Inspired as a young child, Staci strives to make a difference in the environment by inspiring children of all ages, 0-100. Her skill set as an educator has served her community well, empowering others to conservation action. Since 1997, Staci has worked as an animal presenter, naturalist, and environmental specialist. Her range of experience has included domestic and exotic animal husbandry to natural history, wetland mitigation and air quality. Her love of all things wild and wonderful began as a child. Although Illinois is covered in corn and soybeans, her childhood home is surrounded by state preserved forest. Staci would spend hours hiking through the woods and fishing in the waterways. Staci earned her Associate’s in Agricultural Science from Parkland College, Bachelor’s in Animal Science from the University of Illinois, and her Master’s in Teaching Comprehensive Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During and after college, Staci worked as a Veterinary Assistant. She served as an Animal Presenter on the opening-crew for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and later as the Conservation Education Advanced Intern. Staci served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua where she assisted sustenance farmers to utilize eco-friendly farming. After her term, she moved to North Carolina and served as a Visitor Educator at the North Carolina Zoo and as a High School Biology and Environmental Science teacher. Staci led the local nonprofit TreesCharlotte as Operations Director orchestrating the planting of over 16,000 trees. In addition, Staci served the Charlotte region 178years as a Mecklenburg County Environmental Specialist. Staci’s adventurous spirit has taken her to Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Kenya, Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and throughout the United States. Throughout her travels, Staci became keenly aware of humans'​ impact on the Earth and the urgency for conservation. Staci's passion is to reconnect people to God through His creation to inspire stewardship.