Staff Spotlight: Wesley Nugteren

Q: Could you share a little about yourself and your role on the Amherst campus?

I live in Easthampton with my wife and two beautiful children, ages one and five. My family loves adventure and artistic endeavors. In my role as wellbeing and outdoor initiatives coordinator, I offer opportunities for students to practice wellbeing through outdoor programming and education while bringing more awareness to the natural world on our campus and in the region. In my first months on campus, I’ve led mushroom, tree, and plant identification hikes; full and new moon hikes; invasive species removal hikes; an Outing Club mushroom foraging trip; and a fall colors waterfall and mountain hiking trip. I’ve led bi-weekly Nature Craft Fridays workshops in the Makerspace and tabled at the Wellbeing Fair and at Valentine Dining Hall. Moving forward, I hope to continue building a community of students and staff who find real benefit and well-being through outdoor programming and education.

Q: Where are you from, and in what ways do you think that has shaped you? 

I grew up on a farm in southeastern South Dakota. My family grew corn and soybeans and raised cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. I helped with chores on the farm from a young age and was immersed in the seasonal rhythms of the outdoors. When I wasn’t doing chores, my brother and I were busy building treehouses, playing in the dirt, and being surrounded by plants and animals. My mother often told us to “go play outside and don’t come in until dinnertime.” When we asked our dad for a treehouse, he showed us where the scrap wood was, gave us a bucket of nails, and taught us to use a hammer. This gift of independence and creative ownership shaped my life immeasurably. My love of nature is very much rooted in my experience as a farm kid.

Q: What was your journey to Amherst like? 

I studied plant and soil science at South Dakota State University and began my career as a soil scientist shortly thereafter. A few years in, I felt that something was missing from my work. I wanted to share my love of the outdoors with others. Gradually, I found my way into the field of outdoor education. Since this career transition, I’ve worked as an interpretive naturalist for a wildflower garden and bird sanctuary, as a teacher and naturalist for a nature-based preschool, as a schoolyard garden teacher for a large school district, and as a nature educator and program manager for a community health organization.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you? 

On any given day, I can be found managing my email, attending staff meetings, serving on the Wildlife Sanctuary committee, advising Outing Cub, collaborating with fellow Student Affairs staff, planning outdoor programs and events, leading hikes in the Wildlife Sanctuary, leading Nature Craft Fridays workshops in the Makerspace, or leading other outdoor education programming.

Q: What is your favorite part of the job? 

My favorite part of my job is interacting with students. Amherst College students are incredibly intelligent, and I enjoy getting into deep conversations about nature-related topics during the programs I lead. I often feel like I’m learning as much from students as I’m teaching them. I also really enjoy all the time I get to spend outside. Hiking and being among my non-human friends in nature is very much my happy place.

Q: What do you hope students will get out of the hikes and activities you lead around campus?

I hope they make a connection to nature that makes them want to come back again. I hope that time on my hikes and in my programs brings them a sense of peace, happiness, and movement that improves their well-being. I hope that time on my hikes also gives students some perspective on their role in the natural world. After all, we are animals and we have a responsibility within our role in our environment.

Q: Do you have a piece of advice you want to give students? 

Make time for your passions and shape them into your lifestyle. Life gets busy real fast, and if your favorite things are tied into your weekly routine, you’ll be a lot happier. And don’t forget to stop and observe the little things. There’s so much beauty in the miniature.

Q: What do you like to do outside of work?

I love spending time outdoors with my family. Some of my favorite activities are foraging for wild foods, exploring nature areas, gardening, cooking meals from foods I’ve foraged or grown, woodworking, leathercrafting, designing and making gifts for friends and family, and playing word games.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted over email and has been edited for style.