Originally hailing from North Carolina and New Orleans, Sarah Sugarman has lived in Yosemite for the past five years, working as an educator for NatureBridge and the National Park Service (NPS). Sarah currently works at the NatureBridge Yosemite campus as an Educator, Crane Flat Site Manager and the WildLink Program Coordinator. “I love teaching, playing outside, and creating art in many forms,” Sarah says. Working with both NatureBridge and NPS affords Sarah many opportunities to engage in all three of those passions!
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.
If you were to ask any NatureBridge employee what some of their favorite things about working with our organization are, you’d undoubtedly hear about the kids, the programs, and the impact we make daily. But without fail, the most common response to that question is “the people.” Anyone who’s spent even an afternoon with a group of NatureBridge employees leaves with a brand new group of friends and a ton of laughs and stories. This all rings true for our Director of Development Operations, Jen Laughtion. Visit our blog to learn about Jen’s nearly six years with NatureBridge and the lasting relationships she’s built along the way.
There is an exceptional passion that radiates from environmental educators 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.
Miguel (he/him) joined the NatureBridge team in 2018 and quickly found familiarity in blending his love of food with his love of the outdoors. We recently chatted with Miguel and learned about what it is that makes the food so great. (Hint… it starts with cooking with lots of love.)
Ingrid Apter was a beloved NatureBridge educator who dedicated over 20 years of her life to sharing her love of the outdoors with the kids in our programs. She was an integral part of NatureBridge and her passing in 2021 was a deep loss for our team. Before her passing, Ingrid began to design a mural for our Skins and Skulls lab at Golden Gate. Her vision was to transform the lab so that it reflected the scenery just outside its walls. Ingrid began sketching the mural on canvas in her home during shelter in place and engaged a professional muralist to complete the project when she was unable to. The mural was dedicated in her memory and honors her indelible belief in the power of outdoor education.
Since March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has shut down the increasingly popular programs in Prince William Forest, where programs like NatureBridge are a rarity. The campus pivoted to distance learning and “school yard” programs with excellent results. Still, teachers and students have been clamoring for in-person programs to return as soon as it is safe to do so.
"I used to ice climb quite a bit and often without a rope. In 1998, I took a 100 foot fall...and I was in a wheelchair for months. I also shattered my femur and broke my shoulder a year ago in a really bad paragliding accident in Mexico. So...yeah, I’ve banged up a few things.”
Listening to these injuries listed off one after another, it’s easy to believe you’re hearing from an X-Games athlete or a professional adrenaline junkie; a thrill-seeker and risk-taker of the highest order. Who you’re actually hearing from is Jeff Crow, NatureBridge’s Director of Risk Management.
Andrew West attended Yosemite Institute in 1997 as a high school junior with a group of students from the Redding Area. That trip was transformative for Andrew. It was the foundation of his life's work, as he returned to Yosemite National Park upon college graduation where he worked for over a decade.