Board Spotlight: Laura Sigman
NatureBridge board member Laura Sigman’s goal has always been to merge her two passions: the environment and children’s health. As a physician in Washington, DC, Laura knows all about the importance of the physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors. That’s why she has been on the board for our Mid-Atlantic Region (MARE) campus located in Prince William Forest for the last six years. But her connection to NatureBridge didn’t begin there.
“I learned about NatureBridge from a childhood friend who moved from LA to DC,” Laura reflects. “Coincidentally, she and I went to summer camp in Northern Minnesota together as kids, and later were there as counselors. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, it was at camp that I developed a deep love of the outdoors and an interest in environmental science and education.”
Now, as a pediatrician in a high-volume children’s emergency department, Laura sees the many challenges that families face around physical and mental health, access to resources and structural inequities. That’s also why being involved with NatureBridge is so important to her. Laura states, “Ensuring that more children from the diverse populations I serve around the DC area have access to programs that allow them to experience the outdoors is a main goal of my involvement with NatureBridge.”
Getting involved in NatureBridge was a perfect way to bring together my interests in the environment and children’s health and well-being.Laura Sigman, Physician and MARE Board Member
Ultimately, Laura's goal is to increase the impact of NatureBridge in the Washington, DC area. “Living in the nation’s capital, which has vibrant and diverse communities as well as incredible green space, including a ‘hidden gem’ of a national park that runs through the city, and beautiful areas like Prince William Forest and Shenandoah National Park within 1-2 hours’ drive, I think the region is uniquely poised to expand the impact of NatureBridge,” she notes. But it’s not just about expanding our reach. Laura knows that NatureBridge’s programs make a lasting impact on students of all backgrounds and is critical to the future. “Ultimately," Laura says, "I’d like to see MARE develop programs that provide multiple touch points through different stages of childhood, leading to more diversity in outdoor enthusiasts and environmental education.”
I’d like to see MARE develop programs that provide multiple touch points through different stages of childhood, leading to more diversity in outdoor enthusiasts and environmental education.Laura Sigman, Physician and MARE Board Member
Stories
In Memory of Ty Cobb: A Visionary Leader of Resilience and Impact
Ty Cobb, former CEO of Yosemite National Institutes (now NatureBridge), passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2024 in Reno at the age of 84. Known for his visionary leadership, resilience, and ability to inspire collaboration, Ty guided YNI through some of its most difficult moments while building a foundation for its future growth and success.
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.