Soledad Maristany

Soledad Maristany (they/them) is the Keller Science Action Center's Field Naturalist. In this role, Soledad manages the multi-state Mighty Acorns Partnership, which is a network of organizations that offer the Mighty Acorns program. Mighty Acorns is an environmental education program that brings elementary-aged youth out to local natural areas to learn, explore, and participate in ecological restoration projects that support habitat biodiversity. As Field Naturalist, Soledad supports organizations in launching, growing, and sustaining their Mighty Acorns program in order to foster large-scale engagement of youth, families, and their communities in ecological care of local green spaces across the Chicago Wilderness Region. Building on their work with the Mighty Acorns Partnership, Soledad also supports community-centered conservation efforts within Pembroke Township and the Calumet Region that focus on building connections between green spaces and the people that take care of them. Prior to their work with the Field Museum, Soledad worked as an environmental educator at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and managed and taught programs about bicycle riding and repair in Chicago and Philadelphia. Soledad has a B.A. in International Studies from DePaul and an M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.