K-12 Science and Environmental Education Coordinator 
Phone: 262-970-1139
Email: eyoss@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program?
I’ve been in Waukesha as the science and environmental coordinator since 2014. Prior to being in Waukesha, I was a middle and high school science teacher in New Berlin. I live here in Waukesha, and my children attend the schools; I love being fully invested in our district!

What is your favorite grade level to teach? 
When I was in the classroom, I loved teaching 7th grade.  They had lots of energy and enthusiasm; no day was ever the same!  When I am able to work with students here at EB Shurts, I am finding that I really enjoy working with our kindergarteners; they love being outside and learning about all of our different animals.

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program?
My favorite part of our program is seeing children having fun outdoors.  It is very important to me that we build an appreciation and awareness of our environment through play.

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why?
I would live in the coastal beach...but not during hurricane season ;) 

Environmental Education Site Manager
Phone: 262-970-4333
Email: lparkhurst@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program?
Since July 2019

What is your favorite grade level to teach?
I love Kindergarten! The pure excitement of it being the first classroom field trip to EB Shurts is so fun to be a part of! The Live Animal room is always my favorite to teach because all the animals enjoy such an enthusiastic audience!

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program?
Constantly learning from my co-workers! We each bring such a diverse background to the program, whether it be a teaching career, the life-long love of nature, creative hobbies, interesting passions and tid-bits of life knowledge! Every one of my teammates encourages me to keep curious, which brings out the best in our teaching! 

If you could live in any ecosystem anywhere on the planet, what would you choose and why? I love Wisconsin's four seasons and  appreciate all the nature, beauty and recreation that comes with each change....so I wouldn't dream of living anywhere else. But I do love to travel and explore new places of all kinds!

Email: bballweg@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program? 
Since September 2022

What is your favorite grade level to teach? 
My favorite grade level so far is 4th grade.  I love teaching them about the formations that are at Lapham Peak and sharing in the views at the top of the tower.  It is great seeing the curiosity of the kids change at each level though.  

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program? 
What I love about being a Environmental Education teachers is the variety of knowledge that I learn from the EE team. Then being able to share our knowledge, love, and appreciation of the environment with the next generation. Also spending time in nature with the students. 

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why? 
I would love to live in a valley filled with wildflowers along a lake at the base of a mountain.  

Email: sbaumgar@waukesha.k12.wi.us

 How long have you worked with the EE program?
I started my adventure in the EE program in October of 2021.

What is your favorite grade level to teach?
I get something out of working with every grade, but the energy and enthusiasm of 2nd-5th grade is pretty spectacular. 

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program?
When I look ahead to my day, there's an internal confidence in quality programs, fun, talented, and supportive co-workers, and a wonderfully diverse student body interacting in the great outdoors. What more could I want?

If you could live in any ecosystem anywhere on the planet, what would you choose and why?
I am pretty satisfied with where I live today but I can't pick just one system. If anything, I would love to be able to live right here in Waukesha but to be able to see what it was like 300-500 years ago. Our mixed hardwood forest, oak savanna, wetland, prairie, lake, and river ecosystems all bring me great feelings of peace, wonder, and beauty.

Email:
lfischel@waukesha.k12.wi.us

 How long have you worked with the EE program?
Since September 2023

What is your favorite grade level to teach?
I love teaching all grades, and learning alongside the students who are also are my favorite teachers.

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program?
The community of inclusive, collaborative and supportive colleagues that strive to grow, which is reflected in the EE program curriculum and the approach to teaching 

If you could live in any ecosystem anywhere on the planet, what would you choose and why?
In moss, it seems so soft and cozy.

Email: jmwilliams@waukesha.k12.wi.us

 How long have you worked with the EE program?
Since Summer 2024

What is your favorite grade level to teach?
I have taught in all levels in K-12 and love them all for different reasons!

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program?
I love that EE builds a connection between nature and students which I believe should be a part of every classroom at every age - even for grown-ups.

If you could live in any ecosystem anywhere on the planet, what would you choose and why? My favorite ecosystems typically include water and trees - it could be an island in the South Pacific with a dazzling array of fish, coral and Palm trees, a stream in the Rocky mountains rolling down through stands of Aspens and Pines…or right here in Wisconsin on a quiet lake next to ancient oaks and maples.

Email: rkeber@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program? 
Since the fall of 2015

What is your favorite grade level to teach?  
I like the lower grades and getting kids excited about nature.

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program? 
I enjoy working with the other EE teachers because everyone has something different to offer and we learn from each other. I also like teaching the various grade levels and being outdoors connecting others with nature.

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why? 
I like living in the temperate forest because of the different seasons I can experience. In winter I can search for animal tracks and cross-country ski, springtime is wonderful to see new plant life, summer a different set of plants, and fall hiking through the gorgeous colors.

Email: wliska@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program? 
I started my EE adventure in the Fall of 2023 after retiring from SDW as a teacher and Instructional Technology Coordinator.

What is your favorite grade level to teach?  
Hmm, yet to be determined... I love the joy of the 4K/Kgn getting to interact with live animals. I enjoy investigating Lapham Peak with 4th graders and learning about what has shaped their environment. As an 11 year 3rd grade teacher, that first river experience is magical!

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program? 
I really enjoy the opportunity to connect with students in a different environment and share the wonders of nature in the outdoor classroom. I love the amazing team that makes every experience memorable for those in attendance. I have learned so much from those that I work with and cannot wait to gain new knowledge from their expertise. 

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why? 
I love the Wisconsin Northwoods and the change of seasons that occurs. I enjoy swimming and kayaking in the many lakes and hiking in the forested areas. Married to a forester, trees are important in our lives. The best part of "up north" is the close proximity to Lake Superior, an inland ocean and all that entails.

Email: spawl@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program?
Since the fall of 2023

What is your favorite grade level to teach?I have only taught 4th and 5th grades at this time and have enjoyed both tremendously.  I am excited to have the opportunity to teach more grades.

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program?
What I enjoy most is a four-way tie between: working outside in beautiful natural areas, teaching engaging and important content, guiding and exploring with children as they learn, and working with great people.

If you could live in any ecosystem anywhere on the planet, what would you choose and why?
I would live in a temperate forest with a lake or river but I would be sure to visit marine ecosystems on holidays!

Email: sturner@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program? 
Since 1975

What is your favorite grade level to teach?  
Each grade level brings its own uniqueness.  I've been privileged to share in students' excitement of walking in the river with boots and net, discoveries they make of what lives in our environment, the awe they experience as they visit the past to see how phenomena of the Ice Age affect the present (Lapham Peak), their acute awareness of our Fox River Watershed and the connection we have with everyone and everything along it, their testing and learning about our community source of drinking water and how it is changing.  The favorite list goes on and on!

What do you enjoy most about working with the EE Program?
Two things, first is the relevance our EE Program has to each and every individual whether a student or adult.  When I started teaching EE the program's relevance was often challenged. Over time this thinking has changed.  I find students are curious and concerned about planet earth's well-being.  We provide experiences rich with discovery and learning.  We try to teach students how to think, not what to think.  They leave us thirsting for more.  Second, we have an incredible staff of individuals who are diverse in their backgrounds and possess great passion for the environment.  Their enthusiasm is contagious!

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why? 
I choose the waters of Clarence Strait along Prince of Wales Island in SE Alaska.  I am awestruck with diverse populations of whales, sea lions, sea urchins, sea stars, jellyfish, sea cucumbers, crab, salmon, halibut, birds, etc.  Such wonder and color!

Email: kwilkie@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program? 
I've been with the program since 2001

 What is your favorite grade level to teach?
My favorite grade level is early childhood and my favorite grade to teach is third. I love working in the river with both parent volunteers and the students. They get such a thrill examining the aquatic life that comes out of our Fox River! But it's hard to pick a favorite grade to teach.

 What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program? 
What I love about being an Environmental Ed teacher is the variety. One day I'm in the river and the next I might be at Lapham Peak or at Camp Whitcomb. Helping students understand that we all have a role in protecting our environment is what it's all about. 

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why? 
My favorite ecosystem would have to be freshwater or marine. I love being around water. I have a cabin in northern Wisconsin on a lake called North Twin Placid and I spend most of my summer up there. My favorite thing is paddle boarding early in the morning. We are also in the middle of a forest ecosystem up there , surrounded by pine forests and birch trees and in the winter it's a frozen tundra! So I have a little bit if everything there except rain forest! I spend time in Florida every winter so that's where I get my marine and tropical ecosystems! I grew up in Wisconsin and went to Whittier, Horning, Central Campus ( now Les Paul) and South and finally UW-Madison. 've lived in Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. But eventually, because I love the four seasons, I moved back to Wisconsin, the place I've always called home.

Email: kthomas@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program? 
Late Spring 2024

 What is your favorite grade level to teach?
I’ve enjoyed getting a taste of the 3rd grade! Such positive, enthusiastic, curious sponges who love getting engaged in learning all about nature.

 What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program? 
The EE team’s collaborative spirit and passion for engaging each child in a rich program of discovery is something truly special. I’m excited to join the team in inspiring students’ curiosity and their love of learning, exploring and care for the Earth. Being outside in nature with the kiddos is amazing!

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why?  I love living amongst Wisconsin’s lush forests and extraordinary water riches of inland seas, lakes, rivers, estuaries and wetlands that are so alive with abundant life. I’m grateful for the rhythm and riches of the seasons and the easy access for exploring, swimming, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, or simply sitting, studying, drawing, photographing, and soaking it all in…heart smiling.

 I’m also forever in awe of the diversity, complexity and beauty of the wild ecosystems on this earth and would love living with each for a year: ocean, tropical rainforest, rugged mountains,  arctic, and the list goes on.

Email: anbrown@waukesha.k12.wi.us

How long have you worked with the EE program?  I joined the EE team in the 24/25 school year and am glad to be here!

 What is your favorite grade level to teach?
We'll find out together!

 What do you enjoy most about working with the EE program? 
Sharing my passion for our natural world with all the students and seeing them get excited about these things too!

If you could live in any ecosystem on the planet, which would you choose and why?  You could find me in the Sonoran Desert in California. It has everything! Snow peaked mountains with old forests of pine cedar and fir and icy cold mountain rivers, and dry hot weather in the valley year-round.