Blue Ridge Outdoor Education Center staff are college graduates or interns. Instructors are trained and experienced in environmental education topics such as geology, biology, and forestry as well as outdoor education activities such as team building and high ropes and adventure programs like rock climbing. Interested in joining next season's staff? Learn more here.
Rebecca,
Director
I was born and raised in southern Michigan and spent my childhood camping, canoeing, and fishing in the state’s many forests and lakes.
My love of the outdoors and teaching eventually led me to Alaska where I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology at Alaska Pacific University and a Master’s in Marine Science from the University of New England in Maine where I had the pleasure of teaching hands on marine biology and biology labs that took me and my students everywhere from the rocky intertidal to the woods.
I also volunteered with the Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Conservation program and cared for seals and sea turtles.
Since finishing school, I have worked as a Steller sea lion observer living on remote islands in Alaska during the summers, as an instructor at Blue Ridge Outdoor Education Center for three years, and as a marine science educator in Louisiana. I am excited to return to BROEC as the Director!
Some of my hobbies include drinking tea, reading, and doing puzzles.
Bailey,
Assistant Director
Bailey was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Behavior, & Evolution in 2023. Her interest in ecology began at age 4 by saving worms off of the sidewalk specifically because her mom told her not to.
Since then Bailey has studied and worked in California, Scotland, Chile, Oregon, and Virginia and is now thrilled to be back at BROEC for another season.
Bailey’s other interests include crafting, long walks, competing with her sister to see who can read more books in a year, and being a staunch advocate for the oxford comma.
Kaitlyn,
Environmental Educator
Hey! I grew up on Florida’s coast in Jacksonville, so I was always swimming, surfing, or searching for the biggest seashell. It was no surprise that I went on to earn my bachelors degree in Marine Science at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL.
I recently completed a summer in Alaska managing the sockeye salmon population at a river in the backcountry. When I wasn’t counting salmon, I was climbing waterfalls, hiking or wake surfing on the lake with a homemade surfboard!
I love exploring the outdoors through climbing, hiking and swimming. I also enjoy reading, painting, and crafting. I am excited to bring my passion for the outdoors and education this season at BROEC!
Riley,
Environmental Educator
I grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My love for all things environmental started at a young age, but really took off when I was at North Carolina State University (go Wolfpack!) studying environmental science with a concentration in freshwater resources. I pursued my passion for all things water-related through research projects ranging from the chemistry of rivers entering the Chesapeake Bay to the impacts of urban development on aquatic macroinvertebrates in streams.
After graduating, I completed an internship on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, where I gained an appreciation for coastal ecosystems. Coming to BROEC is an opportunity for me to experience the Blue Ridge ecoregion, which is the last major ecoregion of the Southeast that I have yet to work in!
Outside of work, I enjoy running, hiking, playing every sport under the sun (I might be a little competitive), reading, and listening to music.
I am excited to share my broad outdoor interests with the next generation of environmental stewards at BROEC this spring!
Katherine (Kit),
Environmental Educator
Hi! My name is Katherine, or Kit, depending on how many people named Katherine are around. I grew up in a small town in the Georgia piedmont, where I spent most of my time out in the woods. I’m never happier than in southern Appalachia, as long as it’s 65 degrees at maximum.
My undergraduate degree was in Wildlife Sciences at the University of Georgia, but I soon began working in tree physiology during my time in school.
Since then, I’ve participated in projects with the U.S. Forest Service in southern Idaho and the Georgia piedmont. I would eventually like to obtain a Master’s in Ecology.
Otherwise, I love drawing, yarn related crafts, arguing about tree identification, and drinking iced coffee regardless of temperature.