Alumni Spotlight: Cassie Hughes
These are your people!” Former NatureBridge staff member Cassie Hughes often thinks about this exclamation from her then-girlfriend (now spouse), which was elicited by her first visit to campus to see Cassie at work at Prince William Forest Park. Looking back now, Cassie agrees that her partner’s words succinctly summarized her NatureBridge experience; for Cassie, the best part of working at NatureBridge was “the people, for sure. An enthusiastic, passionate, fun group of people” who were incredibly supportive of Cassie and her family during several major life events and challenges.
It’s this supportive, team-based environment—one in which “your colleagues can help you be better”—that stands out for Cassie when she recalls her time with NatureBridge. She began her six year tenure at NatureBridge as an intern in 2012 and then moved into the role of Program Manager at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Later, she served as Director of Outreach for that campus before switching gears and moving out to NatureBridge’s national office in San Francisco to work as Grants Manager for the organization as a whole.
I remember being in that dining hall [at Prince William] and just laughing with them, and that was so infectious. The kids were laughing, the teachers were having a good time. I don’t know when I’ve been paid and had that good of a time.Cassie Hughes, National Park Service Interpretive Ranger
“When I first started with NatureBridge,” Cassie recalls, “I had wanted to work for the park service.” Serendipitously, Cassie first learned about NatureBridge and its new East Coast campus from a contact at the National Park Service (NPS). Today, Cassie is an Interpretive Ranger with NPS, working at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, CA. The site—known for being the previous workplace of Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest park ranger in NPS history—was established in 2012. (Betty retired in 2022 at the age of 100!)
Cassie characterizes her role at the park as “a fun combination of [my] teaching background and definitely employing bits of NatureBridge’s approach to people.” As the program lead for “Rosie’s Service Corps” (previously called “Rosie’s Girls”), Cassie researches and plans her own summer program for a group of girls from underserved communities in the area. The Corps participants learn about various trades, women’s history and World War II history as it applies to their city and local area. They also receive an introduction to NPS and mentoring and role modeling from female leaders (including Cassie). At its heart, “it’s an empowerment program,” Cassie says.
I think about how one of the fifth grade kids from D.C. who came out once said to one of the educators, “Why are you so happy?”… The kids don’t just walk away learning something about ecology…they say, “I want to be like that adult.”Cassie Hughes, National Park Service Interpretive Ranger
This year, the Corps will take their summer’s culminating trip to NatureBridge’s Golden Gate campus, where Cassie will serve as both their NPS leader and their field guide! It’s a full-circle moment for Cassie, who as NatureBridge’s national Grant Manager used to work to secure funding for Rosie’s Service Corps participants to attend a final trip at NatureBridge Yosemite. “To still be connected to NatureBridge is the cherry on top,” Cassie remarks.
Thank you, Cassie, for serving as an educator, leader and role model for students as they explore their national parks and discover more about their environment, their future and themselves.
Photo courtesy of Cassie Hughes
Stories
Staff Spotlight: Dylan Meek
“I don’t know if I’d have such a keen interest in what I do now” without experiencing NatureBridge programs as a middle schooler, says current NatureBridge staff member Dylan Meek. As a seventh grader, Dylan and her classmates from Southern California attended an environmental science program at Yosemite Institute (known today as NatureBridge Yosemite). That trip represented Dylan’s first visit to a national park and her first exposure to the field of outdoor education. Now on staff as the Lab Steward at NatureBridge Golden Gate, Dylan ensures that the environmental science educators have everything they need “to get the most out of the lab spaces” on campus.
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.