Introducing Nikolas Katrick, our new Executive Director
“Environmental education has to be accessible, it has to speak to human diversity, and it has to pull at our heartstrings to have impact. There is no question that the community of The Nature Museum is ready to roll up its sleeves, ask the hard questions, and take action -- I’m thrilled to be a part of this organization and to help guide the mission and programming into the future.” Nikolas Katrick, Executive Director
As the primary architect of our new Magic Forest Playscape, Nick brought both vision and practical skills to develop an exciting interactive outdoor experience.
Nikolas Katrick joined The Nature Museum in July 2020 as our Environmental Educator, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the new role of Executive Director in the summer of 2021. In the past year, he has been the primary architect of our new interactive exhibit, the Magic Forest Playscape, and has brought both enthusiasm and insights to our programs for children and adults.
Nick is a skilled builder who works with natural materials, imagination and wonder.
Nick has worked in a variety of capacities to help people of all ages connect with the wild world and is particularly passionate about weaving storytelling, lore, and science together as a powerful medium for education. Nick recently served as the Director of Outdoor Programs at Marlboro College, a robust program that included Expeditionary Trips throughout the region and a Leadership Program. With an emphasis on outdoor technical skills and wilderness survival skills, Nick’s programming led young adults to new relationships with the New England ecology and landscapes.
An alumnus of Marlboro College (‘07, ‘16) where he received both his undergraduate degree in wolf biology and fiction writing as well as his master’s degree in non-profit management. Nick is a resident of the town of Marlboro, VT, and is an active volunteer with local and regional communities, including the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Company.
Nick is also the founder of the Vermont non-profit Wolfgard Northeast, an educational organization that focuses on the canids that are either present or native in the Northeast. The goal of Wolfgard is to ensure the survival of the wild species of Canidae through public education. He loves to explore cold climate landscapes and mountains, wander around the forest with his husband, build things, and write about werewolves, carnivore biology, and wild mythology.
“Nick knows the Nature Museum from the inside out and we know Nick” writes Laurie Danforth, Board President. “Now with Nick on board as our new Executive Director and Vermont opening up, we are looking forward to working together to find fresh and innovative ways to help every age fall in love with the natural world. With Nick leading the way, we see a bright and impactful future ahead. “
More from Nick:
“Working in an immersive outdoor program, I learned very quickly there is no one sure-fire way that people learn. Some people need hands-on experience, some need reflection, some need an emotional connection, and some need abstraction. I look at environmental education the same way -- we have to teach diversely and change as our community grows and changes. This means we can’t only rely on scientific exploration and fact as a basis for nature education. We have to tell a story, and we have to understand the historic and spiritual roots of our relationship with the natural world.”