Sydney Murray

Background

About Sydney Murray

I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a degree in International Social Justice and minor in Environmental studies. Through my studies I grew progressively curious of the multifaceted and ever-complex issues of environmental injustice in disenfranchised communities. This in turn led me to working and learning through local and international organizations such as Shalom Farms and Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF). After graduation, I worked as a Research and Administrative Assistant for VCU’s School of World Studies. I also worked as a part-time early childhood caretaker where I discovered a budding passion for working with children in outdoor spaces. More specifically, I grew interested in working with children of primarily underserved communities to facilitate experiential learning opportunities in and about nature that also incorporate mindful practices to promote mental/emotional sustainability and environmental stewardship. These interests motivated the completion of my master’s degree in the University of Utah’s Environmental Humanities program. My research focused on the ways in which connection-to-nature is both perceived and experienced in the black American community, and how public nature-based programs can better support and enhance the relationship between the two. I now work for NAAEE’s Natural Start Alliance, a nationwide project centered on advancing quality and accessible nature-based early childhood education