Brooklyn Educator Recognized for Environmental Leadership, Receives Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship

Brooklynite Jillian Rubio (left) is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota.

For her fellowship, Jillian will partner with Stoked Mentoring, an action sports mentoring program in New York City, and together they will create a unique opportunity for Brooklyn youth to gain supportive mentors, along with a team of people determined to see them succeed. Youth participating in this program will be introduced to both the resources of the Prospect Park Audubon Center and the life lessons of an action sports mentoring program. By engaging urban youth in this unique way, they will have an opportunity to be outdoors and experience nature, on their terms.

Rubio has been involved in conservation efforts for over a decade and has proven to be a dedicated and innovative environmental educator. In her current position at Prospect Park, she leads Audubon’s first urban Audubon Center, welcoming over 90,000 visitors a year to this unique and beautiful green space; bringing nature experiences and environmental education to children and adults.

Previously, Rubio worked for Project Learning Tree in Arizona and the Arizona Association for Environmental Education.

“Jillian is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” said Audubon President John Flicker.

“The opportunity to be a part of this Fellowship has motivated me to expand how the Prospect Park Audubon Center serves our community in a unique and innovative way,” said Rubio. “Being based in Brooklyn — within an urban setting — has enabled us to meet the mission of the Center while serving a diverse urban community. My project further expands this ideal, by identifying the specific interests of a group we want to reach, namely youth in their early teens, and meeting them with a collaborative program that is both exciting and relevant.”

Visit togethergreen.org for more information on the organization and a complete list of the 2008 fellows.

Photo courtesy of Audubon

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