Sara Melena Office of Education and Outreach Natural Resource Stewardship & Science National Park Service 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 100 Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-225-3525 sara_melena@nps.gov

Sara Melena works with National Park Service interpreters, educators, resource managers, and scientists to communicate natural resource topics and issues to the public. She currently focuses on applying social science and communication theory to affect stewardship behaviors. Her work supports the NPS science communication goals of increasing the nation’s science literacy and inspiring the public’s commitment to preserve our nation’s heritage.

Sara has a degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources with a focus on environmental communication. Her research examined the needs of environmental education centers, including those in national parks. In addition to city and county planning, she has worked in natural resource planning for Boulder County and at Eldorado Canyon State Park in interpretation. Since 2007, Sara has worked with the National Park Service in Fort Collins, CO.