communicate for our blue planet. Working at the intersection of ocean science and arts education, our award-winning Ocean Awareness Contest emphasizes creative thinking and making in exploring the natural world. Through art exhibitions, publications, and scholarships, Bow Seat uplifts diverse youth voices to advance dialogue and participation in environmental conservation. We empower young thinkers and creators to be active and empathetic global citizens, starting in their local communities and watersheds.

I am an Assistant Professor of Environmental Education at Florida Gulf Coast University. I hold a PhD in Science Education from NC State University, along with master’s degrees in Biodiversity, and Environment and Development. I specialize in informal environmental learning and have worked extensively with both urban and rural communities in India. My research focuses on understanding the motivations behind environmental social movements and using social analysis to explore how learning and motivation spread within communities. I currently teach courses in environmental education and environmental philosophies at FGCU.

Judy Braus brings to her role as NAAEE Executive Director a wealth of experience in the environmental education profession, with a focus on conservation education, diversity and inclusion, and using the power of education to help create healthier communities that empower local communities, stakeholders, and individuals to help restore and protect the environment. She comes to NAAEE from the National Audubon Society, where she was the Senior Vice President of Education and Centers, overseeing an extensive nationwide network of nature centers and educators. Prior to that, she led the education programs at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the U.S. Peace Corps, and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

NAAEE’s Senior Director of Capacity Building, Sarah Bodor comes from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, where she held a number of program management and leadership positions throughout the organization. She worked closely with state education agencies in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to develop and pilot standards-based curricula and provide teacher professional development. Her background also includes communications and fundraising. In 2008, she served as the writer of Maryland’s Children in Nature Plan, which resulted in passage of Maryland’s environmental high school graduation requirement.

I've been an environmental advocate ever since I can remember. I fell in love with nature when I was in girl scouts at a young age and my love and advocacy has continued to grow since. I've turned my love of the environment into a career, teaching science and the performing arts. I'm currently a 5-7th grade Science teacher. 

I am an interpretive naturalist based in the DMV area with a degree in Biological Sciences from Wellesley College. I have experience with a mobile nature center, a brick-and-mortar nature center, the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience program, and come from a background in outdoor preschool teaching. I am passionate about interpretation and environmental education and I love building emotional connections between people and the nature around them!

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.