“Nature is the only thing that ever made sense to me.”

Originally from the DC metro area, Vanessa fell in love with forests in Springfield, VA, wandering through mighty oaks, sprawling beech and flu-fighting sweet gums. This love drew her to a rural college and studying education and biology at Longwood University (‘03) in Farmville, VA. Rural Virginia deepened Vanessa’s appreciation of public access to nature, as most of the forests to explore were private or long-since plowed. And love of public woods eventually led her to study Forest Ecology at Penn State, specifically human and deer pressure on coastal oak forests at The Nature Conservancy’s Shelter Island, NY preserve. Near State College, PA, she also volunteered as a naturalist at Black Moshannon State Park, and there was hooked on environmental ed and teaching outside. 

Vanessa and her husband (‘04), Gavin, moved to Golden in fall 2007 for his job with the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden; and teaching e.e. in Colorado has been such a joy to her ever since!  After a lot of self-teaching hikes in her new habitat, 

Vanessa spent two extended seasons as a naturalist at Lookout Mountain Nature Center, where she was honored to help Alice Kruse, a long-time Tuesday birder, compile the bird list for Crown Hill from 30 years of handwritten notes. Next, she tried out urban e.e. working for S.P.R.E.E., the education arm of the Greenway Foundation, and enjoyed a season with U.S. F&W at Rocky Mountain Arsenal before becoming director at Evergreen Nature Center for Audubon in January 2012 until her second child, Winston, was born in summer 2016. 15 months later, they welcomed Calliope and she spent 3 years, “changing diapers and enjoying cuddles;” but even then regularly led “nature playdates” for large groups of friends with kids. (Azalea-11, Winston-9, and “poppy”- 8)

For the last 5 years, Vanessa has volunteered with several organizations: chairing school fundraising, helping weekly in her kids’ classes, feeding the unhoused monthly, leading Cub Scouts, teaching Sunday School, helping lead mom’s groups, and running garage sales. From fall ‘23 – spring ‘25, she ran her own afterschool Nature Club at the kids’ school, which she only stopped because the available Friday time slot proved… unfruitful. She is excited to work with Evergreen Audubon again, and so impressed at the growth since leaving. Gavin and Vanessa now live in north Arvada, by Standley Lake library, in a neighborhood with plenty of kids and mature trees.