BRDC is growing! Lauren and Chris joined the team this year and are busy helping us meet our mission as we work to create the Center for a grand opening in 2021.
Lauren Peery - Naturalist/Educator
Lauren was born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Carroll County, Virginia, with a deep-rooted passion for the region’s unique ecosystems.
Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies from George Mason University in 2012, with a concentration in Conservation Biology and a Minor in Environmental Sustainability. In college she studied at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia as part of an immersive, experiential learning semester. Lauren was a Forest Ecology Intern at SCBI, cataloging Northern Red Oak tree data in a large forest dynamics plot, a site of the Smithsonian’s Global Earth Observatory Network. Back at Mason, she was selected by the National Wildlife Federation as one of twelve Campus Ecology Fellows for a grant proposal to conduct a natural resource inventory of one of GMU’s last remaining woodlands. She also worked as a field interpreter/environmental educator for the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center in Fairfax County, VA, leading engaging local ecosystem field programs for K-12 students. Upon graduation, Lauren was awarded the GMU New Century College Outstanding Integrative Studies Graduate Award for her interdisciplinary and experiential research and study. She pursued additional studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, earning a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources in 2015.
Since escaping the suburban sprawl and moving back to the Blue Ridge in 2014, Lauren pivoted “from earth to sky”, working as an astronomer at a private resort astronomical observatory. She leads guests of all ages from around the world in nightly stargazing and telescope tours, teaching people about the wonders of outer space and the importance of protecting dark skies from light pollution.
Now at Blue Ridge Discovery Center, Lauren is reconnecting to her roots and utilizing her passions and skills in science communication and public speaking to foster curiosity, discovery, and stewardship in people of all ages through the wonders of the Blue Ridge. She employs her own experiential-based background to guide participants in inquiry-based education techniques to understand and appreciate the specialness of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Chris Hartless - Facilities Maintenance
Chris was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia. After graduating with a masters in experimental psychology from Radford University, he spent time doing research in Indianapolis. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Emory and Henry College and now resides with Blue Ridge Discovery Center.
Here, Chris’s strengths lie in his enthusiasm for combining problem solving with a strong work ethic to tackle the unique challenges of an historic property and its developing interpretive grounds.
Chris spends much of his time wandering the outdoors with his dog Riley, making music, thinking, and being happy.
