FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
BOB ROTATORI 216-635-3263 -or-
MARJORIE THOMAS 216-635-3204
The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Region 4 recently announced its Interpretive Professional Award Winners, and Renell Simrau, naturalist with Cleveland Metroparks, is among the 2013 recipients of the Sandy McBeath Award.
The Professional Awards Program is designed to recognize outstanding interpreters within the Great Lakes region including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Ontario. The Sandy McBeath award is given to two part-time or seasonal interpreters who exceed in program development, front-line interpretation and show leadership potential.
Renell Simrau, naturalist with Look About Lodge in South Chagrin Reservation, began with Cleveland Metroparks in spring 2011. Since then she has become an integral part of their programming and planning. She has single-handedly developed and presented the Lodge's eight summer camp programs. When the teen camp didn't have enough registrants she brought in the interested teens to volunteer with other camps. When animal vests were needed for a special pre-school program, she designed and sewed them herself. She is also a skilled basket maker and has started a basketry program at the Lodge offering programs 5 to 6 times per year. In addition to working at Look About Lodge, she is also a Casual Naturalist for Metroparks Serving Summit County where she started in summer 2012.
Simrau has been an active participant in NAI as well, currently serving as chair of the archives committee and co-chair of the membership committee. She also served as co-chair on the 2012 Regional Workshop committee. As one of her co-workers explains it, �Being an interpreter is as vital to this nominee as food and air. And she meets it every day with a love and passion that is unmatched and contagious. This is part of the reason Renell Simrau is this year's recipient of the Sandy McBeath Part-time/Seasonal Award.�
Simrau received her award at NAI's regional interpreter's workshop in Perth, Ontario on February14, 2013.
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Cleveland Metroparks - part of your life, naturally.
