Deborah Gayon has an innate desire to connect people to nature and bring a reassurance to the state park and that sparks interest to explore and discover. Presenting visitors with interactive exhibits, stem science opportunities, solution-based decision making and a chance to get messy and make mistakes while forming hypothesis of their very own, will allow for relationships to build. Through new volunteer opportunities, a diverse offering of programs and partnerships, we hope to grow and expand. Deborah's truest passion is her family and all she can experience with them. Appreciating the world together through the outdoors, cooking, travel and reading, she hopes to bring a sense of community and warmth to the nature center. She is open to sharing her knowledge of the state park and twenty-eight years of being a Naturalist and Natural Sciences Education Manager at DuPage Forest Preserves with anyone that visits. Deborah holds a BA in premed Zoology and Botany and a Master's Certification in Organizational Leadership. She is also a facilitative trainer for the RESTORE program through UW-Wisconsin, Madison Arboretum, training teachers how to design native gardens on school grounds. She enjoys native plants and design, hummingbirds, sandhill crane migration, photography, and monarch butterflies, as well as the new species in the nature center, the pair of Blanding’s turtles.