Autumn Brunelle
Autumn Brunelle is a full-time Naturalist for Monroe County Parks and Recreation, spearheading initiatives aimed at preserving natural habitats, implementing sustainable practices, and educating the community about the importance of conservation. In her position, she serves as garden manager for the Will Detmer Park Organic Community Garden, and is a Monroe county based facilitator/instructor for the statewide Indiana Master Naturalist Program, a certification series that is offered in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The course covers topics such as botany, zoology, geology, soils, water, and people and natural resources. Pollinators are a special interest for her; every year, she hosts Bloomington Parks and Recreation’s Bugfest and she is connected with organizers of World Migratory Day.
Autumn is also a selected speaker for the Indiana Humanities Speaker’s Bureau and a part of Unearthed, a new multiyear thematic initiative from Indiana Humanities that encourages Hoosiers to discover and discuss their relationships with the natural world.
Autumn is a member of the Anishinaabe group of Indigenous peoples, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and grew up on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Cass Lake, Minnesota. She graduated in 2015 from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Native American Studies with a desire for integrating indigenous knowledge into environmental education and outreach. She has continued to develop this passion through her diverse work experiences with international and local non-profits, the National Park Service, local governments, and in creating community-based environmental programming. Her collaborative approach has facilitated successful partnerships with local organizations and businesses.