Susan Brown, Conservation Education Specialist

Susan Brown is a Conservation Education Specialist at Boone County Conservation District. Her passion for the environment has followed her all her life, and she’s always pursued jobs and activities that let her spend the most time outdoors and helping people understand and connect with the environment around them. Because of this, Susan went on to obtain a B.S. in Biology from Morehead State University and an M.Ed. in Environmental Education from Western Washington University to cement her place in conservation education.

Susan has been with the Boone County Conservation District for six years. She started in a part-time position running K-12 educational programs. Since then, her role has expanded to include youth leadership projects, forest health research, and college internship programs, among other things. She’s not only responsible for managing and teaching K-12 programs but also summer camps, teen leadership programs, adult education programs, college internships, and outdoor family programs. She also manages forest health, stream health, and wildlife monitoring projects, as well as all newsletters, social media, and website content for the district. Her favorite parts of the job are the times she gets to be outside, exploring natural resources, meeting interesting people, and helping people experience new things.

When asked if she’d do anything differently if she knew she’d end up in agriculture, Susan says that she would’ve taken more initiative when she was in high school and college to seek volunteer opportunities with researchers, educators, and professionals to gain more insight and experience into the field of conservation.

“Get out and explore your community. Get to know the people in your career field and learn why they are passionate about what they do. Get to know your local watersheds, flora, and fauna!”