B.A., Principia College M.A., Northeastern Illinois University (in
process)
Mary Jane Hoff has been an environmental educator since 1992. She first ran a
nature center in the Chicago area, serving as caretaker of many large live
animal exhibits and educating school groups about the natural history of the
area. Building on this background she started Natural Encounters, a hands-on
environmental education business. This company catered to small-group programs
where Hoff taught about various subjects in science. For five years she taught
students ranging from preschool to adult in the classroom. At Principia starting
in fall 2000, Hoff is teaching many intro level classes, such as Field and
Natural History, Zoology, Environmental Science, and Ornithology. Her passion is
learning and teaching about birds, so be prepared to see binoculars attached to
her face in the spring. She has also brought her menagerie of animals to use as
teaching tools in the classroom. She is completing her master's degree in
geography and environmental studies.
