Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Ashley Portala is an experienced environmental professional with a strong background in animal care and natural sciences. Currently serving as the Assistant Manager of Living Collections at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum since June 2019, Ashley previously held multiple roles within the same organization, including Animal Caretaker I and Animal Caretaker II. Prior experience includes working as an Amphibian Field Technician at Lincoln Park Zoo and a Junior Plantsman at Native Landscape Contractors LLC. Ashley's earlier roles feature positions such as Biological Science Technician with the National Park Service, Animal Husbandry Intern at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Urban Agriculture Intern at Loyola University Chicago Institute of Environmental Sustainability, and Environmental Steward at Conservation Legacy. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Loyola University Chicago, obtained in 2016.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum serves as an urban gateway to the world of nature and science. The mission of the Academy and its Museum is to create a positive relationship between people and nature through collaborations, education, research and collections, exhibits, and public forums that foster urban connections to our region’s nature and science. Our vision is to be the leading voice on urban ecology and sustainability as it relates to the Midwest/Great Lakes region. Established in 1857, the Chicago Academy of Sciences has been educating the public about nature and science for over 159 years, making us Chicago’s oldest Museum. In 1999, the Academy established the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to serve as its new permanent home, amidst the abundant urban wildlife of Lincoln Park and the shore of Lake Michigan. Since its opening, the Nature Museum has had more than two million visitors, including over 308,000 in 2015, allowing us to maintain our place as the 6th largest museum in Chicago. The Chicago Academy of Sciences has a rich history of leading science education through outreach, exhibits, and conservation initiatives, and the Nature Museum proudly continues that tradition of leadership. Each year, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum provides over 76,000 educational contact hours through K-12 science education programs reaching students, primarily from underserved schools and communities. Through our outreach programs and on-site workshops, the Museum also provides teacher professional development to more than 1,700 teachers annually, as well as teacher training, curriculum, and material support to the schools and communities with the greatest need.