Abbey supports Openlands as the Forestry Specialist, where she co-leads the Arborist Registered Apprenticeship crew. With 5 years of experience in environmental education and outdoor leadership, Abbey brings expertise in building relevant and engaging workforce development and training programs.
Before joining Openlands, she worked at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where she coordinated and led the Youth Conservation Corps program for 3 seasons. Abbey holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Passionate about building skills and confidence outdoors, Abbey is known for compassionate and empathetic leadership and finding the fun in the work.
Favorite Place to Get Outside – Abbey enjoys sewing and swimming, and is actively involved in river clean ups and volunteering for the Cook County Forest Preserves.
Contact Information
- Email: ahays@openlands.org
- LinkedIn: Abbey Hays
