Shannon Hays-Truex

Shannon Hays-Truex has been volunteering her time as an educator and coordinator of the Environmental Education program at McNary National Wildlife Refuge in Washington for twelve years.
Shannon teaches and organizes volunteers to teach in the outdoor classroom, sets up outdoor teaching stations, teaches at each event and helps clean up. Without Shannon, there would not be an Environmental Education program.
The program serves thousands of children, primarily Hispanic, to whom the natural world is unfamiliar. In addition, Shannon leads interpretive hikes in the Columbia Basin Urban Wildland Ranger Program. Shannon also helps restore wildlands throughout the community and has helped established native plant gardens at McNary Refuge and local parks.
Because of Shannon’s coordination and teaching efforts, 2,139 students, parents, and teachers participated in a high-quality environmental education program in 2011 alone. Each year, between 1,000 and 2,000 students are introduced to birds, wildlife, habitats, plants, and other natural wonders.
Shannon is extremely creative and imaginative in her educational program, bringing together art, nature studies, costumes, and sometimes music. This is why Shannon is a Daily Point of Light.