Jennifer Brooks is the Environmental Education Program Supervisor for the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department, where she uses her love of nature and passion for education to help bring conservation and outdoor programs to the local community.
A Berks County native, Jennifer grew up in the Pocono Mountains until she attended Slippery Rock University, where she minored in environmental education.
Soon after, she was working seasonally as a park ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers at Blue Marsh Lake, where it grew her love for conserving and preserving natural resources and sharing that passion with the community.
Jennifer has built the environmental education programs at the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department from scratch, starting out part-time, and now full-time with one part-time assistant to serve the needs of an entire community.
Her drive and passion have not gone unnoticed, she won the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators Environmental Educator of the Year award in 2017.
Berks County has much to offer in environmental education, such as children’s gardens, monarch butterfly breeding and tagging, school partnerships, and watershed programs.
As Jennifer states, “When you find your passion in something, it truly shines through in your work efforts!”
She designs school programs to fit into current Pennsylvania Academic Standards, while providing students with a hands-on learning experience.
She also develops family programs for families to learn about the natural world in a fun and engaging way.
Jennifer lives with her family on a small farmette where they keep animals, vegetable, and flower gardens.
“I spend very little time indoors,” she explains, “I enjoy hiking, exploring nature with my son and gardening.”
Currently, she is using her knowledge and love of gardening to develop an organic vegetable gardening program for children.
One of the most rewarding experiences for Jennifer has been working with children from urban schools on field trips to an outdoor classroom space in the mountains.
Students find themselves among peaceful streams and beautiful scenery which create lasting impressions.
She says, “A child asking me if it is okay to touch a leaf, or a get a little dirty is a constant reminder of why I love what I do, and why I continue to strive to provide meaningful experiential learning experiences.”
Providing quality and enriching environmental education is an important but often difficult task for communities. Sometimes staff shortages or monetary issues can cause responsibilities to shift and overlap for parks and recreation staff.
“Parks and recreation professionals do this because they are truly dedicated to serving the community and conserving our park spaces,” Jennifer says.
Know of a good natured Pennsylvanian who is passionate about outdoor recreation and/or conservation that DCNR should feature? Contact DCNR by sending email to: ra-resource@pa.gov to nominate someone.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
(Reprinted from the July 10 DCNR Resource newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
Related Article:
DCNR Good Natured Blog: Three Cheers For Parks, Recreation & Recreational Professionals
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