Welcome Kat, Our New FoodCorps Member!

New school year, new faces

As the summer draws to a close, we are thrilled to once again connect with students in the Redmond School District through a partnership with the incredible FoodCorps program. Kat Rains (she/her) is a new FoodCorps member serving at M.A. Lynch Elementary in Redmond starting this fall, and we look forward to getting to know her more this year!

Kat was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, but got her degree from Appalachian State University in the beautiful mountain town of Boone, NC. This is where her love of sustainability and outdoors flourished, but her degree in Art Education brought her back to an elementary school in Charlotte to teach after graduation. Kat created a garden and art club at the school and felt passionately about incorporating sustainability into her teaching.  She is thrilled to be in central Oregon to pursue trail running and other outdoor sports, while having the amazing opportunity to serve with FoodCorps and learn from the students, staff and community.

Last week, Kat got a tour of the MA Lynch school garden from our previous FoodCorps member, Adrienne!

Learning more about Kat

What drew you to FoodCorps, and what are you most looking forward to this school year?

Kat: While teaching art this past year in North Carolina, I created a garden club at my school and reconnected with my interest in teaching students about stewardship, planting and growing with them! 

What has been your favorite summer memory or activity this year?

Kat: Favorite memory of summer was swimming in Crater Lake and watching the sunset with my partner afterwards! 

Any recipes you would consider your go-to’s on a busy day?

Kat: Any vegetable roasted with coconut aminos and nutritional yeast is what I eat almost everyday! 

If you could choose to view the world through the lens of any other plant or animal, what would it be?

Kat: If I could choose I would be a Luna moth gently fluttering and viewing the world!

You can contact Kat via email kat@envirocenter.org, or perhaps you’ll run into her at a Happy Hour in the Garden event, or tabling in the community!