Chapter Meeting – Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Accessibility in Nature

At the meeting on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, you will hear from our speaker, Patti Bonnin, on her personal journey to become an advocate for both nature and disability access. She combines these two passions with a practical approach in her work at the Houston Arboretum to ensure everyone can access and enjoy nature. Patti will also have copies of her book available for purchase and is happy to sign books after the presentation.

Patti Bonnin is a Senior Naturalist at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center specializing in early childhood and family environmental education, and inclusive outdoor practices. She has earned a Master of Arts in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education at Hamline University and Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from University of St. Thomas. Patti is a certified EC-6 teacher and has completed a certificate program on the Foundations of Accessibility through the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University. Currently Patti is utilizing her decade of experience in informal nature education to develop environmental outreach programs for underprivileged preschoolers, bringing nature to those who need it most. As a strong advocate for accessibility and inclusion in the outdoors, Patti works to design programs that welcome people of all abilities and backgrounds to explore the natural world. She is a member of the Accessibility Advisory Committee for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is also the Educational Advisor for Ocean Music Action, a nonprofit that seeks to use the beauty of music to address oceanic conservation efforts. This past summer, she self-published a book titled Nature Adapted: A Guidebook for evaluating and modifying programs and practices to increase outdoor accessibility. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband of 18 years and their amazing 7-year-old son.