by Jacob King, Environmental Education Fellow | March 15, 2024
My name is Jacob, and I am one of eight fellows here at Eagle Bluff. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2021, earning an Environmental Sciences degree with an emphasis on environmental education. Coming out of college, I was not certain what I wanted to do for work but I knew that I still wanted to work in an outdoor setting. When I stumbled upon the Eagle Bluff fellowship, I realized that it would be perfect for refreshing my knowledge in environmental education while also providing me the opportunity to become a better educator.
Typical days as a fellow can vary quite a bit; as an instructor, I can expect to teach up to two classes on any given day. These classes cover a variety of different subject areas such as science, adventure, and cultural history. While I enjoy teaching many different classes, my favorite class to teach is our ropes course. It is highly rewarding to see students challenge themselves to get out of their comfort zone. People are very encouraging to one another, and it is the best feeling in the world to see so many smiling faces leaving that class. Occasionally, participants will get really scared when trying to complete our course. It is my responsibility to coach them through their worries and guide them through the easier events. These same participants will get off of the course and will be ecstatic because they conquered their fears and made it all the way through to the end. It warms my heart to see them sharing their favorite memories from the course with all of their friends.
Eagle Bluff fellows also work as liaisons, which involves being a point person for groups that visit. Liaisons play a vital role in keeping groups informed about Eagle Bluff policies and procedures. I get to have homeroom meetings with a school where we talk about topics such as food waste, being environmental stewards, and respecting the world around us. We also get to participate in fun games and activities that help the group bond closer during their stay. My favorite part about liaising is being able to get to know students during our meeting times. It is also incredibly rewarding to watch a group grow closer with one another during their time at the bluff. It can also be frantic, things can feel like they’re moving 100 miles an hour, but the way that staff will step in to help one another is really special. Oftentimes, I do not have to seek individuals out for help, rather, they intentionally seek out ways to help others when they have a chance. Coworkers have set up classrooms for me, asked to join in on projects, and generally check-in with me to make sure that I am feeling comfortable in my position. At no point during my fellowship have I felt that I have been alone in anything I’m in, and I believe that speaks volumes to the support that this staff has for one another.
Another important part of the fellowship are the naturalist programs that each fellow participates in. Naturalist programs are hour-long programs that happen in the evening. Each fellow gets a unique program that incorporates science topics, storytelling, and occasionally help from our Eagle Bluff animals. My program is RaptorPhysics, which focuses on the physics of bird flight and how humans have implemented those same physics concepts in our own flying devices. This program allows me to work with our turkey vulture*. I cue him to fly from different perches and to my glove; it is always super engaging for the audience to see the bird up close and watch him fly across the stage. Working with the vulture has also introduced me to how we prepare food for our raptors, as well as weekly training sessions that help build trust between us and our birds. Working with wildlife was something that I never thought I would have the opportunity to do, and now it’s something I get to experience regularly in my work. I am overjoyed that I have the opportunity to branch out and work with our raptors regularly.
In my six months at Eagle Bluff, I have seen tremendous growth in my ability to teach, as well as in my confidence as an educator. Eagle Bluff continues to provide me with professional growth opportunities, class trainings and seminars that prepare me for my responsibilities here, but also for future job opportunities that may come my way. I would highly recommend the fellowship program to anyone who has any interest in environmental education, or to anyone who wants to work in an outdoors setting. In my latest liaisonship, I had a blast sitting down with my homeroom students and talking about their lives. We played a bunch of games, shared stories, and bonded really closely with each other. It was relaxing and rewarding as their liaison, and I know I would not have been able to have that experience with a group of students prior to working at Eagle Bluff. With so much personal growth in just six months, I am absolutely delighted to see what the next six months of the fellowship will bring.
Learn more about the Eagle Bluff fellowship here!
*Eagle Bluff has proper state and federal permitting for its education animals. All handlers have extensive training.
