Hero Spotlight, Elizabeth Argyle

Shaping Whole Communities’ Minds and Hearts

Elizabeth pours her heart into Nature Collective’s informal learning programs, sharing that she enjoys connecting whole communities, including children and adults alike, with the joy and wonders of nature. Growing up with numerous nature-based experiences and memories with her family was her biggest inspiration to follow an environmentally focused career path.

Elizabeth Argyle, Education Manager, is celebrating four years with Nature Collective. Her most beloved program is our Get Out in Nature series of experiences, which involve families with fifth-grade students engaged in our Ecosystems in Action learning unit and field trip to explore places like Cardiff State Beach and Annie’s Canyon Trail, connecting the whole family to the wonders of nature, while also connecting with each other and creating wonderful family memories.

Above: ‘”Get Out in Nature” families visiting Annie’s Canyon Trail

Elizabeth champions cultural inclusivity and bilingual education, and shares that this is something that she is most proud of and that inspires her. She is thankful that Nature Collective provides free transportation for many programs, as transportation can sometimes be a significant obstacle for some communities. Elizabeth enjoys interacting with families, watching their love for nature and local conservation grow, and that the program allows participants to disconnect from daily life and reconnect with nature.

Before joining Nature Collective, Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution from the University of California, San Diego. During her undergraduate studies and her experience working at Birch Aquarium, she discovered that a role confined to a research lab probably wasn’t the right fit, because she had discovered that she was extremely passionate not only about protecting San Diego’s diverse ecosystems, but also promoting active stewardship and connecting communities to their local habitats through education.

With this knowledge, Elizabeth decided to pursue a Master of Arts in Education, with a focus on Teaching & Learning from Point Loma Nazarene. This led to a long tenure at the Living Coast Discovery Center, where she fell in love with informal education.

Elizabeth’s daily motivation stems from connections with families and students, the passion of all of her co-workers and their commitment to Nature Collective’s mission.

She is especially proud of the work that she and her colleagues have recently done to elevate the ambassador program, a program that provides educational outreach to the public of all ages within local MPAs (Marine Protected Areas) such as Cardiff State Beach, Swami’s Beach, and San Elijo Lagoon.

Above: Ambassador table at Swami’s Beach

When asked for advice for those entering this field, she shares that finding a balance between science and education is especially important. Noting that while having a deep understanding of wildlife and ecology is important, a solid understanding of teaching, and a commitment to continued learning are equally, if not more important, as the world of education continues to evolve and grow.

To this point, Elizabeth appreciates Nature Collective’s internship programs that give people at the beginning of their careers the opportunity to gain hands-on field experiences and in-office-based learning, and believes that the balance of these two experiences is essential to helping the next generation of science leaders and educators decide on a career path that is right for them.

Above: Habitat Management Intern learns about transects

Elizabeth’s favorite animal is the California sea lion. She has always had a fascination with the ocean, a love of snorkeling/scuba diving, and finds sea lions to be amazing animals, both in their intelligence and curiosity and they are fun to watch.

She really enjoys all species of pine. Elizabeth’s family owns a cabin in the San Bernardino National Forest, so she has fond memories growing up among pines trees, feeding countless songbirds, and watching squirrels dash through their branches. Additionally, the smell of the pine reminds her of the mountains and the holidays—a time of gathering and remembering with family.

Above: Torrey Pine at Torrey Pines State Reserve,  Photo credit: Herb Knufken

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