Leslie Strahl

Growing up in the Tampa Bay, FL area, Leslie enjoyed all things water: swimming, boating, tubing down a river, and scuba diving.  When the heat and humidity of Florida summers became insufferable, Leslie’s family escaped to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina where she found joy in hiking, mining, and picking wild blackberries.  

Leslie became an educator twenty-seven years ago, and her love of the natural world has always been evident in her classroom.  Having worked exclusively in high-poverty urban schools, Leslie understands the importance of getting students outdoors to experience the wonders of nature firsthand.  In Florida, her students learned to canoe around mangrove islands, explore estuaries, and discover the wildlife living in sawgrass lake environments.  As stewards of the bay, her students grew marsh grasses and planted them in manatee habitats.  

Now living in Las Vegas, Leslie has transitioned from fifth-grade teacher to instructional coach. She mentors new teachers and assists with the development of school-wide best practices in science and mathematics instruction.  In addition, she works with the non-profit, Green Our Planet, to maintain an extensive outdoor school garden, and with National Park Trust to coordinate field trip experiences for the inner-city youth at her school. 

In her leisure time, Leslie enjoys hiking in Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area, kayaking with family in Florida, and visiting our nation’s National Parks