Meet the Staff
Sarah Breznen
Position at Woodcock- Director of Education
Years you’ve been at Woodcock- 11 years
What people think your job is- Teaching in the woods!
What your job actually is- Working with the best and most dedicated staff, developing and revising programs, managing curriculum, safety procedures, meeting and strategizing with staff, training and mentoring seasonal staff, behind the scenes prep and break-down of programming, learning new things every day, and yes- teaching in the woods! (And in the rain, and the mud!)
Favorite part of your job- Being in nature every day and sharing the wonders with all ages!
Most challenging part of your job- Never enough time in the day!
A favorite moment at woodcock- The magical moment Miss Jen and I watched a Polyphemus Moth hatch from its cocoon.
How have you been keeping busy during the quarantine- Painting, exercising, DIY projects
What are your pet’s names- Melvin the Cat
What do you do when you’re not at woodcock- Discovering neat items at tag sales and flea markets, painting, pulling invasive plants
What is your favorite resident animal- Sprinkles
What is your favorite trail- Green. I love the twisting branches of the Mountain Laurel and the high vantage point over the swamp.
What is your favorite place to be at on the grounds- Our biggest vernal pool in early Spring, listening to the wood frogs and peepers.
Favorite program to teach- Vernal Pools!
What is your favorite food- Bialoš, my family’s Slovak cheesy bread.
Coolest place you’ve ever been- The island of Cres, Croatia where my mom and I volunteered at a griffon vulture sanctuary.
If you could have any animal what would it be- Chipmunk
Favorite place to go hiking- Mianus River Gorge (Bedford, NY)
What is your hidden talent- Not really hidden- my art!
Jeanne Young
Position at Woodcock - Office Manager
Years you’ve been at Woodcock – 6 ½
What people think your job is – If they come to Camp or Wreath Festival, they might think I do Camp check in/check out or run wreath tent.
What your job actually is – I do these things, but I also handle all of our office operations, customer service, event registration, HR, vendor relations and maintenance scheduling. We’re a small staff who wear many hats, so I’m ready to jump in wherever and whenever needed.
Favorite part of your job – Helping to make this space available for the community to enjoy and being a part of this amazing and dedicated staff.
Most challenging part of your job – Keeping all the moving parts meshed together
A favorite moment at woodcock – A bobcat sighting on the Yellow trail boardwalk.
How have you been keeping busy during the quarantine – lots of hiking, cooking and music making.
What are your pet’s names – Charlie the cat
What do you do when you’re not at woodcock – Spend time outdoors, cook, thrift, hang out with friends and loved ones.
What is your favorite resident animal? – Izzy
What is your favorite trail – Green trail. I love the overlook from the benches.
What is your favorite place to be at on the grounds – Yellow trail boardwalk
Favorite program to teach – I don’t teach, but I’ll say that our amazing educators have taught me so much over the years.
What is your favorite food – Thanksgiving dinner
Coolest place you’ve ever been – Scuba diving in Bonaire
If you could have any animal what would it be – A fox!
Favorite place to go hiking – Monhegan Island, Maine
What is your hidden talent – refinishing/upcyling vintage furniture
Jennifer Bradshaw
Position at Woodcock- Early Childhood Education Coordinator/Birds of Prey.
Years you’ve been at Woodcock- 8 years
What people think your job is- Playing with animals or hanging in the woods.
What your job actually is- Hard work, getting peed on daily, teaching, learning, getting my hands dirty.
Favorite part of your job- Teaching my littles about the wonders of nature and handling our birds of prey.
Most challenging part of your job- Losing our animals to illness or just by old age.
A favorite moment at woodcock- The first time I ever taught a program with our birds.
What are your pet’s names- Tuck, Pacific Parrolet.
What do you do when you’re not at woodcock- Play and explore in nature with my son and daughter, and collect oddities like bones, skulls and taxidermy.
What is your favorite resident animal- Tie between Chubbs & Indira.
What is your favorite trail- Yellow or Purple
What is your favorite place to be at on the grounds- The Yellow Trail Boardwalk
Favorite program to teach- Little Forest Folk
What is your favorite food- Bagels w/cream cheese
Coolest place you’ve ever been- Sequoia National Park
If you could have any animal it would be- An owl!
Favorite place to go hiking- Our incredible National Parks.
What is your hidden talent- I can memorize entire movies or shows, word for word.
Allegra Jacobs
Position at Woodcock- Animal Care Coordinator
Years you’ve been at Woodcock- 3 and a half
What people think your job is- Playing with animals
What your job actually is- Cleaning up after animals when they go potty
Favorite part of your job- The amazing species I’ve gotten to meet and work with. Half of these animals I had never even heard of before I started here.
Most challenging part of your job- Seeing one of them sick or in pain. I worry about them a lot and it is very sad and stressful when someone goes to heaven.
A favorite moment at woodcock- Tank the Snapping Turtle climbed onto a tree stump at almost a straight 90 degree angle. It’s the little things that make me laugh so hard!
How have you been keeping busy during the quarantine- I’m considered essential work because I have to make sure all the animals are fed and taken care of. In my extended down time at home, I’ve been playing a lot of solitaire and deep cleaning my house.
What are your pet’s names- Inca Belle the Leopard Gecko, Ollivander the Crested Gecko, Augustus the Russian Dwarf Hamster, and I ride a white horse named Dragao
What do you do when you’re not at woodcock- I’m a cosplayer, I love to build costumes and compete with them.
What is your favorite resident animal- It changes every day but I am very fond of Dakota.
What is your favorite trail- Red
What is your favorite place to be at on the grounds- The nature center with all the animals! I also like the waterfall.
Favorite program to teach- I’m not an educator but I will answer any and all questions that people have about the animals!
What is your favorite food- chocolate covered strawberries
Coolest place you’ve ever been- Las Vegas Nevada
If you could have any animal what would it be- Changes every day, but right now a marmoset monkey
Favorite place to go hiking- Seth Low Pierrepont State Park
What is your hidden talent- I can blink both eyes individually.
Lenore Herbst
Position at Woodcock- Executive Director
Years you’ve been at Woodcock- 2
What people think your job is- Well, my kids think I just sit by the pond and boss everyone around all day…
What your job actually is- My actual job is very busy, sometimes stressful but also very rewarding. I spend a lot of time planning for events, fundraising, budgeting, meeting people or helping the staff to strategize ways to serve our community. (And if you do see me sitting by the pond, I’m probably just taking a minute to remind myself why we all work so hard at Woodcock Nature Center.)
Favorite part of your job- I love when I see kids teaching other kids about things they have learned at Woodcock. I also love seeing entire families out on our trails enjoying time together. And, I think it’s pretty cool to have an office in the middle of 150 acres.
Most challenging part of your job- Deciding what to tackle first on my giant ‘to-do’ list! I also find it challenging to balance all the wonderful ideas and plans the staff and board have for Woodcock with what is possible within our budget, staffing and time constraints.
A favorite moment at woodcock- When baby snapping turtles hatched from the ground right outside our offices and the entire staff helped them to get to the pond safely.
How have you been keeping busy during the quarantine- There has been a lot less downtime than I expected between balancing work and homeschooling. But my husband and I have been having fun introducing the kids to our favorite movies from our childhood like Back to the Future, Karate Kid and Kindergarten Cop.
What are your pet’s names- We have two cats named Boots and Sophie and a coonhound named Darwin.
What do you do when you’re not at woodcock- When I am not at Woodcock I enjoy spending time with my family, walking my dog, hiking with friends, taking dance classes and browsing through home design magazines and websites.
What is your favorite resident animal- Elma
What is your favorite trail- orange
What is your favorite place to be at on the grounds- On the dock by the pond or at the secret stream
What is your favorite food- Pizza
Coolest place you’ve ever been- It’s a tie for kayaking in Milford Sound, New Zealand and hiking in El Torcal de Antequera in Southern Spain (pictured: Spain).
If you could have any animal what would it be- Lion. The bigger the cat the better.
Favorite place to go hiking- Anywhere with a summit or a view. I enjoy Quarry Head in Wilton regularly.
What is your hidden talent- I am a trained ballet and modern dancer. Since I don’t do it so often anymore, I guess it’s somewhat of a hidden talent!
Rachel (Merritt) Rogers
Position at Woodcock- Educator
Years you’ve been at Woodcock- This would be my 4th spring.
What people think your job is- Pretty close to what it is.
What your job actually is- Leading school groups into the woods for different programs
Favorite part of your job- convincing children that the woods and nature aren't scary
Most challenging part of your job- not gushing excitedly about what I see and letting the kids discover it on their own
A favorite moment at woodcock- from a 4th grader "I'm British. We don't do muck" or convincing a child who was scared of the vernal pools to actually touch a tadpole
How have you been keeping busy during the quarantine- running the home-school for my 3rd grade son.
Baking, hiking and reading. Finding our long forgotten garden
What are your pet’s names- Panda and Terrance (2 cats)
What do you do when you’re not at woodcock- Read, bake, spend time with my family
What is your favorite resident animal- Vern the spotted Salamander
What is your favorite trail- Red trail
What is your favorite place to be at on the grounds- sitting on the dock
Favorite program to teach- Vernal pools
What is your favorite food- chocolate or pizza
Coolest place you’ve ever been- Cornwall in England
If you could have any animal what would it be- happy with our cats and the wildlife that visit our yard
Favorite place to go hiking- Bennett Pond State Park or coastal Maine
What is your hidden talent- random quotes and references from Musical theater