Shawn Nevins. I’m a naturalist with Louisville Metro Parks. I’ve had a variety of jobs over the years, but outdoor education is a recurring theme. I was a summer camp counselor and program director at the Ogelbay Institute in West Virginia, and spent several seasons as a program facilitator at the Linsly Outdoor Center in Pennsylvania.
Staring down deadly danger on the mighty Bee Lick Creek....
Along the way, I worked on a Masters Degree in soil science at North Carolina State, waited tables, worked as an office temp, spent a couple of years living in a plumbing-free shack in the woods of West Virginia, sold really expensive closet systems in Texas, and did maintenance work, before finally winding up in Louisville and landing a plum job with Metro Parks.
My outdoor certs include:
• American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor
• Wilderness First Aid Certification
• American Canoe Association Level 2 Canoeing Instructor
• Leave No Trace Trainer
• NASP Basic Archery Instructor
• Project WILD, WET and Learning Tree Facilitator
In addition to outdoor pursuits, I write a bit of poetry; having been published in The Louisville Review, Sacred Journey, Poetry Chaikhana, and Meridian Anthology. Some of my work appears in this nice book of poems:
I also like growing vegetables and flowers, and find spiritual/philosophical matters of all sorts fascinating.
Feel free to