Staff Spotlight: Linnea Joy Pierson
Whether it’s our national park classrooms, the incredible opportunity to impact our local communities through science and education or the life-changing experiences we get to witness when young people participate in our programs, at NatureBridge we have so much to be grateful for! For Environmental Science Educator Linnea Joy Pierson, the moments she cherishes most are the times when she can see the joy, curiosity and community developing in her students while exploring the Yosemite wilderness. Originally from San Jose, CA, Linnea grew up valuing the outdoors and even attended a NatureBridge program (then called Yosemite Institute) as a student where she felt the transformative power of connecting with nature first-hand.
As a former student of NatureBridge/Yosemite Institute, I am living proof that this is an invaluable experience that has untold ripples.Linnea Joy Pierson, NatureBridge Environmental Science Educator, Yosemite
That has come full circle with Linnea now working as the evening manager at NatureBridge’s Yosemite campus. Linnea is thankful to be able to experience the excitement of investigating macroinvertebrates, the sense of accomplishment when hiking to the top of a waterfall and the transformation of students who have the opportunity to thrive in an outdoor environment. “I often chat with their teachers and chaperones into the night as they share about the changes they've seen in their students,” Linnea says. “My role as an evening manager provides me the opportunity to see the glow of group energy when schools return from their campfire programs on Thursday nights.”
During our closing circle on departure day, students often share what was most meaningful in their trip, both their connections to the land and to each other. It is an honor and a delight to be a part of their journey.Linnea Joy Pierson, NatureBridge Environmental Science Educator, Yosemite
Linnea sums up her experience with gratitude: “I am grateful to have a job where I can make a difference. I am grateful to Jen Kidder (Olympic Campus Director) for being my Yosemite Institute educator in 2006. I am grateful for the many coworkers and supervisors who have inspired me to be a better version of myself.” We at NatureBridge are grateful for the many educators and staff who make these experiences possible and allow us to continue to live our mission to introduce students to the science and wonder of the natural world.
Photos courtesy of Linnea Joy Pierson
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."