People

I am a 5th grade teacher in National City, CA. I teach multiple subjects but my favorite subjects are Math & Science!

I am an ecologist and educator, working primarily in public outreach related to plant conservation, sustainability and southeastern ecosystems. My research interests are in nature play, science literacy, biodiversity, and disturbance. I want to connect with others who have similar jobs/interests.

For three years I facilitated two of the four WI Registry Nature-Based Early Childhood Education Credential courses at UW-Whitewater. Prior to COVID, I created the Wonder Bugs Preschool Program (child and adult program) and implemented the Nature Preschool at Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Tina Harte Ballinger is a Project Support Specialist for the NASA Langley Science Directorate's Education Team. She is also the founder and Project Manager for the NASA GLOBE Goes to Camp Project providing informal outdoor environmental education opportunities to communities across the United States. She has over 30 years of experience in STEAM based instruction and curriculum development with a M.S. in Secondary Science Education from the Univeristy of Tennessee at Martin with an emphasis in Geoscience.  

Sarah Barrow- Program Manager: 

Sarah lives in Hollis, NH with her family, and many animals. Sarah has been an educator for over 20 years, sharing her love of art and nature in every experience. Sarah is the Program Manager for Beaver Brook, where she enjoys engaging with the community and creating enriching experiences for children and families. She loves animals, hiking, sketching wildlife, and collecting inspiration from the great outdoors. Sarah holds a degree in Fine Arts from Alfred University and a master's degree from Wheelock College in the field of child development. 

 

Mountain Watershed Association began its life around a kitchen table. The organization was founded in 1994 to oppose an underground coal mine proposal in the Indian Creek Watershed in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. MWA’s input and organized opposition resulted in the denial of the permit. MWA’s board of directors and dedicated community members realized that to restore the watershed to a viable community, they would have to address the legacy of more than 150 years of extraction and disinvestment in our rural Appalachian region. Since then, MWA has restored more than 70 percent of the Indian Creek Watershed and prevented countless sources of additional pollution in the broader Youghiogheny River Watershed. The organization has expanded to eleven full-time employees, a 17-person volunteer Board of Directors, and more than 2500 members and supporters.

With over 20 years of experience as an outdoor educator and a background in Environmental Education and Conservation Biology, I’ve taught in diverse settings—from U.S. nature programs to cheetah conservation work in Kenya. In 2019, I founded the National Outdoor Learning Alliance (NOLA) in Boise, Idaho, where I serve as executive director. Through programs like EverWild Forest School, NOLA empowers children to thrive through place-based outdoor education. I'm also a speaker, business coach, and passionate advocate for equitable access to nature.

Krysta works to advance environmental literacy in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through online and in-person training for educators and network building with government and nonprofit partners.