Opening Doors, Finding Belonging, and Educating at Mohonk Preserve with Kim Tischler: A Mohonk Preserve Mini Series

<p>This episode kicks off an ongoing partnership between Women in Wild Places and Mohonk Preserve, one of the most special places in the Hudson Valley. Over the coming season, we&#39;re highlighting the women who&#39;ve shaped this preserve across education, recreation, conservation, and stewardship, starting with Kim Tischler, Associate Director of Community Education at Mohonk Preserve.</p><p>Kim grew up close enough to Jones Beach that her whole childhood happened outside. She met the Shawangunk Ridge on a college visit... and never really left. Over the past 25 years, she&#39;s collaborated with a team to build and lead a K–6 award-winning Field Study environmental education program, Kids on the Ridge, and watershed education initiatives, giving thousands of students and community members the tools and confidence to find their own way outdoors.</p><p>In this conversation, we cover Kim&#39;s path from teaching kids with dyslexia to becoming a ranger and eventually a leader at Mohonk Preserve, what it means to raise a son inside the same landscape that shaped her, and her philosophy on access: that it isn&#39;t just about opening a gate, it&#39;s about helping people feel like they belong.</p><p>Kim also shares a full circle connection between her Ultimate Frisbee days and her current care team at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and what it&#39;s taught her about navigating unfamiliar terrain.</p><p>Mohonk Preserve is New York State&#39;s largest nonprofit nature preserve, 8,200 acres of cliffs, forests, streams, and trails. Find their public programs, guided hikes, and community science opportunities at <a href="http://mohonkpreserve.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">mohonkpreserve.org</a>.</p><p>Follow us on Instagram at @womeninwildplaces and @mohonkpreserve</p>