Meet the RTP Estuary Center Education Team!
Heather Kordula, Education Program Director
Heather Kordula has a B.S. in Environmental Science and an M.S. in Environmental Education. She worked as an intern with the Rhode Island Audubon before moving to Connecticut to work for several years as an environmental program educator and field trip coordinator for Common Ground Environmental Education Center in New Haven. Heather spent the next two years as a Pre-k teacher at a Reggio Emilia inspired early learning center. Additionally, Heather worked for two summers as an Education Coordinator for the Yale Peabody Museum. She also served for several years on the COEEA board. Heather is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day education operations of the RTP Estuary Center.
Joe Attwater, Conservation and Education Coordinator
Joe has a B.S. in Wildlife & Conservation Biology from the University of Rhode Island. During college, he assisted with graduate research on migrating songbirds and seabirds and turned to sustainable food systems after graduating. He worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA for two years focusing on local agriculture. Joe leads many of the RTP Estuary Center’s bird community programs and webinars and assists in teaching our K-12 education program and family programs.
Morgan Allen, Teacher-Naturalist
Morgan Allen earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Colby-Sawyer College. She then spent seven years working for the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Westbrook, ranging from SCA intern, Teacher, Island Keeper, Biologist intern, and YCC crew member. Morgan also worked for Meig’s Point Nature Center at Hammonasset State Park, educating the public and caring for animals. Additionally, she spent two summers working as the Conservation Commission Intern for the Town of Westbrook landscaping, educating the public, and taking surveys on Salt Island. Morgan assists in implementing our K-12 education program, Science in Nature, as well as leading adult, family, and summer camp programs.
John Cunningham, Teacher-Naturalist
After teaching a variety of biology and environmental science courses to a wide age range of students over a thirty-five year career, John joined the RTP Estuary Center team in August of 2021. An avid birder since age 7, he has observed thousands of species on five continents. At the University of Michigan, he studied ecology, ornithology and evolution as an undergraduate and graduate student. After graduate school, he worked for the EPA as a terrestrial ecologist on environmental impact research. Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, John led general natural history and bird focused tours to many locations in North and South America, including Alaska, the Amazon, the Andes and the Galapagos Islands. An active board member of the Deep River Land Trust, he also served as board president of the New Haven Land Trust. Whether his vocation or avocation, John’s passion is to be outdoors learning about nature and he is grateful to have opportunities to share his love and knowledge of flora and fauna with others. John leads many of our community bird and ecology walks.
