Each year, the Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) honors an individual or organization with the Educator of the Year award. This is done to celebrate the recipient’s efforts to steward a conservation ethic and awareness through their personal and professional work.

This year’s winner is Susie Spikol, a local naturalist, author, educator and community programs director and a teacher-naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock. She has spent more than 30 years inspiring people about nature, leading public programs and writing on the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world.

“No matter where you are in life, there are things in nature that will touch you,” she stated.

Spikol spent her childhood in Brooklyn, watching ants commute along pavement cracks and rescuing worms from sidewalk puddles. Her family also spent time in the Vermont woods, where she broadened her exploration to different animals and ecosystems.

She originally wanted to be a wolf scientist, but the academic demands of the scientific fields lead her instead to major in English at Barnard College in New York City. While at Barnard, she interned with the Central Park Conservancy—educating and introducing children from Harlem and Morningside Heights to the natural world. This experience sparked her realization that she  could be a naturalist and make a difference in others’ lives using the experiences and skills of her childhood. This understanding brought her to work as an educator for Audubon and after college to an environmental center in southern New Hampshire.

She received a master’s degree in environmental studies from Antioch University and her teaching certification in 1992. As part of her program at Antioch, she interned with the Harris Center, an opportunity that kickstarted her career with the organization.

Spikol believes that people of all walks of life, affiliations, abilities and ages should be outside. 

“You want to be who you are in nature but may not instinctively feel safe,” she stated. “When you’re surrounded by your people, you can recognize that this space is for you. Nature is home for everybody.”

Remarking on her favorite parts of her work, she stated that “nature is always going to surprise you. You could be out ponding, and a kid is going to catch a weasel! I’m always considering the possibility of what we might see. I’m a believer that you have to let people, especially kids, have those moments where they’re really physically engaged in appropriate and compassionate ways with the wildlife and wild things around them.”

Spikol encourages people to visit with animals, and to be curious, gentle and thoughtful. Her educational philosophy flows into her writing. She has been writing stories since childhood, and much of this work articulates her perspective on the interconnections between humans and other animals. She remarks that so often people think they’re different from nature and other animals.

“At the heart of a human, we’re animal. And we’re seeing the world through our animal gaze. And of course, as animals we’re going to look at something in nature and think ‘how is this like me?’” she stated.

In her work, she chooses to use language that acknowledges the connection.

“We’re looking each other in the eye. I’m looking at you and you’re looking at me and you’re seeing the animal in me,” she stated.

In 2022, she released her first book, “The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed.” She loves how language can evoke emotions and sees that the natural world is full of interesting stories waiting to be discovered.

“Nature isn’t just when an eagle catches a fish or a brilliant sunset. Nature happens in every tree, with a pigeon bobbing their head. The everyday animals are just as wild and inspiring as the humpback whale,” she stated.

Spikol goes on to state that nature is an open-ended, creative and magical place. It teaches that almost anything is possible, so people can let their imaginations run wild. Playing off the inexplicable happenings of the natural world, she is writing a book on forest magic, helping children imagine the gnomes hiding under rocks, forts to build and treasure hunts to be had.

Living in a more virtual world, she has noticed a change in how families spend their free time, with fewer students participating in outdoor recreation like hiking, fishing and camping. She notes that nature isn’t just something nice to do, it’s a biological need of humans. But she states “it’s not the fault of ‘kids these days’. It’s our responsibility to support the community around the children.”

When asked what gives her hope, Spikol points to young people, sharing that “most kids are curious in the natural world. Encouraging and acknowledging this gives them permission to fall in love in a very deep way.” Furthermore, “kids see things we forget to see. They are just waking up to the world. Kids will be so excited to see an ant or anthill, and you forget that ‘Oh my, it is an ant.’”

Spikol stated that sharing the Monadnock region’s resources with families and communities makes people celebrate where they live.

“People come here to vacation and hike Mount Monadnock from far, far away. This is your place, your home. Get out in it,” she stated.

The Cheshire County Conservation District will be celebrating Spikol at its annual celebration Nov. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stonewall Farm in Keene. The event will feature live local music, a dinner, conservation stories and a silent auction. For information, visit celebratecccd.eventbrite.com.

To learn more about Spikol and explore her written works, visit susiespikol.com. To find out about the Harris Center, visit harriscenter.org.