It was the early 2000s, and I remember sitting on a bed of soft mulch, watching group after group of campers perform skits against a wooden backdrop that served as a backstage area. A campfire crackled as a camp counselor played the guitar, and others joined in to sing a familiar tune with the words changed just so, such that it sounded like a song written about our camp. On the 11th of August of that fateful year, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in environmental education. I am sure of this date because it is written on the back of a glow-in-the-dark star that I was given on a night hike that evening. I still carry that star with me to this day.
The glow-in-the-dark star given to Sara on a night hike in the early 2000s
Hello everyone! My name is Sara Mueller, and I am the new Executive Director of the Wildlife Leadership Academy. I am incredibly excited to be in this role and to have the opportunity to grow this already fantastic program. I am thankful for the foundation that has already been built by the team and for Michele, who has been an invaluable mentor throughout the transition. In today’s blog post, I wanted to let you get to know me and my vision for the WLA program.
I grew up in central Pennsylvania and spent my summers playing outside, attending Girl Scout camp, and flipping over rocks in streams at a local environmental center. I took every opportunity to go camping, backpacking, and exploring the woods. In high school, I was a part of the Green Sierra Coalition and our Envirothon team (where I specialized in aquatics!). I had a clear passion for the outdoors and education from an early age. What I didn’t know at the time was how to turn that into a career.
Sara catching salamanders at Girl Scout Camp
I chose to attend Penn State with a Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences degree, emphasizing in wildlife. I thought I would be a biologist holding bear cubs, catching songbirds, and trapping deer, but I wasn’t. Instead of working with the warm-and-fuzzies, I spent my first summer as a technician working with the cold-slimies (fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates). I enjoyed it but wanted to try something else, so I spent the following summer catching bats (warm and fuzzies) for an environmental consulting company. I learned I was not a night owl and returned to spending my days in the stream the following summer. From then on, I was hooked (fish pun intended) on the cold slimies. I completed my undergraduate degree and a project looking at the diets of Rainbow Daters. I then continued at Penn State to complete my Master’s degree (exploring the possibilities of using environmental DNA to detect aquatic macroinvertebrates) and my Ph.D. (examining phenotypic variation –what they look like – of Brook Trout across Pennsylvania). Those early days spent flipping rocks in streams and catching salamanders impacted who I would become.
Sara in her waders holding a Brook Trout for her research
Throughout my career, I have enjoyed teaching. I have taught several undergraduate courses at Penn State University Park and Penn State Dubois. I’ve covered topics in general biology, animal identification, and natural resources policy. When I wasn’t teaching in a formal classroom, I was teaching hunter education locally for the PA Game Commission and for a national program that introduced hunting to those who did not grow up doing so. As an adult-onset hunter, I am proud to call myself a sportswoman. My husband and I enjoy mentoring other adult hunters new to the sport.
Sara and her husband Nate prepare for an October hunt together
As part of my love for teaching, I joined the WLA team in 2019 as the fisheries expert and then as Aquatic Curriculum Coordinator. From day one, I was in awe of the program: the rigorous nature, the excellence in students, and the motivation to do good in their communities. What I loved most is that WLA was more than just a summer camp but an agent for change. I may be biased, but I believe that our conservation ambassadors are among the most excellent young leaders in their communities.
Where do I hope to take WLA if I believe our programming is already great? As a conservationist and sportswoman, I wholeheartedly believe that the outdoors is for everyone. I aim to continue the organization’s work to make the Wildlife Leadership Academy a place everyone belongs. Additionally, I plan to continue to meet the growing demand for our summer programming by expanding our offerings to graduate more Conservation Ambassadors. With more program graduates, we can effectively host advanced educational opportunities in wildlife and leadership skills.
Through our launch of the 2023 #10ForTheNextGen campaign, I am asking alums, the family of alumni, and proud supporters to share how WLA has shaped their stories. I look forward to getting to know more members of our community and raising funds for our next generation of conservation ambassadors. Please share your story on social media, tagging @WildlifeLeadershipAcademy and using #10ForTheNextGen.
#10ForTheNextGen – Meet the New Executive Director
Posted: April 1, 2023 by Katie Mace
It was the early 2000s, and I remember sitting on a bed of soft mulch, watching group after group of campers perform skits against a wooden backdrop that served as a backstage area. A campfire crackled as a camp counselor played the guitar, and others joined in to sing a familiar tune with the words changed just so, such that it sounded like a song written about our camp. On the 11th of August of that fateful year, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in environmental education. I am sure of this date because it is written on the back of a glow-in-the-dark star that I was given on a night hike that evening. I still carry that star with me to this day.
Hello everyone! My name is Sara Mueller, and I am the new Executive Director of the Wildlife Leadership Academy. I am incredibly excited to be in this role and to have the opportunity to grow this already fantastic program. I am thankful for the foundation that has already been built by the team and for Michele, who has been an invaluable mentor throughout the transition. In today’s blog post, I wanted to let you get to know me and my vision for the WLA program.
I grew up in central Pennsylvania and spent my summers playing outside, attending Girl Scout camp, and flipping over rocks in streams at a local environmental center. I took every opportunity to go camping, backpacking, and exploring the woods. In high school, I was a part of the Green Sierra Coalition and our Envirothon team (where I specialized in aquatics!). I had a clear passion for the outdoors and education from an early age. What I didn’t know at the time was how to turn that into a career.
I chose to attend Penn State with a Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences degree, emphasizing in wildlife. I thought I would be a biologist holding bear cubs, catching songbirds, and trapping deer, but I wasn’t. Instead of working with the warm-and-fuzzies, I spent my first summer as a technician working with the cold-slimies (fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates). I enjoyed it but wanted to try something else, so I spent the following summer catching bats (warm and fuzzies) for an environmental consulting company. I learned I was not a night owl and returned to spending my days in the stream the following summer. From then on, I was hooked (fish pun intended) on the cold slimies. I completed my undergraduate degree and a project looking at the diets of Rainbow Daters. I then continued at Penn State to complete my Master’s degree (exploring the possibilities of using environmental DNA to detect aquatic macroinvertebrates) and my Ph.D. (examining phenotypic variation –what they look like – of Brook Trout across Pennsylvania). Those early days spent flipping rocks in streams and catching salamanders impacted who I would become.
Throughout my career, I have enjoyed teaching. I have taught several undergraduate courses at Penn State University Park and Penn State Dubois. I’ve covered topics in general biology, animal identification, and natural resources policy. When I wasn’t teaching in a formal classroom, I was teaching hunter education locally for the PA Game Commission and for a national program that introduced hunting to those who did not grow up doing so. As an adult-onset hunter, I am proud to call myself a sportswoman. My husband and I enjoy mentoring other adult hunters new to the sport.
As part of my love for teaching, I joined the WLA team in 2019 as the fisheries expert and then as Aquatic Curriculum Coordinator. From day one, I was in awe of the program: the rigorous nature, the excellence in students, and the motivation to do good in their communities. What I loved most is that WLA was more than just a summer camp but an agent for change. I may be biased, but I believe that our conservation ambassadors are among the most excellent young leaders in their communities.
Where do I hope to take WLA if I believe our programming is already great? As a conservationist and sportswoman, I wholeheartedly believe that the outdoors is for everyone. I aim to continue the organization’s work to make the Wildlife Leadership Academy a place everyone belongs. Additionally, I plan to continue to meet the growing demand for our summer programming by expanding our offerings to graduate more Conservation Ambassadors. With more program graduates, we can effectively host advanced educational opportunities in wildlife and leadership skills.
Through our launch of the 2023 #10ForTheNextGen campaign, I am asking alums, the family of alumni, and proud supporters to share how WLA has shaped their stories. I look forward to getting to know more members of our community and raising funds for our next generation of conservation ambassadors. Please share your story on social media, tagging @WildlifeLeadershipAcademy and using #10ForTheNextGen.
Category: Youth Blog Tags: #10ForTheNextGen