This February, Aquarium Education Instructors Ashley Bradt and Drew Heyward were each awarded a scholarship to attend the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Conference in Puerto Rico!

Ashley and Drew spent four days attending educational talks, enjoying the Puerto Rican culture and networking with nature interpreters from the NAI Sunny Southeast Region, which includes the southeastern United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The conference focused on the importance of connecting people and educating the community through interpretation. Not only did Ashley and Drew partake in valuable professional development at the conference, but they also gained a fresh perspective about interpretation techniques from NAI peers who are just as passionate about nature and education as they are.

The final day of the conference was spent hiking, kayaking and biking in the beautiful, scenic area of Humacao Nature Reserve. Ashley and Drew learned about the wildlife from the kind, helpful locals of Puerto Rico. Read Ashley’s Coconuts for Puerto Rico! NAI blog post to hear all about her experience in Puerto Rico: https://nairegion3.wordpress.com/blog/.