Tara LaidlawTara Laidlaw (she/her)
Board Chair

Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Education Program Manager

Tara grew up spending her summers in the high Sierra, scrambling over granite, swimming in snowmelt lakes, and stargazing through dark mountain nights. Although she didn’t know it at the time, these experiences laid the foundation for a career in helping people connect with place. Tara has now been working in place-based environmental education for over a decade, using farms, wilderness preserves, and historic estates as living classrooms to spark curiosity and wonder in learners of all ages. As a frontline facilitator, instructional designer, and teacher trainer, Tara works at the intersection of formal and informal education, helping students develop scientific, environmental, and ecological literacy; she specializes in supporting the Next Generation Science Standards in out-of-classroom settings.

Tara holds a BA in Anthropological Sciences from Stanford University and an MAEd in Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University. She currently serves as Southern Oregon Land Conservancy’s Education Program Manager, and she offers independent consulting services through her own business Out to Learn. She is very excited to be part of a board that is actively exploring avenues for more equitable, accessible, and inclusive environmental education throughout Oregon.

Libby Libby VanWhye (she/her or they/them)
Secretary 

Southern Regional Manager
OSU Extension Outdoor School

Libby has been an outdoor educator since 2008 and has an M.S. in Environmental Education. For more than nine years, she has been the Nature Center Manager at North Mountain Park, which is part of Ashland Parks and Recreation. She brings a wealth of experience in youth and adult education, grant writing, program administration, and collaborative systems building. Her two greatest accomplishments have been their volunteer-led field trip program and the funding and construction of a new Nature Play Area at North Mountain Park. She currently works for OSU Extension Outdoor School.

She is excited to help EEAO organize the resources and share the skills that will allow others to work toward greater environmental literacy in our communities. She hopes that through her participation on the Board, she can connect and strengthen the great EE resources that exist throughout our state. Her professional network includes Nature Center Administrators and Parks and Recreation Professionals. She is also on the Oregon Recreation and Park’s Association’s DEI committee, where she brings her passion for equitable access to public lands and outdoor education. She is excited to work toward equity, alongside her colleagues in the EE field.

Abby SmithAbby Smith (she/her)
Treasurer

Oregon Humane Society
Manager

Abby is a California transplant who grew up spending many hours outside in Northern California’s forests and rivers. Thanks to the values instilled in her from a young age, Abby grew up with a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. She hopes to bring these values, along with her love of learning and extensive experience in nonprofit administration, to her role as a board member for EEAO.

Abby holds a BA in Liberal & Civic Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California, and an MA in Public History from University College Dublin. She worked as Manager of Development Services for Forest Park Conservancy in Portland, where she assists in the planning and execution of their fundraising and membership programs. She currently is at the Oregon Humane Society. She is thrilled to join an active and engaged board that is committed to creating opportunities for environmental education in Oregon.

 

CONTACT US

PO Box 72386
Springfield, OR 97475
Call 503-406-8813

 

SUPPORT AND HELP

Save the Date, October 6-10, 2026, NAAEE Annual Conference is coming to Portland! Stay tuned for more ways to get involved.

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