Jesse Wheeler

My work centers on expanding environmental education by connecting classroom learning with outdoor experiences and community resources. My career in education has been diverse and place-based, spanning roles as a naturalist at Moran Outdoor School, a volunteer teacher in Guyana, and director of an environmental education summer camp in my hometown of Hayfork.

After teaching fourth grade at Cutten Elementary for ten years, I continue to cultivate strong connections within the educational community, both professionally and personally. Today, I serve as the Environmental Literacy and Place-Based Learning Specialist at the Humboldt County Office of Education, where I support outdoor learning and environmental literacy initiatives across the region. In this role, I coordinate the Humboldt Environmental Education Community of Practice and lead the California State Parks Partner Schools initiative in partnership with California State Parks. This program provides professional learning opportunities that help educators extend classroom curricula into outdoor settings, with a particular focus on California’s extensive network of state parks.

I serve on the board of the Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE), and beyond my professional work, am Co-CEO of All Seasons Orchestra. In my free time, you can find me traveling with my husband, camping along rivers with friends, running, cycling, or playing violin with a local community orchestra.