Emily Kling poses for a photo at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center.
Auburn University’s Kreher Preserve and Nature Center (KPNC) has been bolstered with ongoing educational assistance thanks to generous donations and a planned gift from a distinguished environmental educator. The Emily Kling Fund for Excellence launched in spring 2025 and takes existing, successful youth education opportunities and reaches more children with environmental education.
Kling is an Alabama native and alumna of Principia College in Illinois holding a bachelor’s degree in Field Biology. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she enrolled at the University of Michigan to pursue a Master of Science. Kling returned to The Plains to complete her education with a Doctor of Education from Auburn University.
Always an advocate for environmental education, Kling’s 30-year career in youth leadership, natural resources and environmental education with the Cooperative Extension System on the county, state and national levels reinforces her commitment to outreach. Since 2010, Kling has served as president and member of the KPNC Advisory Board and an educational instructor. She also has served as president of Auburn’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Advisory Council and a volunteer at the Auburn Alumni Association and several youth camps across the Southeast region.
“The main goal of this gift to the KPNC is to provide more experiences for youth to get outside and have opportunities to appreciate the world,” Kling said. “I went to many summer camps and was involved in the Girl Scouts. This ultimately allowed me to find my love for the environment, and my hope is that this fund will allow other children like me to also find that same love I did.”
The youth camp series included in this endowment consists of Spring Break, Summer Ecology, Woodland Wonders and Summer Adventure camps, all hosted at the KPNC. Cumulatively, these camps help hundreds of children learn more about the natural world around them.
Kling shows reptiles to Summer Ecology Camp students at the KPNC.
The Emily Kling Fund for Excellence is particularly beneficial for these KPNC camps because it will provide funding for a supplemental full-time educator. This educator will primarily focus on education strategy and implementation for elementary, middle and high school students as well as adults. Curriculum development, school field trips, summer day camps and staff training for outreach on environmental topics will also be included in the assigned tasks for this role.
“Emily has secured the future of the KPNC’s environmental education offerings by creating a permanent, full-time position that will be solely focused on providing high quality environmental education,” said Michael Buckman, KPNC manager. “As our community grows, more and more students are in need of critical nature-based experiences. Integrating environmental education into curricula helps prepare students to be proactive stewards of the planet, capable of making informed decisions that contribute to a sustainable future.”
The Emily Kling Fund for Excellence provides an impactful example of how one experience can lead to a lifelong adventure of public service. The KPNC’s mission of serving as a beacon of environmental education and outreach aligns with the Auburn College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE). Paying it forward to the next generation of environmental stewards is at the heart of their land-grant mission.
“Dr. Kling has always been a friend of our college and a selfless contributor to the mission of Auburn University,” said Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE. “Her kindness and generosity will forever reinforce the KPNC’s potential for education and outreach. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to her for paying it forward in the name of environmental education.”
For more information on the KPNC and other giving opportunities, please contact Heather Crozier, CFWE director of development, and visit the KPNC website.
