Monica Wiedel-Lubinski began her career at Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, Maryland where she founded Maryland’s second licensed, NAEYC-accredited nature preschool. She directed a broad range of nature-based programs for children, families, and teachers spanning her 19-year tenure there. She received the Margaret O’Neil Award in 2017 in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in nature-based education. Recognizing the need for nature-based teacher training and professional networks, Monica founded the Association for Nature-Based Education in 2016 with support from colleagues across the region. She has founded/co-founded three nature-based preschool programs in the greater Baltimore, MD area including the forest preschool at Carrie Murray Nature Center in Baltimore and Notchcliff Nature Programs in Glen Arm, MD. She consults to help countless others breathe life into new nature-based programs and schools. As co-chair of the Outdoor Preschool Licensing Advisory Team, Monica spearheads a group of stakeholders in Maryland advocating for more equitable, inclusive access to nature-based learning.