Autumn Saxton-Ross, Ph.D. Joins NatureBridge
Autumn has dedicated her career to improving the health of communities through engagement, activity, education, exposure, and opportunity, truly believing that a healthy life is lived better outdoors. With degrees in sociology, health education, and exercise science, her research, academic, and professional interests are on the social and physical environment and their influences on physical activity, specifically in Black and urban populations, and the health benefits (mental, physical and economic) of parks and green spaces. She has made Washington DC her home for over 20 years and has experience working with multiple public institutions in the area, including: DC Public Schools, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Department of Health, Howard University, and the National Collaborative for Health Equity. Under her leadership, NatureBridge will continue to deliver model programs in Prince William Forest Park and Shenandoah National Park and use its influence to advance the field of environmental education nationwide.
Want to learn more about Autumn? Read her two-minute interview: #
NatureBridge Campuses: Prince William Forest Park
What does it look like when you are great at your job?: For me, success (in all things) looks seamless and cohesive. Whether things are going great or are challenging, it is about creating a good process that allows me (and the team I work with) to be responsive versus reactive.
Favorite National Park: Anacostia Park and The Hiker-Biker Trail
How do you love to spend your time outside of work?: I love to spend time grilling, hiking, sitting on my porch and just hanging out with friends and family.
Stories
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.
An Incredible 10th Anniversary of Evening on the Lake
On October 25, the Amazon Meeting Center in downtown Seattle buzzed with celebratory energy as over 300 NatureBridge guests and supporters gathered for the 10th anniversary of "Evening on the Lake," our signature Pacific Northwest fundraising event for our Olympic campus.
"Science became fun" at NatureBridge for Alum Laura Lomeli Russert
Laura Lomeli Russert is a NatureBridge alum who grew up in Groveland, CA and now calls Washington, D.C. home. Laura’s journey with NatureBridge began when she attended the Golden Gate campus as a young student with her class from Tenaya Elementary. Laura credits NatureBridge with shaping not only her love for nature but also her passion for education and science. "Science became fun,” she recalls. “You weren’t learning from a textbook anymore, and it became so much more real." Her hands-on, scientific experiences at NatureBridge laid the foundation for her eventual pursuit of a Ph.D. in psychology. “I feel like I owe a lot to NatureBridge."