Jen Giles combines her passion for nature and education in her role as a Reforestation Education and Engagement Manager within Reforest our City at Western Reserve Land Conservancy. She not only gets to plant trees to improve the tree canopy in Cleveland but also gets to teach people about why trees are so important and how to take care of them.
Previously, Jen has spent her time indulging in many facets of the informal education sector including being a museum educator at Cleveland Museum of Natural History, camp manager at Camp Cheerful, and recreation specialist at Youth Outdoors in the Metroparks. In all these positions, she excelled at creating programming that met the needs of the audience in a fun and engaging way. This included creating a life-sized board game to learn about fishes’ life cycles, a new summer camp to explore creative careers at a museum, and rock-climbing programs that helped young kids reach development milestones. She is excited to see what new ways she can connect audiences to the natural world here at the Land Conservancy.
Jen holds a Bachelor’s in Zoology from Kent State and a Master’s in Biology with a focus on Environmental Education in the Urban Area from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly. Through Project Dragonfly, she explored the barriers preventing youth in Cleveland from participating in outdoor programs. She plans to use this knowledge to help connect residents with their natural environment through trees.
Jen lives with her husband, Nick, and their deaf pitbull, Kluber, in Cuyahoga County. They all enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors both in their own backyard or hiking in the nearby Metroparks. Jen is also an avid creator and loves to work with fiber arts including knitting, crocheting, and embroidery.