Peggy Anesi is an Educator for the University of Illinois Extension specializing in environmental education as a means to relate wildlife related issues and water quality to all ages. She holds a B.S. in Zoology with a specialization in wildlife management. She also holds a M.S. in Education with a specialization in Outdoor Teacher Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Peggy is especially interested in human reactions and relationships to wildlife who have adapted to urban environments. Peggy has been teaching environmental education for over 20 years and is passionate in regards to teaching children about their environment and helping people understand wildlife as it relates to their lives.

Pam wanted to be a naturalist from the first day she heard the word, waaay back in 1972. She took a detour in college and spent several years working in publishing, all the while keeping nature a hobby, before becoming a naturalist in 1999. Today she works at the St. Charles Park District as the manager of nature programs and interpretative service, a fancy title that still basically means “naturalist” but with the added fun of meetings and paperwork. She appreciates wildlife of all types, even ticks and mosquitoes, and has a particular fondness for Class Reptilia- snakes, lizards and of course turtles.