Hi everyone! My name is Rachel Bensink and I’m excited to serve as your new Consortium Coordinator. I feel so incredibly honored to be here supporting you all in bringing ideas to fruition across action teams and our respective localities.

Growing up in Virginia Beach, I experienced the outdoors through the lens of our oceanfront and bay. As I got older I enjoyed finding the joy in the small, informal outdoor moments I happened upon. Moments like taking time to sit in nearby grass on a sunny day, grabbing a coffee to bring on a walk with a friend in a local park, and finding waterfront sites to journal at became moments that mattered a lot to me. My hope is that everyone finds a few outdoor moments that matter to them, and they, too, can be inspired to realize their place in our collective efforts to protect our streamside ecosystems in ways that meet their strengths, interests, and needs.

With me, I bring professional experiences across higher education leadership, scholarship, and outdoor programs as well as diversity and inclusion strategy and resource-building with both public and private entities –  group facilitation, program coordination, equity, and relationship-building have been at the center of them all. I am happy to better align my values with my work by centering local, sustainable change across our region and being an advocate for the intersection between our human and environmental sectors.

You can also find me enjoying morning walks and various camping adventures with my partner and dog, a good patio at a local coffee shop or restaurant, experimenting with my permaculture education, and finding the best spots to soak in the sounds of the James near my home in Richmond and beyond.

Together, I look forward to furthering our mission and am excited to meet you all later this month!