I am an experienced and dynamic education specialist with specific interest in connecting classroom curriculum to outdoor experiences across content areas and grade bands. I have an undergraduate degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and 12 years of experience overseeing exemplary outdoor programs. Place-based education principles are at the heart of my commitment to science education and are prominent in the Flint River GREEN expansion project that I am currently working on. These principles have guided the new curriculum and program to now include robust educator coaching, a local to global context, student-centered and inquiry-based design, accessing the community as a classroom, and taking an interdisciplinary approach to content exploration. I also currently serve as the Chair of the Friends of Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and as the mom of two boys – a four year old human and a 5-year old puppy. I have a strong passion for Michigan’s cultural and natural history and love to immerse myself in multiple modes of outdoor recreation!