Andrea Hildebrandt, Urban School Program Educator

Pronouns: she/her/hers

I grew up in WI surrounded by dairy farms. I spent summer evenings with lightning bugs and winter days ice skating on frozen lakes and ponds. I’ll never forget the first time I planted a seed in the garden plot behind my preschool. Ever since, I’ve noticed the continuous connections between humans and our earth. I love helping others, especially young people, use their innate knowledge of the life forces around them to create simple but impactful memories. I believe there is so much to be learned from being in and with nature. Being outdoors, gardening, teaching, hiking, yoga, reading, volunteering, listening to music, being with family, cooking and crafting are all ways I enjoy spending my time. I have a B.S. in Environmental Science and Anthropology from University of Mankato at Minnesota where I emphasized on Native American cultures, botany, and education.  I’ve been teaching outdoor, museum and gardening education for 24 years. It all started in a place called Rasmussen Woods, located at the base of the Minnesota River in south central MN, where I put together interpretive center programs for families on the weekends.  Post collage, I taught programs at the WI State Historical Museum in Madison and was part of the paleoethnobotany archaeology team. When I moved to Seattle in the early 2000s, I was part of the education team at the Museum of Flight where I taught aeronautical history and the basic physics of flight. After starting a family, I began teaching garden education and still do most Fridays at the Queen Anne P-Patch.  With my wonderful partner, I get to be Mom to my 12 year old daughter, 9 year old son, 2 year old pup named Ghost and our guinea pigs, Marshmallow and Oreo. In 2019 I started working in Urban Education at IslandWood.  I’m so glad to be part of this awesome team!