Three representatives from the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society last Friday visited the Pennypack Environmental Center, 8600A Verree Road, to honor an employee as part of its Good for You, Good for All campaign.
In tandem with Pennsylvania Park and Recreation Professionals Day and National Park and Recreation Month, PRPS presents an annual Good Job! Award.
The award goes to a parks and recreation practitioner who has shown outstanding dedication to the field and has directly impacted the community.
This year’s winner is Stephanie Robinson, acting environmental education program specialist at the Pennypack Environmental Center.
Robinson was nominated by coworkers and credited them with making the center a place offering countless programs for people of all ages.
“It wouldn’t be possible without the team we have here,” she said.
Robinson is a Holmesburg native who gained a love for the environment while visiting Pennypack Park and studying at Abraham Lincoln High School (class of 1998). She became an intern at the Pennypack Environmental Center when she was 19.
“I’ve been here ever since,” she said.
Robinson earned environmental science and biology degrees from East Stroudsburg University.
Over the years, she has also worked at the city’s two other environmental centers, at Wissahickon and Cobbs Creek.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors,” she said.
At the ceremony, environmental education planner Christina Moresi used a slideshow to chronicle Robinson’s work.
Robinson created a Teen Adventure Camp; is a certified archery teacher and trainer; has developed partnerships, including with Baldi Middle School; has worked at the Broad Street Run; and coordinates events at the environmental center and Fox Chase Farm such as hayrides, Halloween campfires, bird counts, photo contests, a fall festival and craft show, sheep shearing, apple festival and maple sugar day.
In general, she teaches young people to love nature and be future environmental stewards by encouraging them to recycle and not litter.
Over her 23 years, she’s worked with the children of some of the children she educated at the start of her career.
Robinson, married with two children and living in the Far Northeast, said she has fun at work and would like to keep doing what she’s doing before retiring.
“I do love my job,” she said.
Among those joining in the celebration were Robinson’s husband, Doug, and parents David and Linda Hoffer; Bill Salvatore, deputy commissioner of Parks and Recreation; and PRPS’ Tim Herd (CEO), Ken Lehr (board president) and Niki Tourscher (director of training).
“I’m really proud of her,” her mom said. ••
