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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Public Programs Administrator Meghan is the public program administrator for the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. She has loved nature since she was a little girl. Meghan grew up on a farm in New Hampshire where she was surrounded by cows, chickens, pigs and horses. Her parents had lots of vegetable gardens and encouraged Meghan’s enthusiasm for nature. Meghan’s parents also introduced her to hiking since they were both avid hikers and backpackers. Her first big backpacking trip was when she was 11 years old; since then, Meghan as fostered her passion for the outdoors and proactively utilizes her knowledge at the Conservancy on a daily basis. "The thing I like most about my job is learning from the great wealth of knowledge that our volunteers possess,” said Meghan. “No matter how much information I think I know about a local area, a plant, an animal etc. there is always another tidbit that they can provide. Their enthusiasm and awesome physical shape continues to awe and inspire me. I am truly fortunate to work with such great people." The Conservancy has approximately 200 dedicated volunteers who have collectively put in hundreds of hours into the wildlands and parks this past year. They help in various ways with numerous programs. Needless to say, the task of managing all the volunteers, their time, the programs and various other duties is not easy, but Meghan gets the job done with ease and a positive attitude. "Meghan is amazing! She manages nearly 200 volunteers and countless, regularly scheduled programs and does it really well,” said David Raetz, Director of Public Programs. “She is intelligent and has the foresight to solve problems and create systems that make her work more efficient. She is creating volunteer management systems that are being recognized locally and nationally. We are very lucky to have Meghan on the Irvine Ranch Conservancy team." Prior to joining the Conservancy, Meghan worked at Inside the Outdoors where she was a naturalist and environmental educator. She has studied and published articles about the therapeutic effects of nature and human connections to the environment. Meghan has studied rainforest ecology and biology in Australia for a study abroad program in undergrad. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Psychology from Connecticut College and a Master of Science in Social Ecology from UC Irvine. She is very active in outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, ultimate frisbee, mountain biking, and road biking (including biking to work almost every day of the week). On top of it all, Meghan attends classes and workshops on the fundamentals of massage. She also has a small, organic vegetable garden that she maintains and nurtures in her free time. |
