Savannah Purdy

Springfield, Virginia Volunteer at Hidden Pond Nature Center Length of Service: Three years Assistant Naturalist-Animal Care

Savannah Purdy started as preschool program helper at age 11, and as she gained experience with nature center operations, she added duties as an animal caretaker. She has often been credited with helping first-time participants feel more at ease in the programs at Hidden Pond, and staff members have been impressed with how the youngsters take to Purdy’s kind demeanor. She can be counted on to do a wonderful job reaching people of all ages, as she shares her knowledge of Hidden Pond’s live exhibit animals and their habitats. No visitor question is too repetitive for her, and she always answers with interest. As an animal caretaker, Purdy doesn’t just didn’t feed the animals. She has learned to keep an eye out for anything that might indicate any health problems with the animals. Her diligence has been helpful to staff in catching issues before they get out of hand.