Tenure at CBF: 1997–2002; 2019–present

Since rejoining CBF in 2018, Karen has led the team of outreach and education professionals in collaborations that build environmental literacy in school systems across the watershed. Her team spearheads the annual summer Chesapeake Classrooms offerings, coordinates the Teacher Environmental Literacy Leaders Network, and works with the entire CBF Education Department to deliver year-round high quality outdoor learning. Karen has worked for over 25 years in the environmental education, community building, and professional learning sectors. She received her master’s in education from University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2010 and co-authored U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide.

Experience

• Owner and principal consultant, Willow Oak Group, LLC—a consulting firm that worked with nonprofits, higher education partners, and the federal government to foster environment literacy, deliver professional learning, and design sustainable landscapes (2002–2018)
• Field Educator and Curriculum Coordinator, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (1997–2002)
• Classroom Teacher, Spotsylvania, Virginia (1993–1997)