Hi everyone! This will be my 10th year teaching Nature Studies at IA. I’m so fortunate to work at a school that recognizes the value and benefits of outdoor learning.

 I have been connecting children with nature as an environmental educator for over 30 years. It’s more than a career; it’s my passion! I use inquiry-based learning techniques to help children explore and understand the natural world, and to excite them about the wonders of nature.

I have created and implemented curricula for a myriad of diverse audiences as an educator at the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and other nonprofit organizations and nature centers throughout San Diego and Wisconsin.

I am a Certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association for Interpretation, and Education Chair on the board of San Diego Children and Nature.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Marquette University, and am a published writer. I am currently working on a series of children’s books. I am also an amateur photographer, and my work has been displayed at several juried art shows.

I enjoy exploring the world, and have traveled to six continents. I spend my spare time with my two favorite people in the whole world–my 11th grade daughter Jacy and my college-aged son Stephen–and our menagerie of animals, which includes a rabbit, a bearded dragon, 2 chameleons, a tortoise, a snake, 2 uromastyx, and 10 Madagascar hissing cockroaches!

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Marquette University, and am a published writer. I am currently working on a series of children’s books. I am also an amateur photographer, and my work has been displayed at several juried art shows.

I enjoy exploring the world, and have traveled to five continents. I spend my spare time with my two favorite people in the whole world, my 9th grade daughter and 12th grade son, and our menagerie of animals, which includes a dog, 2 rabbits, a bearded dragon, a tortoise, a snake, and 5 Madagascar hissing cockroaches!