Meet the Educators
Betsy Marsh
As an environmental educator and conservationist for over 20 years, Betsy delights in creating meaningful, memorable experiences which connect people to the natural world. Since 2020, she has led TRWD’s youth conservation program and partnered with schools, cities, businesses, and community groups to provide innovative water education programs and outdoor learning resources. Betsy completed her B.A. in Geography at the University of Texas at Austin and her M.S. in Resource Policy and Behavior at the University of Michigan. After teaching in Honduras, she coordinated outreach programs and developed educational content for diverse environmental policy organizations. Most recently, she worked for the City of Grapevine creating experiential youth education programs and partnering with schools to enhance outdoor learning areas. In her spare time, she loves gardening with native plants and enjoying nature with her family and friends.
Melissa Malone
With 15+ years of teaching experience and 10 years in the conservation education field, Melissa’s passion for teaching and the environment has been a thread throughout her professional and personal life. After completing her B.A. in Biology from the University of Dallas, she worked as an Educator at the Dallas Zoo and Aquarium, and later as Senior Education Manager at the Trinity River Audubon Center. Since then, she has worked in preschools, elementary schools, and nature centers, helping with recycling programs, school gardens, and wildlife restoration projects. Outside of teaching, Melissa is most at home while cooking, entertaining, hiking, birding, and gardening. She is always looking for something new to learn about the environment and is thrilled to share her knowledge with our community.
Vanessa Navarro
From an early age, Vanessa felt a passion for exploring and conserving the natural environment. While growing up in Fort Worth, she enjoyed TRWD’s recreational spaces like Twin Points Park and the Trinity Trails. Vanessa completed a B.S. in Environmental Science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She has spent the last five years teaching K-12 students in classrooms, natural areas, and summer camps at nature preserves, zoos, and aquariums in Texas and Georgia. She is passionate about inspiring our community and especially our youth to appreciate nature and its resources. When she’s not teaching, Vanessa enjoys exercising outside and visiting state parks.
Jessica Irvin
From hiking at Eagle Mountain Park to riding along the Trinity Trails, TRWD recreational spaces were a big part of Jessica’s upbringing. After attending Texas Wesleyan for her B.A. in Mass Communication and working in marketing and social media for many years, she knew she wanted to do more hands-on work getting the community excited about conservation. After working at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens/BRIT as a field trip facilitator, she instantly fell in love with helping engage the next generation with the natural world. Outside of teaching, Jessica loves spending time with her kids, hiking, native gardening, volunteering, doing arts and crafts with friends, and thrifting.
Kenzie Solomon
As a child, Kenzie was often found with her eyes fixed on a book about nature or captivated by a documentary on the natural world. Her lifelong curiosity and love of learning led her to pursue a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation at East Texas A&M University. She went on to build a career in wildlife education, working at the Dallas Zoo and several nature centers before becoming a Mobile STEM Educator at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, where she brought science learning to communities across DFW. In her free time, she enjoys attending reptile shows, crafting, exploring nature with her loved ones, and wrangling her lively basset hound puppy.
