From Small Town Mountain Kid to Interpretive Naturalist
/By Shay Rule
Growing up in small mountain towns in Colorado and Wyoming, I spent the majority of my childhood outside. I was going on 8 mile day hikes before I could walk, being toted around the trails in a carrier by my parents. Once I got older, my outdoor adventures advanced from hiking to horseback riding, fishing, and camping. As a kid, I thought this was what everyone does growing up; it wasn’t until much later in my life when I realized this wasn’t the case.
After high school, I moved from the mountain west to Iowa to study at Cornell College. Going into college, I had no idea what I wanted my career to be. The only thing I was certain about was wanting to work outside, and throughout my studies at Cornell, I was able to discover my love for learning and doing field work.
Since then, I’ve graduated from Cornell and now work in the 61st national park as an Interpretive Naturalist with the Dunes Learning Center. When I applied, I wasn’t sure what naturalists do, but I knew that I would be outside everyday and that was enough for me. I can now say that I embrace the ways of a naturalist by sharing every fun nature fact I have with everyone I can, and continually learn more about the world around me. Working with kids was intimidating at first, but then I realized when kids attend our programs they are just happy to be outside! They don’t care if I mess up, which made me less nervous.
In one of my first programs, when a student in my trail group told me this was their first hike, I was astonished and thought to myself “This kid has never gone hiking before?! That’s wild!”
I now realize that every day, I am going to be introducing many kids to nature, and that I better make it a good introduction. I recognize that sharing my passion for the outdoors has been meaningful and empowering not only for me, but the kids too.
After working at Dunes Learning Center for a few months, I had a deep conversation with my fellow naturalists about our own first exposures to nature, and how those experiences shaped us as adults. But when I thought about my first exposure to nature, I couldn’t pinpoint a particular time when I was introduced. I was just always outside, playing with my friends and sisters. I could distinguish different formative memories, like when I caught my first fish, or the many different trail rides I went on. But that first exposure - that initial introduction to nature - is something that eludes me. I may not remember my first exposure to nature, but I hope that my introduction to the students who come to DLC is memorable and has a lasting positive impact, one that encourages them to learn more about the world around them.
Shay Rule
Naturalist
