Kate’s work as an environmental educator, which started in high school, has focused on increasing natural resources literacy and stewardship. She has developed programs, training events, and curricula for a variety of NGO’s, and federal and state agencies, applying tested environmental education and social science research to community-based conservation needs. As an Environmental Education Specialist and Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Extension (retired), Kate worked closely with Extension colleagues across the country to help natural resources professionals educate the public more effectively and to increase citizen involvement in solving conservation issues. She developed the Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program with the help of a dedicated group of Wisconsin environmental educators, and was the first executive director of the program. Kate holds a B.S. in Ecology/Zoology and an M.Ed. of Environmental Education, both from the University of Minnesota

Kate grew up in Minneapolis and spent many years living and working in upstate New York with her husband, Kevin, and three children. Kate and her family, now including four grandkids, have lived in the Madison area for the last 22 years.