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Our mission is to build awareness and foster stewardship by facilitating innovative environmental programming in schools and getting students outdoors to learn about their local watersheds and ecosystems. OCWA Conservation Education specializes in classroom and field-based outreach programming to educate about critical water issues and to inspire students to care for their communities and the Earth.
Sarah Archbald, Education & Outreach Specialist, has worked with the OCWA since 2009. Sarah specializes in developing and leading outreach programs focusing on watersheds, resource conservation, and current environmental issues, reaching thousands of elementary, middle, and high school students each year. In her role, Sarah enhances classroom learning by offering fun, interactive, and hands-on lessons that deepen ecological awareness, reinforce key grade-level science concepts, and help students develop systems thinking and a greater connection to the natural world. In addition to school-based programming, Sarah coordinates OCWA’s Estuary Stewardship Through Education field trip program, which brings students outdoors for memorable days of experiential learning along the Hudson River. Sarah also worked as a consultant and lead author of the Monhagen Brook Watershed Plan, published in 2019.
MaryLynne Malone began with the OCWA in 1994, writing the original Water Conservation curriculum in response to the needs of a growing population in Orange County. As OCWA's former Education Program Coordinator, MaryLynne engaged with thousands of individuals a year through school programming, festivals, professional development, community outreach, and participation in events such as the Day in the Life of the Hudson River. In addition to this role, MaryLynne is the Former Coordinator of Regional Nature Museums in Harriman State Park. She is a former president of the NYS Outdoor Education Association (2008-2012), where she served on the board for 13 years, past co-chair and current active member of the Equity, Access & Inclusion committee, as well as the former chair and member the awards committee. MaryLynne served for over a decade on the NYS Envirothon Committee, and is the facilitator of many of NYSDEC’s environmental education curriculum guides, including Project Wild, WET, and Learning Tree. She has co-chaired for several state conferences in Outdoor Education as well as the North American Association for Environmental Education and continues to offer professional development opportunities. She is the winner of several local and state professionals awards. Earlier in her career, MaryLynne wrote curriculum for Trailside Museum and Wildlife Center, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, and Manitoga Preserve. MaryLynne continues to improve OCWA programs as curriculum as needs and technologies evolve.
Eenika Cruz is the administrator of Orange County Water Authority. She carries out the OCWA’s mission to protect the long-term water needs of Orange County, NY. She supports local, intermunicipal, and regional projects and coordinates analysis of County water resources to provide a scientific basis for planning and decision-making.
Partners & Past Educators
Gratitude to our current and past partners and collaborators who make this works so meaningful and impactful:
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Blackrock Forest Consortium, Hudson River Estuary Program, Scenic Hudson, Trailside Museum and Zoo, and many wonderful & talented independent educators.
Ashley Hickey was a member of OCWA’s education team from 2023-2025. She is driven by a strong commitment to education and environmental advocacy in Orange County. Ashley holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood Education from SUNY New Paltz and Baking/Pastry Arts Management from the Culinary Institute of America, alongside a NY State certification as a teacher (B-6). While she started her teaching career in elementary classrooms, her passion for environmental and outdoor education brought her to OCWA, where she brings expertise in classroom technologies, experience leading children in creative, nature-based and outdoor learning, and strong skills in graphic design and fine arts. Her goal is to foster a lasting connection between people and their environment, nurturing a culture of stewardship and igniting a love for the natural world among youth in Orange County.
Michaela Himelfarb was a member of OCWA's Conservation Education team from 2022-2025 as a partner in the ESTE field trip program. She has a degree in Elementary & Special Education and studied and trained in Washington State at the Wilderness Awareness School and Rite of Passage Journeys from 2010 to 2012, where she deepened her learning and understanding of nature-based education. Since then, she has worked with many environmental education and nature connection programs across the country, most recently with Wild Earth Wilderness School co-developing and leading programs for youth, teens, and adults. Michaela focuses on the relational and connective aspects of working with people in and with the natural world. She weaves place-based knowledge, regenerative practices, storytelling, sensory exploration, and natural hand crafts to approach stewardship, ecology, and learning.
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