People

Bug Hartsock is a graduating Master's student in an Entomology lab. When he's not staring at small critters, he spends his time reading, making art, and going on hikes (as well as playing plenty of Dungeons & Dragons). Bug is passionate about scientific outreach and communication, creating zines and comics designed to make science accessible to everyone. He's also spoken at conferences, on public radio, and at a variety of school outreach events. It's his hope to encourage the rest of the world to fall a little bit more in love with its tiny, many-legged residents.

As the Youth Education Program Manager at the Center for Community and Citizen Science at the UC Davis School of Education, Peggy supports researchers, students and educators (both formal and non formal) by designing and developing curriculum as well as professional learning opportunities around engagement with participatory science programs. Peggy co-collaborates in research on how community science projects engage students in deepening content learning as well as their connection to the environment as they develop environmental science agency.

Vince Meldrum is President and CEO of Earth Force. Vince is an experienced nonprofit leader who has worked in environmental and civic education for 20 years. Vince leads Earth Force, a national organization with a unique focus on combining active civic education with environmental education to prepare young people with the civic skills, scientific knowledge, and motivation to improve our local environment.

I currently work to support leadership and best practices at nature centers throughout North America. In my role with the Association of Nature Center Administrators, I create and share content about the issues that nature centers face, and how they can overcome their challenges.

Rachel Arbor is a Presidential Award winner whose work has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the EPA, and the White House. She is the CEO and Founder of Gaia Scholastic and the NY State Lead for SubjectToClimate. For both of these roles, her mission is to cultivate a generation of environmentally-literate global citizens by integrating nature and environmental concepts into the learning experiences of students of all ages and abilities. With a Masters in Education, she builds interdisciplinary content in a way that challenges students to make connections: with themselves, with each other, and with nature, across content areas. She trains teachers across the country on how to re-shape their curriculum through an environmental lens, coaches students on how to turn their climate anxiety into climate action, and fosters environmental connection in and out of the classroom.