Kate Peters

Riekes Nature Director and Nature Instructor

The most satisfying moments in my life have always involved nature and sharing the mystery and wonder of the natural world with other people. I love teaching and watching sparks of curiosity and excitement light up someones eyes as they learn something new!

My history with the Riekes Nature department goes back to 2001 when I was a student in the first Riekes Nature teen program. During my time in the Riekes Nature program, I also had the opportunity to learn from the Bay Area Tracking Club, the Wilderness Awareness School summer Wolf Tracking programs, the Kamana Naturalist Training Series, Art of Mentoring workshops, Bird Language workshops, the MAPOM primitive skills courses, a 14-weekend wildlife tracking intensive hosted by Mark Elbroch and Jon Young, a California Natural History Field Semester hosted by the Riekes Center, and the CyberTracker International Tracking Evaluation. I am forever grateful to all of the amazing mentors and educators who gave so much of themselves to share all of this awesome knowledge with the world. 

I earned my B.S. in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University, while also experiencing the gorgeous northern ecosystems of giant rivers, salmon, bears, huckleberries, and elk! 

After my time in college, I took a detour into the world of being an EMT and then a Paramedic for several years in the Bay Area and then in Fresno. I learned so much from seeing into the lives of all of my patients and came out of the experience with a much deeper love and appreciation for human beings. 

It is a joy and a privilege to be working with the Riekes Center!