Staff Spotlight: Corinne Dedini
As a child growing up in Northern California, Corinne Dedini would travel frequently with her family to their forest service cabin in Stanislaus National Forest. Along the way, young Corinne would see signs directing travelers to Yosemite National Park, and she remembers asking “Mom, what’s Yosemite?” And her mother would reply that it was “just like our little cabin” in Stanislaus.
Now an adult, Corinne is thrilled to have the opportunity to discover the marvels of Yosemite National Park (which is just a little different from her childhood cabin!). And as the new Campus Director for NatureBridge Yosemite, Corinne is incredibly excited to “see [the park] through the eyes of kids.”
Seeing the world through the eyes of students is nothing new for Corinne. Before arriving at NatureBridge, she worked in schools for 25 years, serving as both a science teacher and a high school principal. Most recently, she served as administrator of an online high school for the past decade. Corinne also brings with her an extensive background in environmental education from her time working with a Northern California summer camp, where she now serves as board chair.
I feel like [my new role at NatureBridge] is the intersection of everything I've been doing in my career...I love getting kids out of their comfort zone and seeing the world differently. The pieces all come together here in a way that's really meaningful for me.Corinne Dedini, Campus Director for Yosemite
Corinne started working with NatureBridge on a part-time basis in January 2023, and she officially began as Campus Director for Yosemite at the beginning of March. She has immense gratitude for the wisdom and guidance that two former Yosemite campus directors, Jen Latham and Kristina Rylands, have offered to her as she begins her tenure at NatureBridge. “What a huge gift it is that I get to overlap with Jen,” Corinne says. “We both get to work together so I can learn a lot from her. And Kristina Rylands, the previous campus director, is still in the area. I have a lot of support to get up and going.”
When asked how her first few months at Yosemite have gone, Corinne immediately replies “It’s not dull—it’s very exciting!” Even as severe weather and flooding have forced the temporary closure of the park and impacted NatureBridge’s programming this spring, Corinne acknowledges that the resilience of the Yosemite team and the brightness of the future keep her optimistic. “My short term goal is to understand the past so that I can manage the present and prepare for the future,” she says. “The Yosemite campus is definitely still reemerging from the pandemic, and in the short term [my goal is to] just continue through that reemergence. Long term, building relationships is my number one goal. Thinking about how we center our values around science, creating some stability for the staff and building a longer term plan around our values.”
Please join all of us at NatureBridge in welcoming Corinne! And if you’re visiting Yosemite, please stop by the NatureBridge building and say hello—Corinne would love to meet you and show you around!
Photos courtesy of Corinne Dedini
Stories
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.
Staff Spotlight: Appreciation for Miho Aida
Miho Aida (she/they) has held multiple roles at NatureBridge over the past twenty-four years, including Environmental Science Educator, Community Connection Coordinator, Field Staff Scientist, Marine Project Coordinator, Pacific Rim Environmental Education Specialist, Armstrong Scholars Educator, Diversity Coordinator, Equity and Inclusion Manager, and Director of Equity and Inclusion. Now, on the eve of Miho's departure, we asked them to reflect on their time at NatureBridge and share a bit about their upcoming adventures.