Staff Spotlight: Chelsea Behymer
There is an exceptional passion that radiates from the education department at NatureBridge. Its intricacies and quirks are unique to each individual but it is a shared understanding and force that bonds our multi-campus team. That passion is palpable in Chelsea Behymer, our new Program Manager in Olympic National Park, who with barely two months on the job, has already made an impact on the staff, educators and students she supports. Chelsea’s relationship with the outdoors is one of great reverence and reciprocity.
“I am rejuvenated by every activity I can do and time I can spend outside - there is a rawness in nature that allows and encourages me to be my most authentic self, as well as provide a space for genuine shared experiences.”Chelsea Behymer
Chelsea exemplifies leadership by sharing examples of the strength and vulnerability she experiences in the outdoors, where, as she puts it, “I can simultaneously feel safe, challenged and continuously full of wonder! I aim to reciprocate that support by being mindful of my impact on the outdoors and acting on that in a positive way.”
While overseeing multiple, rotating school groups and supporting a large team of educators and staff, it’s not hard to believe that there is no “typical” day on the job for Chelsea. From providing canoeing support to calibrating water quality testing instruments to guiding kids in a search for tardigrades, (aka “moss piglets” in the microscope lab) to coaching educators in outcome-based planning—each day is exciting and unique.
What she truly relishes thus far has been the opportunities to step in and out of moments with educators and students learning together. “I love that I can zoom in on a small part of the day or week of several groups, and then zoom out to see and hear everyone on campus, in the surrounding forest and on the waterways, connecting to each other and the natural world in a myriad of ways.”
Stories
WildLink November 2024: Woodlake High School
This November, Woodlake High School students and chaperones arrived in Yosemite for their first year as a WildLink school, and we are so excited to have them on the team! That means that the brave students who signed up for this expedition had virtually no idea what to expect before signing up for the trip, because none of their peers had experienced it before them! The week, although quite frigid, was full of lovely views, learning about Wilderness, spending lots of time by the river, and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite Valley and Wilderness. Their educators Sarah and Amelia were excited to help this group feel a sense of belonging in this place. They were also lucky enough to be joined by Ranger Lissie on their first day in the Wilderness!
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.
WildLink October 2024: Venture Academy
Venture Academy’s second round of 2024 WildLink students arrived in Yosemite full of wonder, excitement, and on the lookout for bears. With a $10 per person pot, stakes were high to be the first to see the famous furry critters. Their fearless chaperones—Mr. Meza, a seasoned WildLink participant and expert whistler, and Ms. Dustin, a lifetime Yosemite visitor and lover—encouraged the students to bring their best selves. After settling into their cabins, the group met with their educator Katie for dinner and an evening of stargazing by the Merced River. The headlights of climbers spaced out like a constellation on Washington Column’s rock face after dark, far above the valley floor, and was a twinkling inspiration for these soon-to-be adventurers.