2021-2022 Muddy Sneakers Annual Report

2021-2022
ANNUAL REPORT

OUR MISSION is to awaken in children a deeply
felt connection to the natural world—one that
inspires curiosity, stimulates learning, and brings
new life to classroom performance.
1 A Note From Our
Board Chair
2 Fiscal Year Overview
3 The Importance of
Muddy Sneakers
4 Programming:
2021 - 2022
School Year
8 Community Programs
10 Why I Give
12 Gratitude to You!
13 Corporate Partners
14 Thank You to
2021-2022 Donors
17 Many Pathways
To Giving
18 Board of Directors,
Piedmont Advisory
Council, Staff
20 The Path Forward:
A Note From Our
Outgoing Executive
Director

A Note From
Our Board Chair
Dear Friends,
We knew 2021 would be challenging, but we believed that by working together, we would
continue to do great things for our state’s public schools, teachers, students, and preserved
lands. This is because our supporters never fail to go above and beyond to provide
opportunities to connect students to nature. Because of you, we faced the adversities of 2021
and had a bigger impact than we ever thought possible (see Our Impact, page 3).
Muddy Sneakers supported teachers and students through the most challenging in-person
school year in memory. Through our year-long partnerships, we saw the roller coaster of
children returning to schools and of teachers giving everything they could to their students.
We saw students struggle in the classroom after two years of missed social-emotional
development opportunities, which showed up as difficulty in self-regulating, making safe
choices, managing emotions, and interacting with others. What might be described as the
biggest behavior challenges our teachers have ever seen can also be described as a crisis in
students' essential wellness.
Thanks to your support, we helped them through this challenging year. Students went outside;
they saw fish, studied leaves, and played games that let them move and learn in new ways.
Our Remote Expeditions added depth and relatability to the science standards, lightening
teachers’ loads in that subject so they could give of themselves elsewhere. Together, we made
meaningful moments in nature in a year with many hurdles. It takes strong partnerships to
create these moments for students.
We saw plenty of students struggling on expeditions, but we also witnessed precious
moments of learning, stillness, laughter, and connections with nature.
During the 2021-22 school year, our supporters and programming team helped our public
schools move out of isolation and find pathways to the larger world, bringing us into the next
year with renewed gratitude and optimism. 2022-23 will be especially important to us as it
marks Muddy Sneakers’ 15th anniversary—we are so proud of our organization's impact on
our state’s public schools since 2007, and we are excited to achieve even more in the future.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I am pleased to present our 2021-2022 Annual
Report, which we share with gratitude and recognition for the transformative difference you
make for our students, educators, and state. Whether corporate, foundation, or personal giving,
your donations enable our work and inspire young lives. Thank you!
Chase Pickering
CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1

Fiscal Year July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022
REVENUE/TOTAL FUNDING: $1,698,107
■ Individual Contributions 38%
■ Grants 39%
■ Events .50%
■ Corporate Contributions 1%
■ Program Revenue 12%
■ PPP Loan Forgiveness Grant 9%
■ Other .50%
*Achieving this strong revenue year was exceptional on so many levels. It represents fiscally conservative
fund management, critical in weathering the continued pandemic during the 2022 fiscal year as well as
continued uncertainty around the economy and fundraising moving into fiscal year '23. Specifically, this
success can be attributed to a tremendous amount of strategy and hard work around securing both phases
of Federal PPP support, and continued support from private foundations and funders like you. Please know
your investment in Muddy Sneakers is stewarded with great care for lasting impact.
EXPENSE: $955,437
■ Programming Activities 73%
■ General Operations 14%
■ Development 13%
*In order to share our fiscal year 2021 - 2022 successes with you in a timely manner, we are
reporting unaudited financials in this document. This fiscal year audit is underway currently.
We do not anticipate any changes.
2
Muddy Sneakers is
proud to have again
achieved a Platinum
Star rating from
Candid (formerly
known as Guidestar).
If you care about nonprofits and the work
that they do, then you are affected by
what Candid does. Candid gathers and
disseminates information about every
single IRS-registered nonprofit organization.
They provide as much information as they can about each
nonprofit's mission, legitimacy, impact, reputation, finances,
programs, transparence, governance, and more so that you
can take the information and make the best giving decisions.

The Importance of Muddy Sneakers
Our Impact
NC State University researchers measure the
impact of Muddy Sneakers programming
on public school fifth grade students and
teachers annually. This research partnership
ensures our yearlong program partners
continue to see data-driven programming
that produces exceptional results across
multiple outcomes of interest.
2021-22 RESULTS
Students show significant gains in:
• Connection to Nature
• Science Confidence
• Science Knowledge
• Critical Thinking
• Enjoyment of Science
• Interest in Science
• Wonder in Nature
100% of teachers
reported that
Muddy Sneakers:
• especially supports students
who can struggle in the classroom
• helps students connect with nature
• has positively impacted relationships
among students
• has positively impacted relationships
between teachers and students
• positively impacted their own teaching
• made them more confident taking their
own students outside
100 %
TEACHER
SATISFACTION
Participating teachers also reported that
each Muddy Sneakers programming
component (in-person expeditions, remote
expedition activities, and Skype a Sneaker
live virtual sessions) helped students learn
the NC Science Essential Standards.
In addition, Muddy Sneakers is particularly effective at helping girls stay engaged in science.
(Stevenson et al., 2021)
To read NC State’s
complete report, scan
the QR code or visit
muddysneakers.org/news
3

2021 - 2022 PROGRAMMING:
Continued Growth in
Post-Pandemic Times
s students returned to classrooms after a heavily COVID-19-impacted year, and
more schools returned to our roster, we continued to increase the breadth and
flexibility of our support to teachers and learners.
Instructors and students alike celebrated the return of off-site expeditions on public lands.
The “Remote Expeditions” curriculum, previously developed to serve students during
remote learning, was redesigned as a collection of cross-curricular, hands-on, outdoor
and indoor lessons facilitated by teachers. With this new resource and the continuation of
our popular “Skype a Sneaker” virtual activities, teachers were able to incorporate Muddy
Sneakers-style learning directly into the classroom throughout the year.
Teachers consistently remarked that Muddy Sneakers experiences supported not only
connection to nature and science learning, but also helped students heal and recover
from the social and developmental impacts of interrupted school years. Learning
alongside their peers in the great outdoors, students made new friends, gained new
confidence, and delighted in exploring new places, ideas, and facets of themselves.
4
At the end of the year, students’ evaluations showed explosive growth in nature learning,
science confidence, and desire to return to the outdoor places they discovered with
Muddy Sneakers.

5

2021 - 2022 PROGRAMMING:
Your Impact Throughout
North Carolina
2,643 STUDENTS
1,483 760 100 300
115 TEACHERS
79 35 1
41 SCHOOLS
29 11 1
14 DISTRICTS
10 3 1
= WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
= PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA
= REMOTE PARTNERSHIP
= COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING
6

Western North Carolina
The Western region saw continued expansion in Henderson County, serving 8 of the
district’s 13 elementary schools through the development of a full phase-in plan with the
county. We returned to programming in Madison County with partnerships resumed at
Hot Springs and Mars Hill Elementary Schools. Long-standing relationships allowed us to
continue serving all fifth graders in the Asheville City Schools and Polk County districts.
Our strong second year of partnership with Cove Creek School in Watauga County
garnered additional interest in the district and began paving the way to new school and
site connections.
Piedmont North Carolina
In the Piedmont region, we saw the reestablishment of our partner schools to in-person
programming. We welcomed 2 schools back to the program from our pre-pandemic
enrollment, and were excited to have Whitaker Elementary and Rockwell Elementary
join us as first-time partners. Our 760 students returned to the Uwharrie National Forest,
Forsyth County Parks, and Rowan-Salisbury green spaces to learn hands-on science
and engage with their natural communities. Muddy Sneakers' schools also had the
opportunity to continue their in-class virtual learning as teachers were given access to our
renovated Remote Expedition curriculum and Skype a Sneaker sessions; offerings carried
over from our 2020-2021 programming models.
Remote Partnership
Following the relocation of a longtime WNC 5th grade partner teacher to Durham, NC
(which is beyond our programming regions), we piloted a continued Remote Partnership
based on Skype a Sneaker lessons and teacher facilitation of Remote Expeditions on the
schoolyard and in nearby green spaces. Instructors, students, and the teacher declared it
a resounding success, serving 100 students who would not otherwise have had a Muddy
Sneakers opportunity. This pilot has opened the door to additional conversations that will
allow the Remote Partnership model to expand the reach and impact of Muddy Sneakers
across the state.
“The kids benefit in so many ways from Muddy
Sneakers - academically, socially, emotionally - I
have seen this year after year. I love to see the kid
who struggles in the classroom shine during an
expedition.” - REBEKAH MORSE, SUNNY VIEW ELEMENTARY
7

8
"It [Muddy Sneakers] helps you make memories.
You don't have to just watch TV or play on your
console, you can go outside and explore. And I made
new friends. I made 3 more friends this year at
Muddy Sneakers." – TRYON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 5TH GRADER

Community Programming
F
or over a decade, Muddy Sneakers
has sought ways to bring services to
more community members while
remaining deeply rooted in our mission. In
2021, we paused Camp Muddy Sneakers
due to host site challenges and explored
new avenues for serving our communities
during the summer.
This year, we partnered with Henderson
County Public Schools to offer hands-on,
outdoor expeditions to students enrolled
in the district’s Summer Learning programs.
Modeling from a successful small pilot last
year, Muddy Sneakers led expeditions for
rising 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at all five
elementary schools not currently served
by our school-year partnerships. As part of
a novel Summer Bridge program, selected
6th and 9th graders transitioning into
middle and high schools met their new
classmates and teachers through outdoor
exploration and team building led by
Muddy Sneakers instructors.
Other recent pilot programs include Discover
STEM Camp through the Henderson
County Education Foundation as well as
collaborations with Youth Transformed for
Life (Asheville), Camplify (Hendersonville),
Rowan County Creek Week, Salisbury
Academy, and Horizons Unlimited.
These successful partnerships reached
more than 300 students, suggesting
great growth potential in connecting
with students through district-managed
summer programs and other missionaligned
partners. We are looking forward
to reaching many more youth beyond our
school-year programs.
9

Why I Give
BY ROBERT PRIOLEAU
I
spent my formative years of childhood
growing up in a suburb of Houston
that was not that different from those
found in any other large city. Some of the
best memories I have of that time were
the countless days spent
exploring a small patch
of piney woods located
between home and my
elementary school.
Whenever my friends and
I could find a crack in the
daily routine of school,
sports, chores, and meals,
we would run or pedal
back to those woods to
escape, connect, explore,
hide, seek, climb, collect, and relax. It
became home away from home and school.
While the suburbs of Houston may not
sound like an ecological wonderland, to
us that scrappy patch of trees was as wild
and wonderful as any national park. It was
our Smokies and our Yellowstone. A place
that provided real and fictional adventures,
stoked our curiosity and imaginations, and
helped burn off loads of excess energy.
Robert Prioleau,
Muddy Sneakers Board Member
Whether we understood it or not at the
time (I suspect not), we were doing more
than just catching crawfish, frogs, turtles
and lizards and building trails and bike
jumps. We were establishing important
connections that
would endure. Because
moments in the natural
world can last a lifetime.
The time spent in those
neighborhood woods
helped establish a
relationship with the
outdoors that has stood
with me my entire life.
It has shaped who I am,
how I relate to the world,
and the responsibility I feel to participate as
a productive member of the larger natural
community. It provided a lens through
which I view and approach life’s great issues
- relationships, sustainability, equality,
health and wellness, opportunity, purpose,
meaning, and spirituality.
For that reason, when I first heard of Muddy
Sneakers and its concept of combining fifth
grade science education and experiential
If you asked me why I donate to Muddy Sneakers, I’d
say that I’m motivated by the idea of helping fifth grade
students in North Carolina establish that same connection
10

outdoor learning in one program, it spoke
to me on a very personal level. A later
move to Western North Carolina provided
the perfect opportunity to join the
organization as a board member to support
its ongoing impact and growth.
If you asked me why I donate to Muddy
Sneakers, I’d say that I’m motivated by the
idea of helping fifth grade students in North
Carolina establish that same connection to
nature that I did. Because each and every
child deserves an opportunity to benefit
from that powerful and positive experience
in their lives. And because our communities
need to better activate these connections
to thrive and prosper.
Think back to your own fifth-grade self
and try to remember the moments that
brought the natural world into your life. I’ll
bet you find it hard to separate who you
are today from those experiences. And if
so, I hope you will consider joining me in
supporting the mission of Muddy Sneakers
in whatever way and at whatever level
works best for you.
Robert Prioleau
MUDDY SNEAKERS BOARD MEMBER
to nature that I did. Because each and every child deserves
an opportunity to benefit from that powerful and positive
experience in their lives.
11

Gratitude to Our 2021-2022 Donors
It's hard to believe that it has been 15 years since Muddy Sneakers rolled out its first
expedition and launched a revolutionary idea for connecting North Carolina's public
school children to the 3.8 million acres of preserved land in the state. Since then,
thanks to dedicated support from our donors and the communities we serve, Muddy
Sneakers has evolved into a program with proven results that has served over 23,000
students, utilizing some of the state's most treasured landscapes as classrooms.
As you can see from our Annual Report, we are busier than ever and are gearing up for
an exciting and rewarding year ahead in the field.
We know the pandemic has been hard on communities and schools, especially for
students, but during this time Muddy Sneakers has been a steady and reliable resource
for teachers and students alike. Our talented field instructors made a critical pivot during
COVID and created a platform that allowed us to continue to serve our schools during
a very challenging time. Our donors and community supporters stuck with us, too, and
because of your dedicated support, we not only survived the pandemic, we were able to
grow the program and reach children in effective and impactful ways.
This year, your support is allowing us to serve approximately 3,000
5th graders and their educators. That adds up to over 20,000
opportunities for children to discover N.C. state parks, locally
preserved landscapes, and their own schoolyards while learning the
state-mandated science curriculum.
Your continued investment pumps the heart of Muddy Sneakers.
On behalf of the Board, the staff and the children we serve, THANK YOU for joining us
in this meaningful work and fueling the mission from the mountains to the Piedmont
and beyond.
12

2020 - 2021 CORPORATE PARTNERS
Duke Energy
Giving Fund
Silar Services Inc
Amazon Smile
Blackbaud
Giving Fund
Food Matters
Market
Contact us today to
learn how you can
reap the benefits of
“doing well by doing
good” in your outreach
and corporate social
responsibility efforts,
while also investing in
the next generation of
active citizens.
13

Thank You to 2021-2022 Donors
GRANTS
National Recreation
Foundation
Lastinger Family
Foundation
Sutherland Foundation
Robbins de Beaumont
Foundation
Community Foundation
of Henderson County
Margaret C Woodson
Foundation
Land of Sky P20 Council
Beattie Foundation
Lake Toxaway Charities
Ray C Anderson
Foundation
The Blanche and Julian
Robertson Family
Foundation
Taylor Hunt Fund for
Rivers and Outdoor
Learning of The
Community Foundation
of Western North Carolina
Church of the Good
Shepherd
Henri Landwirth Family
Endowed Fund
Pisgah Forest Rotary
Grant
Lucia & Stephen Bailey
Family Foundation
Z Smith Reynolds
DISTRICT SPONSOR
$25,000+
Wendy & Mike Brenner
Alice & Fred Stanback
Shelli & Brad Stanback
SCHOOL
CHAMPIONS
$10,000 - $24,999
Sue & David Corby
Anonymous Donor
William Garvey
GROUP
TRAILBLAZERS
$2,500 - $9,999
Townsend & Hank
Birdsong
Gunzenhauser-Chapin
Fund
Paul Huisking
Whitney & Jay Lanier
Mike McGrady
Kathy McGrady
Jean & Chuck McGrady
Clary & Chase Pickering
Dini & Chuck Pickering
Karen & Ted Ramsaur
Grace Richardson
Jacquelyn & Bruce Rogow
Missy & Sandy Schenck
Babs & Bob Strickland
Robert Thompson
Maureen & David Watkins
Anne W. Wilson
14

Thank You to 2021-2022 Donors
FOUNDERS CIRCLE
$1,000 - $2,499
EXPEDITION GUIDE
$500 - $999
STUDENT MENTOR
$225 - $499
Missie & Greg Alcorn
Tom Beroth
Peg & Dan Bresnahan
Gloria & Jerry Clouse
Mrs. & Mr. Ian Cowie
Paige Dillon
Daughn Eagan
Amy Hough
Kay Hunter
Betsy & Don Jordan
Michelle & Mike Leonard
Rosalie & Neil Morris
Richard Preyer
Sam & Missy Rankin
Deborah & Noah
Reynolds
Aleen Steinberg
Strayhorn Family
Charitable Fund
Jinx Vidrine
Elizabeth &
Richard Wagner
Ida & Alva Whitehead
Martha & William Young
Joanne Bartsch
Patrick Brannigan
Mary Grace Brennan
Donna & Philip Brown
Dan Cameron Family
Foundation
Jane & Chris Dauster
John Joseph Dillon, Jr
Helen Gift
Sydney & Mike Green
Pam & Jeff Gross
Geraldine & William
Hambley
Connie Haskell
C. Royce Hough
Honoring Lindsay Green
Dawn & Peter Johnson
Drs. Carol Ziel & Don Kautz
Delores & Allen Lastinger
Mary Marshall
Mary McLaughlin
Dyke Messinger
Edward Norvell
Dorothy Semans
Charles Patrick Thompson
Laurie Towers
Stewart Trimble
Mona Lisa Wallace
Benjamin Walls
Lauren & Fred Weed
Jonathan West
Virginia Williams
Jane Williams
Jeanie & Steve Adams
Carey Aiossa
Betsy Jean Alexander
Bess & Rod Baird
Elise Burnett
John Cottingham
Liz Donelson
Anonymous Donors
Linda & Edward Fradley
Caroline & Angus Graham
Luann & Edgar Ham
William Heinitsh
Vicki & John Held
Fred Huang
Mark & Page Ives Lemel
Janet & David Jones
Sandra & Bruce Kirkman
Lynn & Larry Klein
Leigh Kopicki
Christy & Andy Kunkle
Aimee & Marshall McCallie
Katie & Sumner McCallie
George McCrary
Edith & Henry McHenry
Anne McLaughlin
Elizabeth Menser
J. Gary Morgan
Jane Lawson & John Myers
Jane Olson
Macon Patton
Lawrence Phillips
Julius Ramsay
Suzy & Ed Rankin
15

Thank You to 2021-2022 Donors (continued)
16
STUDENT MENTOR
(continued)
Marla Kay Reardon
Jordan & Bradley Robbins
Liza Schillo
Mildred Tanenbaum
Transylvania Garden Club
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of the
Swannanoa Valley
Joan VanOrman
Jan & Beattie Wood
EXPEDITION KIT
SPONSORS
$100 - $224
Matthew & Lauren
Agrella Sevilla
Gloria Alvarez
Mike Auger
Linda & John Austin
Joy & Randy Baron
Warren & Virginia Bedell
Libby & Jerry Brown
Charles Burden
Paula Callaghan
Alice Chalmers
Peter Chavas
Jack Dalton
John Joseph Dillon, III
Terri & Cliff Dodson
Tom Earnhardt
Melinda & David Engstrom
Farm Bureau
Nathaniel Gallinger
Marilyn & Kit Garren
Catherine Green
Anna & Connor Guthy
Jared Haftel
Charlotte Hanes
Pamela Harpootlian
Debra & Edward
Heimerdinger
Kristen & Ray Hohenstein
Trenhom & Susan
Hull Walker
Cathy & Mark Janney
Anne & Larry Jennings
Jacob Johnson
Perry Hodgkins Jones
Thomas Jones
William Jordan
Nicola Karesh
Donna Kelly
Nancy & Russell Knights
Joan & Gerald Koperski
Lawndale Garden Club
Janice Leonard
Paddy Lynch
Nancy & Erwin Maddrey
Darcy Millard
Heidi Mitchell
Harley Morgan
Ann Wallace & Bill Nichols
Steve Price
Allison Reid
Richard Reid
Deborah & John Ritter
Lauren & Matt Sevilla
Slater R. Solomon
Marion Soloway
Jenn Steele
Kim & Wyatt Stevens
Amolia Willowsong &
Steve Supreme
Kellon Tippett
Derin & Trevor Togar
Twin City Garden Club
Kathryn Unser
Lisa Verges
Renee & Hamilton Williams
Susan Williams
Frances Worthy
Mary Zoch

Many Pathways To Giving
Muddy Sneakers is made possible through heartfelt gifts from foundations,
corporations, and individuals like yourself. Now more than ever, we are
committed to building a community that believes all children deserve
meaningful connections with the natural world at a formative age.
We welcome all giving pathways, including volunteering! To discuss the right path for you,
or to receive instructions for giving through securities, please contact our Development
Director, Jordan Robbins at 828-862-5560.
Give A By Check
Muddy Sneakers
P.O. Box 146
Brevard, NC 28712
Give Online
Secure donations
can be made at
www.muddysneakers.org.
Recurring Giving
Please consider setting up a
monthly draft to automatically
support Muddy Sneakers on
an ongoing basis.
Business Donations
& Employer Match
We work with small
businesses and local
corporations, providing
exposure for doing well
by doing good. Also, don’t
forget to check if your
employer matches employee
donations. This can increase
your giving manyfold!
Give a Gift in Honor
of a Loved One
A donation to Muddy Sneakers
makes a great gift to anyone
who values a childhood
connection to nature.
Make a Gift of Stock
If you have appreciated
stocks, it is easy to make
a gift to us and receive
favorable tax treatment. For
example, a donor who gives
a gift of common stock held
longer than one year avoids
capital gains taxation on the
transfer, so the full value
of the contribution goes to
Muddy Sneakers.
Donate Through
Your IRA
If you are 70 ½ or older, you
may be interested in lowering
your IRA withdrawals’ income
and taxes. Through an IRA
Charitable Rollover, you can
transfer up to $100,000
a year directly from your
IRA to Muddy Sneakers.
The transfer amount will
not be included in your
taxable income, and can
count towards your required
minimum distribution.
Use Your Donor
Advised Fund to Give
Please contact the
organization that holds
your Donor Advised
Fund (DAF) to discuss
minimum contributions and
recommend grants.
Leave a Legacy
Invest in a generation
connected to the natural
resources in their community.
Legacy donors fund students’
direct experience and invest
in the cultivation of stewards
who will care for the incredible
resources that define their
region. There is no better
example of legacy giving. We
welcome the opportunity to
think through ways in which
you can use your estate as
a tool to ensure the Muddy
Sneakers experience will
continue to impact children
well into the future.
Gifts of Real Property
Muddy Sneakers is open to
accepting real property gifts
that provide an opportunity to
serve an immediate need or
are marketable and can be sold
to benefit the organization.
17

Board of Directors,
Piedmont Advisory
Council & Staff
- CURRENT YEAR ‘22 - ‘23
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Chase Pickering, Chair
Vice President, Biltmore
House Guest Experience &
Operations at Biltmore
Cliff Dodson, Vice Chair
Former Superintendent,
Buncombe County Schools
Ben Walters, Treasurer
CPA/Senior Manager/Tax,
Forvis
Jay Lanier, Secretary
Key Account Director WNC
& ETN, Interface
Joanne Bartsch
Science Teacher, Carolina
Day School
Townsend Birdsong
Owner and Former Director,
Camp High Rocks
Anne Bullard
Owner and Director, Gwynn
Valley Camp
Tom Earnhardt
Conservationist, Attorney,
Writer & Producer, Exploring
North Carolina
Richard Houck
Retired Rear Admiral, U.S.
Coast Guard
Morris Jenkins, MD
Retired Hospice Medical
Director and Palliative
Medicine Physician, Care
Partners Transylvania Hospice
Betsy Jordan
Former Attorney
Robert Prioleau
Founding Partner, Blue Ion
Kristina Proctor
Founder of Neurodivergent
Ventures
ADHD Coach/
Communications Professional
Missy Rankin
Conservationist and
Community Leader
18

Emeritus Board
Members
Gloria Clouse
Former Elementary
School Principal
Chuck McGrady
Muddy Sneakers Founder
Former State Representative,
Henderson County
Sandy Schenck
Muddy Sneakers Founder
Former Executive Director,
Green River Preserve Camp
Aleen Steinberg
Muddy Sneakers Founder
Conservationist and
Community Leader
PIEDMONT
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dr. Jay Bolin - Advisory
Council Chair
Dean of Sciences & Director
of the Fred Stanback Jr.
Ecological Preserve, Catawba
College
Chris Cagle
Owner, El Dorado Outpost
Savannah Heath
Economic Development
Director, Montgomery County
Beverly Leonard
Retired Rural Hall Elementary
School Teacher, Winston-
Salem Forsyth County Schools
Don Martin
Vice Chair, Forsyth County
Board of Commissioners
Palmer McIntyre
Conservation Planner,
Piedmont Land Conservancy
Jason Walser
West End Incubator Initiative
Coordinator, Blanche and
Julian Robertson Foundation
STAFF
Administration:
Chehala Andriananjason,
WNC Program Manager
Cody Bliss,
PNC Region Director
Erica Brown,
Communications Manager
Em Hitzfelder,
PNC Logistics & Community
Programs Coordinator
Nikki Jones,
WNC Region Director
Hannah Latragna,
Administrative Assistant
Michelle Leonard,
Development Officer
Ryan Olson,
Outgoing Executive Director
Cynthia Peedin,
PNC Program Manager
Jordan Robbins,
Development Director
David Rahahę:tih Webb,
Incoming Executive Director
Field Instructors:
Western
Than Axtell,
Lead Instructor
Carlton Burke,
Lead Instructor
Dan Chase,
Field Instructor
KC Collins,
Field Instructor
David H. Davis,
Field Instructor
Deborah Davis,
Core Instructor
Stephanie Francis,
Lead Instructor
Jonathan Gray,
Field Instructor
Megan Krintz,
Field Instructor
Shannon Lally,
Core Instructor
Connor Mathias,
Lead Instructor
Lucas Newton,
Field Instructor
Miranda Norlin,
Core Instructor
Leslie Prescott,
Lead Instructor
Lindsey Sterrett,
Core Instructor
Julie Thomson,
Lead Instructor
Field Instructors:
Piedmont
Chelsea Byrne,
Field Instructor
Annie Dillon,
Core Instructor
Chelsea Flowers,
Core Instructor
Synthia Folwell,
Field Instructor
Kristin Frohne,
Field Instructor
Paulette O'Hara,
Lead Instructor
Cindy Ramsay,
Virtual Programming
Coordinator
Kai Temple,
Field Instructor
19

The Path Forward
A LETTER FROM OUR OUTGOING
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
20
It feels like only a moment ago we were
celebrating 10 years of connecting
NC’s children to the natural world and
yet here we are, entering our 15th year of
programming in the western region and 5
years completed in the Piedmont.
For some of you reading this, your ties
to our work date back to the beginning.
It was 2007 and our fledgling nonprofit
was seeking to bring local children into
the recently-protected DuPont State
Recreational Forest, an amazing landscape
of woodlands, creeks, waterfalls, and
granite domes. The tough start-up years
required weathering a daunting recession
with resilience by a committed staff
and board who never questioned the
importance and urgency of this work.
For others, you may have become aware
of Muddy Sneakers’ work during the key
turning point when we received our first
state appropriation targeted towards
regional expansion and proving portability.
That investment led to the daunting task
of opening a second field office in the
Piedmont region, a beautiful landscape
but one less familiar with prioritizing
outdoor science education as a part of
public school instruction.
Maybe for others, your awareness
of Muddy Sneakers stems from our
recent work to preserve student nature
connections during the isolation days of
COVID (even when that required less ‘high
touch’ and more ‘high tech’).
Regardless of when you joined us on this
journey, we are so glad you did and we hope
you will agree that even as the organization
has evolved, one thing has remained
consistent - our first priority is to the
students we serve and the lands we steward.
Before looking to the path ahead, I want to
reflect on where we have been and how it
has informed and transformed our work.
The COVID pandemic had a huge impact
on Muddy Sneakers; one that demanded
an incredible pivot. The challenges
weathered over the last two years
have made us stronger, more resilient,
adaptable, and creative.
The silver lining of the COVID saga is that
the global population appreciates now,
more than ever, the incredible importance
of connectivity - to peers, families,
communities, and without question, the
natural world. Those blessed to have
retained access to safe, natural areas during
that time understand well the restoration

and resilience that nature can provide and
model. We were also reminded, especially
with children, of how critical it is to balance
our ever-increasing technology intake
use with the nourishment that nature
uniquely provides.
During that time, I thought often of
Aleen Steinberg, one of Muddy Sneakers’
inspiring founders, who is known for
offering this sage advice - “When you’re
feeling blue, touch something green.”
Muddy Sneakers knew the importance of
staying present for our children and their
communities during COVID. The result
was an incredible response where we
reimagined our work, became more holistic
in our offerings, and as a result, enriched
our school relationships.
As we emerge from that chapter and look
ahead to the next 15 years, the path forward
is one where we continue to deepen our
team, broaden our base of support, refine
and expand our program offerings, and
prioritize key partnerships that will help not
only grow but diversify our reach.
If we do that work well, we will ensure more
NC students have the Muddy Sneakers
experience and in so doing, redefine not
only what it means to learn science in NC
but simply, what it means to grow up in NC,
a state blessed in natural classrooms that
exist for the benefit of every child.
It is with great pride and admiration for our
incredible team that I write this final note
as Executive Director. Making the decision
to transition was not an easy one and yet
I do not question the timing. I have every
intention to stay close to the organization
for years to come and as I have said many
times, I doubt I’ll ever have the privilege of
serving a more rewarding mission.
I now join all of you in watching as our
incredible team carries forward this work in
ways I could not have imagined. Change is
powerful, necessary, and in this moment,
something to be embraced. There is much
to be excited for in this next evolution
of Muddy Sneakers. Please join me in
celebrating all that we have done together
but more importantly, the incredible
horizon ahead.
My deepest gratitude to all of you who
helped bring us this far.
Ryan Olson
The silver lining of the
COVID saga is that the global
population appreciates now,
more than ever, the incredible
importance of connectivity - to
peers, families, communities,
and without question, the
natural world.
21

Muddy Sneakers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
For more information about making a gift or getting
involved, please contact us today.
BREVARD:
828-862-5560
P.O. Box 146, Brevard, NC 28712
44 W Jordan Street, Brevard, NC 28712
SALISBURY:
704-209-4009
P.O. Box 2151, Salisbury, NC 28144
2300 W Innes St., Salisbury, NC 28144
www.muddysneakers.org • info@muddysneakers.org