Ever wonder how our lives are linked to the common salamander or a very busy newt? This week on The Dragon Tree Podcast, we sat down with Kimberly Curren, a dedicated naturalist and educator who's helped her students participate in everything from tracking horseshoe crabs by the Chesapeake Bay, to closely monitoring the very mysterious world of dragonflies.

Her story proves that the best hands on learning often happens outside the classroom, where we can all benefit from studying our ever evolving connections to the natural world. Kim shared how her career first began, teaching children about animals in an indoor aquarium setting to eventually finding her passion for the outdoors through nature-based education in Calvert County, Maryland. Her mission has always been straightforward: create a safe space for all learners and find the hook that could spark a lifelong interest.

Kim’s core communication philosophy is to meet students where they are. She often teaches school-aged children on nature walks, to encounter wildlife in their very own territory. She also emphasizes the need for a teaching style that authentically validates everyone's experience, from the enthusiastic volunteer to the kid who's not really a "nature person" (well, not yet, anyway).

Nature's Tiny Barometers

Kim's work is often supported by the work of citizen scientists, which sbows how anyone can contribute to scientific research. She's involved in several such incredible projects: The Dragonfly Mercury Project: Since dragonflies spend their early lives as aquatic larvae, this study has shown how it makes them excellent indicators for monitoring mercury pollution in the environment. Amphibian Bio-Indicators: Programs like Frog Watch monitor the calls of frogs and toads.

Specifically, their permeable skin makes them highly sensitive to environmental changes and their calls can signal shifts in seasons or pollution before humans even notice them. The Red Knot Effect: Kimberly discusses her effort to start a horseshoe crab monitoring program along the Chesapeake Bay. This project matters because horseshoe crab eggs are a critical food source for migratory shorebirds, like the Red Knot, showing how interdependent the ecosystem truly is.

You May Already Be a Citizen Scientist

People are the most powerful tool in the efforts for nature conservation. But being a citizen scientist doesn't require a lab coat. It often just requires a smartphone. Robust, easy-to-use apps like iNaturalist and eBird allow anyone to regularly log local plant and animal sightings. Naturalists like Kimberly use this crowd-sourced data daily to not only track seasonal changes but also to predict animal appearances.

Drawing her inspiration from dynamic global scientists and presenters such as Jane Goodall and David Attenborough, Kim reminds us that science education is not just reciting facts but truly sharing what subjects you care about and then bringing them to life.

This passion she believes is the key to inspiring future generations to address major issues such as habitat loss and climate change. Engaging children early in science, Kim states, will challenge and empower them to be the much needed innovators who can eventually shape a better, more resilient world.