Q and A with Kailene Goldsberry, Outgoing Director of Environmental Education
Q&A with Kailene Goldsberry
Kailene has been working at Wesselman Woods for well over 6 years. Her history with WW is a long one! She started as one of our summer campers in her childhood, eventually returning to become an intern. From there, she worked her way up to Director of Environmental Education and thrived in the role.
Kailene has revolutionized the Education Department at WW. Find out more about her time here in this question and answer session!
What is one of the coolest things you learned about the forest?
The fact that this forest is THE largest urban old-growth forest in the United States is so cool to me! To me, being in this forest is like time traveling.
Once you are in the middle of the woods, you can get a glimpse of Indiana’s ecological past. The whole state was covered in forests just like Wesselman Woods.
Also, the biodiversity! WW has 57 tree species on our property and countless animal species, both invertebrate and vertebrate. So cool.
What is your favorite tree in WW? Favorite flower of WW? Favorite animal in the forest? Best photo you’ve snapped?
Lloyd the Squirrel
Favorite tree: Love a good Tulip tree. The leaf reminds me of a cat.
Favorite flower: I love seeing Bloodroot come up early in the year because that is one of our first signs that spring is near!
Favorite animal in the forest: Squirrels, 100%
Favorite photos: I have way too many to choose from, but I would say the picture of Lloyd the Squirrel in the snow (right) and the picture of the forest with sun rays striking the forest floor (below) and are the best ones I’ve snapped here at WW.
What is an unexpected skill you learned?
This job has cross-trained me in so many ways. I came here to be an educator but I’ve dabbled in a little bit of everything – natural resources, marketing, graphic design, post-rehab wildlife care, administrative work, and even the use of heavy equipment. Let me tell ya: I did not know how to do ANY of those things coming in. I am so appreciative of the things I have learned here at WW and thankful to those who taught me.
Editor’s note: you can see some of Kailene and her Environmental Education team’s beautiful design work on our Field Guides - available digitally!
Kailene taps a sugar maple for sap collection.
What is your proudest moment during your time here?
I am so proud of Little Eco-Scholars and Junior Forest League. I created these programs from scratch and started hosting them in 2020. There was, of course, a lot of uncertainty at this time but the participants kept coming back and the programs gained a lot of momentum. Now, these classes sell out! The bond I’ve created with these participants over time will forever be cherished.
I can’t express how proud I am of our revamped summer camp series. I made it my personal mission to make these camps more fun and unique by creating environmental educational elements around themes like The Last Airbender, Animal Crossing, and even Pokémon! “Camp Wesselmón” has been a camper and staff favorite.
An additional point of pride for me is the Nature Play Director program! I am so honored to be able to get this started and have these young stewards on our education team.
Who is the most impactful person/people you met in your time here?
I love and adore all the staff and volunteers that I’ve worked with over these 6 years at Wesselman Woods. The team we have right now is so uplifting and positive, I will forever be indebted to them all.
However, I would absolutely not be here without the encouragement from Zach Garcia. He has been one of my biggest fans the past few years and I would have given up if he did not encourage me to be the best version of me. Kudos to you, Zach. Forever and ever thankful you entered my life.
Also, shoutout to the Environmental Education team. They are my right-hand women, my partners in crime, the ying's to my yang... you get it. I could not have made many of our programs possible without Elaine, Payton, and Annie beside me.
And one more shout out to the Nature Play Directors I’ve been able to work with so far: Lucinda, Viggo, Annika, Quincy, Vivien, and Rylee. They have been amazing little partners to brainstorm with and come up with new, fun ideas for the Education department. They are so goofy, yet so passionate about Wesselman Woods.
Kailene and Payton holding two of our reptile ambassadors
What opportunities do you see for the future of Wesselman Woods?
The future is so bright, it’s almost blinding! With all of the new land acquired, the incoming treehouse in the Nature Playscape, the Sprout Initiative with the EVSC, the continuation of Nature Play Directors program… there’s a lot in store already! But I do hope to see a Forest Preschool here at Wesselman Woods someday.
What is your favorite memory during your time at Wesselman Woods?
I cannot pick one certain memory as I’ve been here for over 6 years but some of my favorite memories definitely boil down to training the animal ambassadors and running the summer camps.
I’ve gotten to work with so many different species during my time here. Owls, vultures, falcons, hawks, kites, eagles, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, turtles, salamanders, frogs... how can working with these critters not be a favorite memory?! I even bonded with our Eastern grey squirrel, Lloyd!
When it comes to the summer camp memories, I just adore all the kids that have become repeat customers and return to our programs. I’ve found that these camps are a time for us adults to be kids again, too, and being able to spend the whole summer out in the forest is pretty magical. Sweaty, humid, and a bit chaotic… but magical, nonetheless!
Fun Fact: I came to the summer camps at Wesselman Woods when I was a kid and then I ended up running those programs! A full circle moment for me that is one of my favorite things to think about.
